Lecture Notes –PROCESS COSTING AND ANALYSIS

PROCESS OPERATIONS

We will now look at process costing, used when a company manufactures standard (non-custom)
products.

In process manufacturing, products are made by passing through a series of steps. Each product must
pass through the same series of steps, or processes. While the focus in a job order system is on the
individual job, the focus in process costing systems is on the process itself and on the standardized units
produced. Features of process production systems include:
a. Repetitive production
b. Homogeneous products & services
c. High production volume
d. Low product flexibility
e. High standardization

Process operations are organized as follows:

a. Each process is identified as a separate production department.
b. Raw materials are introduced in the first department.
c. Except for the first department, each department or process receives the output (i.e.,
partially processed product, or goods in process) of the prior department.
d. The last department produces the finished goods that are ready for sale.

PROCESS COST ACCOUNTING

In a job order cost accounting system, product costs were assigned to jobs. The goal was to determine the
cost per job. In a process cost accounting system, product costs are assigned to specific processes, or
manufacturing departments. The goal in a process costing accounting system is to calculate the cost per
unit.

The accounting for materials, labor and factory overhead in a process costing system is summarized
below.

Accounting for Materials Costs

1. Record cost of materials acquired on credit for use in factory by debiting Raw Materials
Inventory and crediting Accounts Payable.
2. Assign costs of direct materials used in production by debiting the Goods in Process
Inventory and crediting Raw Materials Inventory.
3. Assign cost of indirect materials used by debiting Factory Overhead and crediting Raw
Materials Inventory.

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Accounting for Labor Costs

1. Record payment of factory wages by debiting Factory Payroll and crediting Cash.
2. Assign costs of direct labor used in production by debiting the Goods in Process Inventory
and crediting Factory Payroll.
3. Assign cost of indirect labor used by debiting Factory Overhead and crediting Factory
Payroll. (Factory Payroll account should now have a zero balance.)

Accounting for Factory Overhead

1. Record other production overhead items incurred by debiting Factory Overhead and
crediting the related accounts.
2. Compute the predetermined overhead rate.
3. Determine amount of overhead that should be applied to production.
4. Apply factory overhead costs by debiting the Goods in Process Inventory for each
department and crediting Factory Overhead.
5. If not significant, close the overapplied or underapplied balance of Factory Overhead to
Cost of Goods Sold. If material, allocate the balance of Factory Overhead among costs of
goods sold, goods in process, and finished goods inventories.

EQUIVALENT UNITS OF PRODUCTION (EUP)

If a processing department has no beginning or ending goods in process, the calculation of cost per unit is
simple:

Direct materials + Direct Labor + Factory Overhead

Total units started and completed during the period

If a process has beginning or ending units in process (goods in process inventory), then the denominator
in the equation above must be adjusted to include work performed on goods in process inventory. The
denominator must measure the entire production activity during the period, called equivalent units of
production (EUP). EUP is the number of units that could have been started and completed during a
period.

For example, assume you worked on an accounting homework assignment and an English term paper
over the weekend. The accounting assignment would take two hours, from start to finish, and the English
assignment would take two hours, from start to finish, as well. You worked two hours and completed
50% of your accounting assignment and 50% of your English term paper. Had you devoted the entire two
hours of work to the accounting assignment, you would have finished 100% of it. So, your “EUP” for
your weekend work would be one assignment, even though you did not complete either assignment.

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STEPS IN PROCESS COSTING

We will use the weighted-average method for inventory costs, which is in the body of Chapter 16. We
will not cover the first-in, first-out method, contained in Appendix 16A.

There are four steps in accounting for production activity in a period. They are summarized as follows.

A. Step 1: Determine Physical Flow of Units

1. A reconciliation of physical units started with physical units completed.
2. The weighted average method does not separately track beginning work in process from
those started this period, but instead treats the units as part of a large pool with an average
cost per unit.
3. This reconciliation of units can be summarized as:
Beginning GIP + Units Started = Units completed + Ending GIP

B. Step 2: Compute Equivalent Units of Production (EUP)

1. Focus is on what was done during the period.
2. Equivalent Unitscompute separate EUP for direct materials, direct labor, and factory
overhead. Overhead is applied using direct labor as the allocation base.
a. Units completed and transferred out during the period have 100% of the materials,
labor and overhead required and are therefore 100% complete.
b. The units in ending goods in process (GIP) are multiplied by percent of materials
applied, labor used and overhead applied.
c. Add the totals of EUP for goods completed in a. above plus the EUP for GIP in b.
above to arrive at total EUP for the period.

Before discussing Step 3, there is a brief example of EUP calculations below.

Example of the EUP Calculation

The Melbourne Company uses a process costing system. There was no GIP on July 1. During July,
10,000 units were started in production; of these, 7,000 were completed and transferred to the next
department. Materials are added in the beginning of the process. On July 31, the remaining 3,000 units
were 20% complete with regard to labor and overhead.

Required:

Calculate EUP of

1. Direct Materials

2. Direct Labor and Factory Overhead

SOLUTION:
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 Direct Labor and
Direct Factory
Materials Overhead
Equivalent Units completed and transferred out 7,000 7,000
(100% x 7,000)
Equivalent units in ending inventory
3,000 units x 100% for materials 3,000
3,000 units x 20% for conversion* _____ 600
Total equivalent units 10,000 7,600

*Many companies refer to the sum of direct labor + FOH as conversion costs.

C. Step 3: Compute Cost per Equivalent Unit

1. Costs of beginning goods in process inventory plus costs incurred this period, divided by
EUP determined in Step 2 above equals the cost per equivalent unit for the period.
2. Perform calculation separately for direct materials, direct labor, and overhead.
3. Total cost per equivalent unit equals the sum of the three individual costs per equivalent
unit (direct materials, direct labor, and factory overhead).
D. Step 4: Cost Assignment and Reconciliation
1. The EUP from step 2 and the cost per EUP from step 3 are used to assign costs to units
completed and transferred out and to units in ending work in process inventory.
2. The following totals should agree:
The cost of units completed and transferred out + cost of ending GIP = the cost of
beginning GIP + Costs incurred this period.

We will work exercises and problems from the text to demonstrate these four steps.

The Process Cost Summary Report

The process cost summary is an important managerial accounting report. It is prepared separately for
each processing department. The summary is intended to:
1. Help department managers control and monitor their departments
2. Help factory managers evaluate department managers’ performances
3. Provide cost data for financial statements.

Transfers to Finished Goods Inventory and Cost of Goods Sold

The journal entry to transfer finished goods debits Finished Goods Inventory and crediting the Goods in
Process Inventory.