Cost Behavior Analysis

Purpose of Assignment

The case study focuses on sales mix, break-even, target profit, and allows students to experience working through a business scenario to apply these tools in managerial decision making. Students are required to make decisions and provide solutions based on their evaluation of financial data.

Assignment Steps

Resources: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), U.S. Securities and Exchange Committee (SEC)

Tutorial help on Excel^® and Word functions can be found on the Microsoft^® Office website. There are also additional tutorials via the web offering support for Office products.

Scenario:

Dazzle Jewelry Company is a new startup merchandising company with the goal of offering fine jewelry at reasonable prices. This goal has been made possible by securing manufactures that have agreed to offer wholesale prices to Dazzle Jewelry Company. Dazzle’s jewelry supplier’s act in good faith is based on the hopes that this will be a long term relationship, and Dazzle’s orders will increase considerably with the next 18 months. However, in order for Dazzle Jewelry Company to achieve this it must increase its sales. Dazzle Jewelry company just completed its first month of operations, the brother/sister owned startup inventory includes fresh water pearls, sterling silver, stainless steel watches and quality stone pieces. Each of the inventory category includes earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets, except the stainless steel watches. The average cost of earrings per unit is $10 with an average selling price of $55, 20 units have been sold. The average cost of the necklace is $15 with a selling price of $65, 25 units have been sold. The bracelets have an average cost of $12 and a selling price of $45, 15 units have been sold. The rings on an average sell for $35, but cost $11 per unit, 30 units have been sold. The stainless steel watches average cost per unit is $35 with a selling price average of $85, and 50 units have been sold.

Dazzle Jewelry Company plans to start their business online before setting up a physical store location to keep their overhead cost low. However, since this is Dazzle Jewelry’s first year of operations the owners have decided to employed your firm to help them determine how many jewelry units they need to sell in the current operating year to reach their targeted profit of $300,000. The owners realize that this information is vital in helping them develop their sales and marketing strategy.

Dazzle Jewelry Company owners noted in a follow-up e-mail that fixed cost for the year totaled $76,320, however this cost is likely to increase in the coming months by 20% based on a marketing proposal that was submitted by Bosch Advertising. The owners also noted in the e-mail that fixed cost is the same amount each month.

Use the provided worksheet to complete this assignment.

Show your work in Microsoft^® Word and Excel^®.

Complete calculations/computations using Excel^®.

Complete the Microsoft^® Word worksheet, answer each question thoughtfully providing insight, state your findings, and support your conclusion.

Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment.

Note: Grades are awarded based upon individual contributions to the Learning Team assignment. Each Learning Team member receives a grade based upon his/her contributions to the team assignment. Not all students may receive the same grade for the team assignment.