Step Method with Three Service Departments

Step Method with Three Service Departments

Model, Inc., produces model automobiles made from metal. It operates two production departments, Molding and Painting, and has three service departments, Administration, Accounting, and Maintenance. The accumulated costs in the three service departments were $270,000, $375,000, and $198,000, respectively. Management is concerned that the costs of its service departments are getting too high. In particular, managers would like to keep the costs of service departments under $3.50 per unit on average. You have been asked to allocate service department costs to the two production departments and compute the unit costs.

The company decided that Administration costs should be allocated on the basis of square footage used by each production and service department. Accounting costs are allocated on the basis of number of employees. Maintenance costs are allocated on the basis of the dollar value of the equipment in each department. The use of each base by all departments during the current period follows: