Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Analysis of an article “Brand Killers”


Analysis of an article “Brand Killers”

This article discusses present and future market trends and possible effective responses to these trends in the marketplace. The main idea of the article is to describe the paradigm shift in the market place and show how the past power house of the market is now shifting to the retailer or private Label brand. At present, with an increased set of brands to choose from, consumers are deciding the purchase of a Particular brand by weighing various factors like price, quality, store image etc. Both the manufacturers’ brands and private label brands are fighting to attract the consumers on these factors. In the past, lower priced private label brands were equated with lower quality products when they were first introduced. However, in recent times, major retailers have increased the quality level of their private label brands to near or, in some cases, even better than that of the national brand leaders. The article also highlights evidences that the quality of private label brands and price differentiation can help differentiate a retail store and create store loyalty.
Today, in power dimension, store brands or private label brand are in front and center. Not only this but also the consumer have learned that store brands or private label brands are now stands for quality, innovation and lower price product. Brand loyalty is not a thing of the past, it’s just with the power shift toward retailers, and their brands are garnering consumer loyalty. Retailers are no longer ‘the lowly peddlers of brands that were made and marketed by big, important manufacturers.’ Today these private label brands are known as emerging market leader and market ruler with their product which has especial features like better taste, better performance and high quality at a lower price.
From the organizational standpoint, the article provides valuable information about where the industry and competitive market now stands and how it works today in order to formulate threshold or survival strategies for both private label brands and manufacturer or national brand. In article, it is infer that Price, retailer’s reputation and quality are most important factors for shaping consumers’ perception toward private label brands.
It is important to know that which factors can influence the consumers’ attitude toward private label brands and subsequently influence their decision to purchase these brands in order to maintain the present status of market leadership by the private label brand. The retail chains generally priced their private label brands lower than that of the major brands which is a characteristic of most private label brands even today. This results in the price gap between manufacturers’ brands and private label brands providing price competitiveness to the private label brand. The existence of this price gap has important implication as it has been documented that in the absence of familiarity with the private label brands, consumers are more likely to use extrinsic cues such as price, brand name, and packaging to judge the quality of these brands. Thus, traditionally, this price gap has been used by the consumers to infer a quality gap between the manufacturer’s brands and private label brands leading to the perception that private label brands are of poor quality.
 After reading the article, I knew that private labels brand will continue to grow in categories where the manufacturer's brand does not add enough value to the customer. Distributors have recognized the opportunity to sale products creating their own private labels and help customers with sourcing instead of only acting as a sales channel for branded manufacturers. As retailers have become more powerful and global, they have increasingly focused on their own brands at the expense of manufacturer brands. Rather than simply selling on price, retailers have transformed private labels into brands. Consequently, manufacturers such as Johnson & Johnson, Nestle, and Procter & Gamble now compete with their largest customers or major retail chains like Carrefour, CVS, Tesco, and Wal-Mart.
In conclusion, the article highlights big private labels threat facing by the manufacturer brand. And the article also infer that to address and overcome these threats, manufacturer brand have to change the mind set, partner effectively, innovate brilliantly, price competitively, improve quality constantly, and market creatively.
















References:
Peter, J.P., Donnelly, J. H. Jr. (2006). Marketing Management: Essentials of Marketing Management. McGraw-Hill.

ACCOUNTING PROBLEM AND SOLUTION II


E 13.12
Given
Machine Rate per Hour                       $7.50
Percentage of balance applied for direct labor cost    200%
a.       Calculate the cost per unit of a production run of 4260 toy flutes
Where,
       Raw Material Costing      $2880
       108 direct labor hours costing      $1836
       108 machine hours

Solution
Calculation of Total cost
Raw Material                          =          $2880
Labor                                       =          $1836
Machine                                  =          $810     
Balance of the overhead         =          3672               
Total cost                                            $3672
Therefore, the cost per unit of the production   =$3672/4260
                                                                        =0.862


b.      At the end of the February, 3,930 of these toy flutes had been sold. Calculate the ending inventory at February 28.
Solution,
Remaining Unit                       =          4260-3930
                                    =          330
Therefore,
Ending Inventory        =          330 * 0.862
                                                $284.46
P 13.16
Given
Direct Labor Rate                   =          $20
Expected Production Label    =          $50,000
Direct Labor Hours                 =          200,000 Hours
a.       Given,
Units produced=3,800
Direct material cost=$142,000
Number of parts used=83,600
Direct labor cost=17,180


Direct materials                                                                                      $142,000
Direct labor cost (17180*20)                                                                $343,600
Cost of number of parts used (83,600*1.80)                                    $150,480
Total manufacturing cost                                                                     $636080   


Cost per unit= total manufacturing cost/total production units=636080/3,800
                       =167.389

b.      Application rate=Estimated total overhead cost/estimated total direct labor hour
                             =1000000/200,000
                             =5


c.       Activity based costing is important from the managerial point of view because it considers all the cost but manufacturing overhead  considers all manufacturing cost except those classified as direct labor and rawmaterials.

13.18
          a.           Under variable costing,
Raw materials                                          $1,788,800
Direct labor                                               $2,953,600
Variable manufacturing overhead        $748,800
Total cost                                                   $5491200

Cost per recorder=total cost/no of units produced
                                 =5491200/208,000
                                 =26.4
Under absorption costing,
Raw materials                                          $1,788,800
Direct labor                                               $2,953,600
Variable manufacturing overhead        $748,800
Fixed manufacturing overhead              $707,200
Total cost                                                   $6198, 400

Cost per recorder                    =          total cost/no of units produced
                                                 =         6198, 400/208,000
                                                =          29.8

d.        Total units of goods sold      =          208,000-20,400
                                               =          187,600
Under variable costing,
Cost of goods sold                  =          187,600*26.4
                                                 =         4952,640
Under absorption costing,
Cost of goods sold                  =          187,600*29.8
                                                =          5590,480



e.       Digital Voice Recorder Cost in Cost Formula
Total Cost =    Raw Materials + Direct Labor+ Variable Manufacturing Overhead
This formula suggest that producing additional 1,700 recorders does not cost any  additional fixed cost.





                                                

ACCOUNTING PROBLEM AND SOLUTION


E 13.12
Given
Machine Rate per Hour                       $7.50
Percentage of balance applied for direct labor cost    200%
a.       Calculate the cost per unit of a production run of 4260 toy flutes
Where,
       Raw Material Costing      $2880
       108 direct labor hours costing      $1836
       108 machine hours

Solution
Calculation of Total cost
Raw Material                          =          $2880
Labor                                       =          $1836
Machine                                  =          $810     
Balance of the overhead         =          3672               
Total cost                                            $3672
Therefore, the cost per unit of the production   =$3672/4260
                                                                        =0.862


b.      At the end of the February, 3,930 of these toy flutes had been sold. Calculate the ending inventory at February 28.
Solution,
Remaining Unit                       =          4260-3930
                                    =          330
Therefore,
Ending Inventory        =          330 * 0.862
                                                $284.46
P 13.16
Given
Direct Labor Rate                   =          $20
Expected Production Label    =          $50,000
Direct Labor Hours                 =          200,000 Hours
a.       Given,
Units produced=3,800
Direct material cost=$142,000
Number of parts used=83,600
Direct labor cost=17,180


Direct materials                                                                                      $142,000
Direct labor cost (17180*20)                                                                $343,600
Cost of number of parts used (83,600*1.80)                                    $150,480
Total manufacturing cost                                                                     $636080   


Cost per unit= total manufacturing cost/total production units=636080/3,800
                       =167.389

b.      Application rate=Estimated total overhead cost/estimated total direct labor hour
                             =1000000/200,000
                             =5


c.       Activity based costing is important from the managerial point of view because it considers all the cost but manufacturing overhead  considers all manufacturing cost except those classified as direct labor and rawmaterials.

13.18
          a.           Under variable costing,
Raw materials                                          $1,788,800
Direct labor                                               $2,953,600
Variable manufacturing overhead        $748,800
Total cost                                                   $5491200

Cost per recorder=total cost/no of units produced
                                 =5491200/208,000
                                 =26.4
Under absorption costing,
Raw materials                                          $1,788,800
Direct labor                                               $2,953,600
Variable manufacturing overhead        $748,800
Fixed manufacturing overhead              $707,200
Total cost                                                   $6198, 400

Cost per recorder                    =          total cost/no of units produced
                                                 =         6198, 400/208,000
                                                =          29.8

d.        Total units of goods sold      =          208,000-20,400
                                               =          187,600
Under variable costing,
Cost of goods sold                  =          187,600*26.4
                                                 =         4952,640
Under absorption costing,
Cost of goods sold                  =          187,600*29.8
                                                =          5590,480



e.       Digital Voice Recorder Cost in Cost Formula
Total Cost =    Raw Materials + Direct Labor+ Variable Manufacturing Overhead
This formula suggest that producing additional 1,700 recorders does not cost any  additional fixed cost.





                                                

PROCESS COSTING IN PASUPATI BREADS


: PROCESS COSTING IN PASUPATI BREADS

The process costing system is commonly used where products are manufactured under mass production methods or by continuous processing. Common Industries using process costs are paper, steel, chemicals, bakery and textiles. Assembly-type processes such as washing machines and electrical appliances would also use process costing. This costing system is used for uniform, or homogeneous, products. It averages the costs over all units to come to the per unit cost. This is in contrast to other types of costing systems, such as job-order costing that is used for products that are in differentiated batches. Unlike job-order costing, process costing is tracked using a work-in-process account for each department, rather than through subsidiary ledgers.
Process costing is ordinarily used when products require a number of different production operations which are performed in two or more departments or cost centers. For example, the first operation may be performed in Department A, such as a machining or mixing process. After completion the units are transferred to Department B for an assembly or refining process. When this is completed, the units are transferred to finished goods inventory.
After my BBA, I worked in the Pasupati Breads as a part time employee. During my working period in the Pasupati Breads I worked in the marketing department.
Pasupati Bread manufactures breads and sales its product all over Nepal. Pasupati Breads applies process costing in which each unit of bread passes through two departments: the Processing Department and the Testing Department. Every effort is made to make sure that all Bakery products are identical and meets the quality standard of the Pasupati Bread. Direct materials are added at the beginning of the process in Assembly. Additional direct materials are added at the end of processing in the Testing Department. Conversion costs are added evenly during both processes. They include manufacturing labor, indirect materials, energy, and plant depreciation and so on. After leaving the Testing Department all breads are transferred to Finished Goods.
                 In Pasupati Breads, under a process costing system, costs are accumulated according to each Department, cost center, or process. The average unit cost for a day, week, or year is obtained by dividing the department cost by the number of units of breads produced during the particular period. In addition to this, in a process cost system procedures Pasupati Breads accumulate direct materials, direct labor, and factory overhead costs by department. For this, generally it
§  Determines the unit cost for each department.
§  Transfers costs from one department to the next.
§  Assigns costs to work-in-process inventory.
In addition to this, in Pasupati Breads, The first department in the process makes the first entry into the work-in-process account, generally for the direct raw materials. As the products move from department to department, entries are made to each work-in-process department account. Actual overhead costs are recorded; no contra-account is needed because there is no over- or under-applied overhead due to the actual cost being applied. Indirect costs are applied to the overhead account in actual amounts and normal spoilage is recorded as a cost to the work-in-process account while abnormal spoilage is removed from the work-in-process account and applied to a separate account so it can be addressed by management.

Calculating ROI and Residual income, Price Variance for raw material purchased



E 15.12
Calculating ROI and Residual income
Division A       Division B       Division C
Revenues                                             500,000           600,000           1000000         
Operating Income                               60,000             72,000             80,000
Operating Assets                                 250,000           600,000           500,000
Margin                                                 12%                 12%                 8%                              
Turnover                                              2                      1                      2
ROI                                                     24%                 12%                 16%
Residual Income                                 30000              0                      20,000
Working Note
For Division A                                                           
Margin                         =          operating income /Revenue                            = 12%
Turnover                      =          Revenue/Operating Assets                              = 2
ROI                             =          Operating Income / operating assets              = 24%
Residual Income         =          operating income-(operating assets *ROI)     = 30000
B.
Looking at the overall data of the division ‘A’ it can be understood that division A is the best performer among three division. Division A has 30,000 residual incomes and 24% ROI and turnover. On the other hand, Division C is also performing well but not as good as A and finally division B is least performer because it’s  Residual income is nill.


C.
 For Division A, residual income is $30,000, which is positive, that means Division A is earning more than predetermined set of standard.
This allows the manager of Division
A to invest in new product line with a return of at least a 12%. Because any opportunity that
provided at least a 12% ROI would increase Division’s A residual income. Residual Income improves he decision making because it has enough fund to invest in some other project.











P15-14
Direct materials                                   3 lbs. @ $6.00/lb
Direct labor                             1.8 hrs.  @ $ 12.00/hr.
Variable Overhead                  0.6 hrs. @ $3.50/hr

A.
Calculating the Price Variance for raw material purchased
11400                                      11400
   *6.2                                        * 6
70680                                      68400
 Therefore the Price Variance is (70680-68400) =2280 U
Or,
11400(6.2-6) =2280 U
B
Calculating the Raw material usage variance


11290                                                  11400
       * 6                                                       *6   
67740                                                    68400
Therefore, the variance is 67740-68400 = 660 F
C
Calculating the Direct labor rate variance
6720                                                    6720
*12.25                                                 *12     
82320                                                  80640
Therefore, the labor rate variance is 82320-80640 = 1680 U
D
Calculating the Direct labor efficiency variance
6720                                                    6840
*12                                                      *12
80640                                                  82080
Therefore, the variance is 80640-82080 = 1140F

E
Variable overhead spending variance
2390                                                    2390
*3.4                                                     *3.5
8126                                                    8365   
Therefore, the variable overhead spending variance is 8126 – 8365 = 239 F



F
Calculating the variable overhead efficiency variance
2390                                                    2280
*3.5                                                     *3.5
8365                                                    7980
                                   
Therefore, the variable overhead efficiency variance is 8365- 7980 = 385 F

C 15.23
A
In my opinion, the purchasing manager may be purchasing low quality materials just because they are relatively less expensive or because the supplier is offering huge discount which may be the reason for unfavorable direct material usage variances. In addition to this direct laborers have complained about the quality of certain raw material items which obviously signify the purchasing manager’s inefficiency to buy high quality materials.
B
Performance report is used to communicate to upper level manager’s concise explanation of the causes of significant variances. Responsibility reporting is the best way to enhance the performance of each layer of management. Therefore, In this case, performance reporting system can be improved by communicating to the purchase manager as promptly as feasible about the low quality materials and its potential damage to the overall performance of the company. This is the only way that helps purchase manager easily understand the problem and take the appropriate action to overcome such problem by taking early initiative. In addition to this, Bennett inc. can predefine the material usage variance which works as a ceiling to purchase manager and work as a standard. And helps purchase managers to rate their own performance against the predetermined set of standard and take corrective action if there is any deviation.
Performance report must be issued soon after the period in which the activity takes place if they are to be useful for influencing future performance. This is the best way to link result to the actions that cause those results.