Question

Ellie Mosk, CEO of X-Space Industries, decided to expand the company’s product offering beyond the core model rocket business. After investigation, she decided to set up a separate division to design and manufacture products for the drone market. Several companies were interested in having X-Space develop these drones, and financial results, to date, have been encouraging. Revenue was $4 million, gross margins have been running about 40%, and the customer sales and support costs were $1 million. However, there is a growing concern that some customers require a disproportionate share of the sales and support resources, and the true profitability of the customers is unknown. Data were collected to support an analysis of customer profitability: Activity Cost Driver Total Cost Sales visits Sales visit days $ 485,000 Product modifications Number of modifications 261,000 Phone calls Number of minutes 92,100 E-mail/electronic communications Number of communications 163,000 $ 1,001,100 Customer Revenue Gross Profit Visit Days Modifications Phone Minutes Electronic Communications A $ 399,000 $ 149,000 15 15 1,040 625 B 499,000 199,000 25 15 1,130 875 C 599,000 229,000 40 40 1,380 1,010 D 1,010,000 419,000 90 60 1,730 2,010 E 1,490,000 589,000 100 70 2,130 2,260 Totals $ 3,997,000 $ 1,585,000 270 200 7,410 6,780 Required: 1. Management felt the easiest way to allocate the sales and support costs was based on the total revenue. Using total revenue as the allocation base, determine the profitability of each of the five customers. 2. Management felt that because the data revealed some customers require a disproportionate share of sales and support resources, activity-based costing should be used to determine customer profitability. Use ABC to prepare a customer profitability analysis.

Answer 1

Allocation of Sales and support cost based on total revenue
Customer	Revenue	Gross Profit	Sales and Support cost	Net Profit
A	$392,000	$142,000	$99,459	$42,541
B	$492,000	$192,000	$124,831	$67,169
C	$592,000	$222,000	$150,204	$71,796
D	$1,080,000	$412,000	$274,020	$137,980
E	$1,420,000	$582,000	$360,286	$221,714
Total	$3,976,000	$1,550,000	$1,008,800	$541,200

Allocation of Sales and support cost based on ABC
Customer	Sales Visit	Product Modification	Phone Calls	Email/Electronic Communications	Total
A	$26,556	$20,100	$13,274	$15,200	$75,130
B	$44,259	$20,100	$14,351	$21,280	$99,990
C	$70,815	$53,600	$17,340	$26,266	$168,021
D	$159,333	$80,400	$21,526	$50,587	$311,846
E	$177,037	$93,800	$26,309	$56,667	$353,813
Total	$478,000	$268,000	$92,800	$170,000	$1,008,800

Profitability of each customer based on ABC analysis

Customer	Revenue	Gross Profit	Sales and Support cost	Net Profit
A	$392,000	$142,000	$75,130	$66,870
B	$492,000	$192,000	$99,990	$92,010
C	$592,000	$222,000	$168,021	$53,979
D	$1,080,000	$412,000	$311,846	$100,154
E	$1,420,000	$582,000	$353,813	$228,187
Total	$3,976,000	$1,550,000	$1,008,800	$541,200