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Sales Mix Variance - Variance analysis - ACCA Performance Management (PM)

46 Comments

  1. Jose
    Hi John,

    Thanks for the lecture.

    Have a question on the sales volume variance, I seem to be getting a different answer.

    Budgeted sales: $1,600
    Actual sales: $1,850
    Variance: 1,850-1,600 = $250 F

    In your lecture, the volume variance is $560 F.

    I believe the Selling price and cost figures in the actual sales is meant to be for the budgeted sales and looks like it has been switched round when looking at the notes. But I understand the principle and how you got to your final answer.

    Thank you.
  2. John MoffatTutor
    The sales volume variance is the difference between the budgeted profit and the actual sales at standard profit.
  3. MokoneBatloung
    I also have the same confusion as I cannot understand why sales variances are done on a profit or contribution and not on the selling price. Is it a rule or can it have a logical explanation as to why?
  4. John MoffatTutor
    If you sell more of a product then although you get more sales revenue you also have more costs. So selling more means more profit.
  5. ttlayur
    Hi, is the sales margin variance- the word used in the example the same as sales volume variance?
  6. Vivi
    Good day,
    Based on the lecture as well as the comments section, I'm a bit confused. Is the sales volume and sales margin variance the same thing? The question asked for the sales margin variance but in the lecture, it was sales volume which was calculated. If they are different, can you please explain how?
    Thank you.
  7. John MoffatTutor
    The sales margin variance is the total sales variance and is the different between the actual sales at actual profit or contribution (with costs at standard cost) and budgeted sales at standard profit or contribution.

    The sales volume variance is the difference between the actual sales at standard profit or contribution and the budgeted sales at standard profit or contribution (just as in basic variances). This is analysed into the mix variance and the quantity variance.
  8. Kamran
    Dear John,

    While calculating the Sales volume variance, why we had to multiply the actual and budgeted sales units with the budgeted profit figure? why we couldn't multiply these units with budgeted sales price only? Just to understand the logic behind it.
  9. John MoffatTutor
    Because the purpose of the variance analysis is to identify why the actual profit differs from the budgeted profit.
  10. John MoffatTutor
    That is correct.
  11. JojoBeat
    Greeting Sir,
    What’s the formula for market share variance?
  12. John MoffatTutor
    It isn't a formula exam :-)

    If you have a problem with a specific question on this then please ask in the Ask the Tutor Forum.
  13. JojoBeat
    Hello Sir,
    Doesn't quantity and volume variance mean the same thing?
  14. John MoffatTutor
    No. The volume variance is the mix variance plus the quantity variance.
  15. yup
    1 Sales Margin Variance : Actual Sales x Actual profit & Budgeted Sales x Standard profit
    Note : Actual profit (i.e. Actual S.P. - Budgeted Cost - here the actual cost is completely ignored,cause it comes under cost variance)
    (Also note the sales volume variance and Sales price variance comes under sales margin variance)
    Answer : 210 (A) (not there in video) (i.e. 770(A) - 560(F) see below)

    2 Sales Price variance : Keep Actual Sales volume same - Actual Selling Price vs. Standard Selling price Answer : 770 (A) (4:40 in video)
    3 Sales Volume variance : Keep Standard Profit/Cont. same - Actual vs. Budgeted Sales volume variance Answer : 560 (F) (9:40 in video)
    3 (i) Sales Mix Variance : Keep Actual Sales Volume & Standard profit same - Actual mix vs. Standard mix Answer : 160 (F) (16min:35)
    3 (ii) Sales Quantity Variance : Keep Standard mix & Standard profit same - Budget sales Volume vs. Actual Answer : 400 (F) (20th min)
    i.e.{160(F) + 400 (F) = 560 (F) } - 770 (A) = 210 (A)

    Is this right?
  16. Tackese
    Now it all makes sense. Thank you for this explanation.
  17. Jatin
    Hello Sir,

    Hope you are safe and well!

    I wanted to ask if the Sales Margin Variance and Sales Volume variance is the same? If they are, then why do we use Actual Profit for actual sales, in case of volume variance shouldn’t we suppose to use the budgeted contribution/profit so as to check whether we are making profit or loss looking at budget figures?

    Thanks in advance,
    Jatin Gupta
  18. John MoffatTutor
    No, they are not the same.

    The sales margin variance is the total sales variance and is the different between the actual sales at actual profit or contribution (with costs at standard cost) and budgeted sales at standard profit or contribution.

    The sales volume variance is the difference between the actual sales at standard profit or contribution and the budgeted sales at standard profit or contribution (just as in basic variances). This is analysed into the mix variance and the quantity variance.
  19. Jatin
    Thank you Sir!
  20. John MoffatTutor
    You are welcome :-)
  21. Ibrahim
    Dear John,
    How are you?
    Hope you are doing well,
    Actually sir I see questions about sales market variance and share market variance which haven't been covered in your lessons lecture.
    What about that?
  22. John MoffatTutor
    They do not warrant extra lectures. Partly because they have only been asked once in the exam (as a 2 mark question) and partly because it tests understanding of variances rather than learning extra rules.
  23. Kim
    Hi John and thanks for the great lecture - you really do make the variances seem so logical! :)

    I got myself confused after reading the example in the study notes again and then the thread of comments here... it does ask for total sales margin variance, and in the lecture you discuss sales price and sales volume, where the latter is split into sales mix and sales quantity. I'm just wanting to get my head around the different terms so I don't get all confused and overwhelmed in the exam - what does total sales margin variance refer to? :)

    TIA,
    Kim
  24. John MoffatTutor
    The total sales margin variance is the total volume variance.
  25. Kim
    Thank you, that makes sense! :)
  26. Ibrahim
    Dear John,

    Thank you so much sir, for your effort and appreciated time.
  27. John MoffatTutor
    Thank you for your comment :-)
  28. Apoorva
    Hello,
    The sales variance I learnt had two parts
    1. Sales Value variances (5 variances) Analysed using selling price per unit.
    2. Sales Margin Variances (5 variances) analysed using Contribution/ profit for MC or AC respectively..
    But here you taught that sales price variance is solved using SP and other variances using Contribution/ Profit.
    I want to know if the variances you taught in this lecture are the only ones gonna come in the exam and if we are asked to find out Total Sales margin variance what should we use selling price or contribution/profit and which 2 variances put together will give us total sales margin variance ?
    Thank you so much.
  29. John MoffatTutor
    My lectures cover everything that can be asked in the exam.

    The syllabus makes no reference to 'sales margin' variances. Instead they are referred to as 'sales volume variance' which is the total of the 'sales mix' and 'sales quantity' variances, as I explain in my lectures. These variances use the standard contribution or standard profit (depending on whether it is absorption or marginal costing).
  30. chak lam
    Hi John,

    I was confused, for the sales volume variance, how do you determine whether to use standard profit or actual profit?

    Thanks in advance.
  31. John MoffatTutor
    For the volume variance we always use standard profit (or contribution if marginal costing).
  32. Fahad
    John, I was just confused, why in Quantity variance, we compared standard mix with Budgeted mix instead actual Mix ?

    Thanks
  33. John MoffatTutor
    Because we are separating out the effect of a change in the total quantity and a change in the mix - so we look at the effect of each of them on their own.
  34. Fahad
    Thanks John
  35. John MoffatTutor
    You are welcome :-)
  36. John MoffatTutor
    You are welcome :-)
  37. alie2018
    Thanks John. Great lecture. The sales volume variance can be split into sales mix and sales quantity variance.
  38. Avery
    thank you so much sir
  39. John MoffatTutor
    You are welcome :-)
  40. Avery
    Sir,
    are sales price variance and sales volume variance together called sales margin variance?
  41. Avery
    or is it just the sales price variance?
    thank you
  42. John MoffatTutor
    Just the sales price variance :-)
  43. Michael
    Thanks for the good work John.?

    I don't quite understand your response to Jareerabedin's question. Are you saying that the total sales margin variance is the same as the sales price variance? If so, why are they then separated in the question??

    I had thought it is:
    = 180*(6-3) + 150*(4-4) + 170*(1-6)
    = 540 + 0 + (850)
    = 310 (Adverse).
  44. John MoffatTutor
    Sorry but I don't understand my response either!! (It was six months ago and I must have misunderstood the question)

    You are correct - it is the total variance.
  45. Michael
    Ow, thanks a lot for the clarity.
  46. Natalie
    Sir, a bit confuse regarding the sales margin variance, refer to example 4, $210 is talking about total variance or sales margin variance?
    Mix variance $160(F) + qty variance $400(F) = $560 volume variance (F)
    May I confirm price variance $770(A) = sales margin variance?

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