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cost behaviour

Forums › ACCA Forums › ACCA MA Management Accounting Forums › cost behaviour

  • This topic has 10 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 10 years ago by John Moffat.
Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
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  • July 22, 2014 at 6:20 am #179332
    tshegokau
    Member
    • Topics: 3
    • Replies: 2
    • ☆

    An organisation operates a piecework system of remuneration, but also guarantees its employees 80% of a time-based rate of pay which is based on $20 per hour for an eight hour working day. Three minutes is the standard time allowed per unit of output. Piecework is paid at the rate of $18 per standard hour. If an employee produces 200 units in eight hours on a particular day, what is the employee’s gross pay for that day?
    please help understand what method was used to derive 200×(3÷60)×18= 180

    July 22, 2014 at 7:30 am #179342
    John Moffat
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 57
    • Replies: 54664
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    If 3 minutes is the standard time per unit, then the total standard time for the total output is 200 x 3 = 600 minutes, or 10 hours.

    The rate is $18 per standard hour and so for 10 standard hours the pay is 10 x $18 = $180.

    (this is more than the guaranteed minimum of 80% x 8 x 20, and so the gross pay will be $180.)

    July 22, 2014 at 7:48 am #179347
    tshegokau
    Member
    • Topics: 3
    • Replies: 2
    • ☆

    Thanks sir

    July 22, 2014 at 9:52 am #179355
    John Moffat
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 57
    • Replies: 54664
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    You are welcome 🙂

    July 22, 2014 at 5:50 pm #179387
    John Moffat
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 57
    • Replies: 54664
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    You are welcome also 🙂

    August 17, 2014 at 1:24 pm #190723
    gabbi08
    Member
    • Topics: 135
    • Replies: 181
    • ☆☆☆

    Hi

    I still have a question about above scenario.

    In the question is given that the total hours worked to produce 200 pieces are 8, why is the answer is 180 (10 hours * 18)? Shouldn ‘t be $18 *8 =144. Isn’t the pay base on the hours?

    Base on my understanding because the hours worked are still 8 and the qty increases, the the minutes of output is the ones that changes. (200/8=25.. items per hour) (60/25= 2.4 minutes per output)
    If the question would not have said that 200 pieces were produced in 8 hours, then I would fully understand the answer.

    If my understanding is not correct, could you please help me?

    Thanks

    Gabbi

    August 17, 2014 at 2:46 pm #190734
    John Moffat
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 57
    • Replies: 54664
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    The piecework rate is based on standard hours, not actual hours.
    By standard hours it means the number of hours that they expected to be worked given that each using should take a standard time of 3 minutes.

    So…to produce 200 units was expected to take 10 hours. So the standard hours is 10 and since they pay $18 per standard hour, this comes to $180.

    (It is the $20 per hour guaranteed minimum that is based on actual hours. So since they actual hours were 8, they are guaranteed to receive $160, but since the piecework wages are higher at $180 they will receive $180).

    It is a sensible scheme, because OK – the workers are guaranteed to earn $160. But if they work fast and produce more and more units, then the more ‘standard hours’ they will be paid for and therefore the more they can earn.

    August 18, 2014 at 9:23 pm #191389
    gabbi08
    Member
    • Topics: 135
    • Replies: 181
    • ☆☆☆

    Thank you very much

    Gabbi

    August 18, 2014 at 10:17 pm #191397
    John Moffat
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 57
    • Replies: 54664
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    You are welcome, Gabbi 🙂

    August 24, 2014 at 2:41 pm #192165
    gabbi08
    Member
    • Topics: 135
    • Replies: 181
    • ☆☆☆

    Hi

    I came across below question which provided answer makes me confuse.
    I will write the question, provided answer and my understanding based on the above explanation.

    The following data relate to work in the finishing department of certain factory:

    Normal working day 7 hours
    Basic rate of pay per hour $5
    Standard time allowed to produce 1 unit 4 minutes
    Premium bonus payable at the basic rate 60% of time saved

    On a particular day one employee finishes 180 units. What is his gross pay for the day?

    a $35
    b $50
    c $56
    d $60

    Correct answer B

    Standard time for 180 units (x4/60) 12
    Actual time taken 7
    Time saved 5

    Basic pay 7 hours x$5 35
    Bonus 60% x5hour saved x$5 15
    Total 50

    My working

    If 4 minutes is the standard time per unit, then the total standard time for the total output is 180 (unit produced) x 4 (minutes per unit) 180×4/60 = 12

    If the basic rate per hour is $5 x 12 (total hours worked) = 60

    I have used the same logic that has been applied previously posted, however it looks like I have missed some concepts.

    Could you please help me to understand where I am wrong.

    If so, could you please clarify the differences between the above questions.

    Apologies to keep asking on this topic, but I want to understand the question/answer and where I make the mistake.

    Thanks a lot

    Gabbi

    August 25, 2014 at 5:50 am #192193
    John Moffat
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 57
    • Replies: 54664
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    The total hours worked are not 12. The working day is 7 hours, so they actually worked 7 hours and will be paid for 7 hours (plus a bonus).

    12 hours is the standard time, i.e. the time it was expected to take.

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