The document discusses several methods for allocating support department costs:
1) Direct Methods allocate costs only to operating departments without considering interactions between support departments.
2) Step-down Methods allocate costs to other support departments and then to operating departments, partially recognizing mutual services between support departments.
3) Reciprocal Methods fully allocate costs among all support and operating departments, recognizing two-way interactions between support departments. This is the most precise but also the most complex method.
4) Direct Allocation Methods ignore reallocations between support departments and only allocate costs to operating departments.
The document discusses several methods for allocating support department costs:
1) Direct Methods allocate costs only to operating departments without considering interactions between support departments.
2) Step-down Methods allocate costs to other support departments and then to operating departments, partially recognizing mutual services between support departments.
3) Reciprocal Methods fully allocate costs among all support and operating departments, recognizing two-way interactions between support departments. This is the most precise but also the most complex method.
4) Direct Allocation Methods ignore reallocations between support departments and only allocate costs to operating departments.
The document discusses several methods for allocating support department costs:
1) Direct Methods allocate costs only to operating departments without considering interactions between support departments.
2) Step-down Methods allocate costs to other support departments and then to operating departments, partially recognizing mutual services between support departments.
3) Reciprocal Methods fully allocate costs among all support and operating departments, recognizing two-way interactions between support departments. This is the most precise but also the most complex method.
4) Direct Allocation Methods ignore reallocations between support departments and only allocate costs to operating departments.
The document discusses several methods for allocating support department costs:
1) Direct Methods allocate costs only to operating departments without considering interactions between support departments.
2) Step-down Methods allocate costs to other support departments and then to operating departments, partially recognizing mutual services between support departments.
3) Reciprocal Methods fully allocate costs among all support and operating departments, recognizing two-way interactions between support departments. This is the most precise but also the most complex method.
4) Direct Allocation Methods ignore reallocations between support departments and only allocate costs to operating departments.
Direct Methods - Allocates support costs x = total overhead of service department 1
only to Operating Departments y = total overhead of service department 2
• No Interaction between Support Departments prior to allocation Specified Order of Closing - If this method (also known as the sequential or step Step-down Method - Allocates support costs allocation method) is used, the service to other support departments and to departments’ overheads are allocated to the operating production departments in a certain order. departments that partially recognizes the The service department that does the mutual services provided among all largest proportion of work for other service support departments departments is closed first; the service • One-Way Interaction between department that does the second largest Support Departments prior to proportion of work for other service allocation departments is closed second; and so on. Return charges are not made to service Reciprocal Method - Allocates support departments whose costs have previously department costs to Operating departments been allocated. by fully recognizing the mutual services provided among all support departments Direct Allocation Method - It ignores inter- • Full Two Way Interaction between service department service reallocations. Support Departments prior to Therefore, service department costs are allocation reallocated only to production departments.
Choosing Between Methods
• Reciprocal is the most precise ❖ Service departments may provide • Direct and Step-Down are simple to services for other service compute and understand departments as well as for production • Direct Method is widely used departments. For example, a personnel department provides Describe the key features of the services for other service reciprocal method: departments such as the power • The reciprocal allocation method generating plant, maintenance explicitly includes the mutual department and stores. The power services provided among all support generating department also provides departments. heat and light for other service • Interdepartmental relationships are departments, including the personnel fully incorporated into the support department and so on. When such department cost allocations. interactions occur, the allocation process can become complicated. Repeated Distribution (reciprocal) Difficulties arise because each Method service department begins to ❖ Service department cost are accumulate charges from other repeatedly allocated in the specified service departments from which it percentages until the figures receives services and these must be become too small to be significant. reallocated back to the user department. Once it has begun, this Simultaneous Equation Method – instead allocation and reallocation process of using the repeated (reciprocal) the same can continue for a long time before a allocations can be derived using this solution is found. method.