This means that by changing the mix (using more of Material B, which is more expensive), the overall material cost actually decreased by $200, potentially due to the reduced need for Material A in this case. A company makes use of three direct materials in the production of its chemical product, the following information has been provided for you to calculate the direct materials mix variance. The material yield variance for March was favorable because company actually produced 32,340 tons of output which was higher than the standard output of 31,000 tons based on input quantity of 34,100 tons. The cost implications of these changes are reflected in theplanning variances.
Company
For Kappa Co, if the only variance calculated was the favourable usage variance, then it would be assumed that the production manager had demonstrated a good performance and obtained more efficient production. When the mix and yield variances are considered, it is clear that the positive usage variance is caused by a change in the mix of inputs. It will need to be considered what impact this change of mix has had on the quality of the finished product and ultimately on sales.
Direct Material Mix Variance:
Individuals might respond to standards in different ways, accordingto the difficulty of achieving the standard level of performance. Standard costing and adherence to a preset standard is inconsistentwith the concept of continuous improvement, which is applied within TQMand JIT environments. My Accounting Course is a world-class educational resource developed by experts to simplify accounting, finance, & investment analysis topics, so students and professionals can learn and propel their careers.
Analysis
(b) Prepare a similar reconciliation statement using planning and operational variances. (a) Prepare a statement reconciling budgetedcontribution for the period with actual contribution, using conventionalmaterial and labour variances. A transport business makes a particular journey regularly, and hasestablished that the standard fuel cost for each journey is 20 litres offuel at $2 per litre. New legislation has forced a change in thevehicle used for the journey and an unexpected rise in fuel costs. It isdecided retrospectively that the standard cost per journey should havebeen 18 litres at $2.50 per litre.
Total material input in a standard mix at standard prices less actual material input at standard prices. This is a sub-set of the direct material usage variance applicable where materials are combined in standard proportion. Direct material mix variance is the difference between the budgeted and actual mixes of direct material costs used in a production process.
It may not therefore be used in industries that require a high degree of precision in the input variables such as in the pharmaceuticals sector. The actual quantity in the actual mix is given in the question, as are the standard costs. In many production processes, it may be possible to combine different levels (use a different mix) of the input materials to make the same product.
(2) A sales volume variance is the difference between theactual number of units sold, and the budgeted number. Sales volume in turnssplits into a sales mix variance and a sales quantity variance. ‘SQSM’ is the standard quantity of material used for actual production, shared in the standard mix. A favorable material mix variance suggests the use of a cheaper mix of raw materials than the standard. Conversely, an adverse material mix variance suggests that a more costly combination of materials have been used than the standard mix.
However, if the variance is not zero, then the organization can use this information to look into their direct materials mix and determine whether or not improvements can be made to minimize this variance. For example, if the mix needed to be altered due to an issue with a supplier, the organization may consider switching suppliers. Standard costing is most suited to organisations whose activitiesconsist of a series of common or repetitive operations. Typically, massproduction manufacturing operations are indicative of its area ofapplication. It is also possible to envisage operations within theservice sector to which standard costing may apply, though this may notbe with the same degree of accuracy of standards which apply inmanufacturing.
- The need toreport planning and operational variances should therefore be anoccasional, rather than a regular, event.
- The use of cheaper materials than what is required results in favorable mix variance.
- We need to calculate the quantity of each raw material which would have been consumed had the total usage of raw materials (500 tons) been based on the standard mix.
(b) The difference between the actual sales and budgeted sales,valued at the standard profit per unit less the budgeted weightedaverage profit per unit. (4) In the ‘difference’ column, work line byline and find the difference between the AQSM and the AQAM. In the last column, multiply thedifference by the standard price to get the mix variance. It should not be difficult for you to solve questions on direct material mix going forward. The standard cost per kg of Alpha is $2, of Beta is $5 and of Gamma is $1.
(b) The difference between actual sales volume and budgeted sales valued at the weighted average profit per unit. Calculate the individual material mix and yield and the total usage variance. Similarly, the change inweather conditions could not have been anticipated. For period 3, 2,500 units were budgeted to be produced and sold but the actual production and sales were 2,850 units. The standard is set as part of the budgeting process which occursbefore the period to which it relates. This means that the differencebetween standard and actual may arise partly due to an unrealisticbudget and not solely due to operational factors.
In a later article planning and operational variances will be considered. Direct material yield variance (also known as direct material usage variance) is the result of producing a quantity of output that is different from planned or standard quantity using a certain standard amount of input materials. • Direct material yield variance.Standard quantity of material specified for actual production at standard prices less the actual total material input in standard proportions at standard prices. Always make sure you mention such interdependencies when discussing variances in exam questions. The material yield variance is calculated as the difference between the standard cost of the actual input materials in the standard mix, compared to the standard cost of the standard quantity of input materials in the standard mix. The furloughed due to the coronavirus here’s what you need to know variance is calculated as the difference between the standard cost of the actual input materials in the actual mix used, compared to the standard cost of the actual input materials if the standard mix had been used.
