Profit Center Responsibility Reporting for a Service Company Thomas Railroad Company organizes its three divisions, the North (N), South (S), and West (W) regions, as profit centers. The chief executive officer (CEO) evaluates divisional performance, using income from operations as a percent of revenues. The following quarterly income and expense accounts were provided from the trial balance as of December 31:
Revenues—N Region $1,039,000
Revenues—S Region 1,281,400
Revenues—W Region 2,205,700
Operating Expenses—N Region 658,400
Operating Expenses—S Region 762,600
Operating Expenses—W Region 1,333,900
Corporate Expenses—Dispatching 518,400
Corporate Expenses—Equipment Management 259,700
Corporate Expenses—Treasurer’s 158,000
General Corporate Officers’ Salaries 349,000
The company operates three service departments: the Dispatching Department, the Equipment Management Department, and the Treasurer’s Department. The Dispatching Department manages the scheduling and releasing of completed trains. The Equipment Management Department manages the railroad cars inventories. It makes sure the right freight cars are at the right place at the right time. The Treasurer’s Department conducts a variety of services for the company as a whole. The following additional information has been gathered:
North South West
Number of scheduled trains 5,400 6,500 9,700
Number of railroad cars in inventory 1,200 2,000 1,700

Question Completion:

1. Prepare quarterly income statements showing income from operations for the three regions. Use three column headings: North, South, and West. Do not round your interim calculations Thomas Railroad Company Divisional Income Statements For the Quarter Ended December 3:1 North South West Revenues Operating expenses Income from operations before service department charges Service department charges: Dispatching Equipment Management Total service department charges Income from operations

2. What is the profit margin of each division? Round to one decimal place Region North Region South Region West Region Identify the most successful region according to the profit margin Profit Margin 0%6

3. What would you include in a recommendation to the CEO for a better method for evaluating the performance of the divisions?

a. The method used to evaluate the performance of the divisions should be reevaluated

b. A better divisional performance measure would be the rate of return on investment (income from operations divided by divisional assets).

c. A better divisional performance measure would be the residual income (income from operations less a minimal return on divisional assets).

d. None of these choices would be Included

e. All of these choices (a, b & c) would be included.

Thomas Railroad Company

1. Thomas Railroad Company

Divisional Income Statements

For the Quarter Ended December 3:

Divisions                          North (N)       South (S)         West (W)

Revenues                     $1,039,000    $1,281,400    $2,205,700

Operating expenses        658,400       762,600        1,333,900

Income from operations

before service

department charges     $380,600      $518,800        $871,800

Service department charges:

Dispatching                     $63,600      $106,000         $90,100

Equipment management 39,500          47,550           70,950

Total service

department charges     $103,100      $153,548       $161,050

Income from operations 277,500    $365,252       $710,750

2. Profit margin ratio      26.7%           28.5%             32.2%

West's performance is above all the rest, with a profit margin of 32.2%.

3. e. All of these choices (a, b & c) would be included.

Explanation:

Divisions                      North (N)       South (S)         West (W)

Revenues                $1,039,000    $1,281,400    $2,205,700

Operating expenses   658,400       762,600        1,333,900

Corporate Expenses—Equipment Management 259,700

Corporate Expenses—Treasurer’s 158,000

General Corporate Officers’ Salaries 349,000

Additional data:

Divisions                                           North (N)   South (S)     West (W)  Total

Number of scheduled trains              5,400        6,500         9,700   21,600

Number of railroad cars in inventory 1,200        2,000          1,700    4,900

Corporate Expenses—Equipment Management 259,700/4,900 = $53

Corporate Expenses—Treasurer’s 158,000/21,600 = $7.315

                                               North (N)   South (S)     West (W)  Total

Service departments costs:  

Dispatching                           $63,600   $106,000    $90,100  $259,700

Equipment management       39,500       47,550      70,950     158,000

General Corporate Officers’ Salaries 349,000

a manufacturer of printed circuit boards uses exponential smoothing with trend to forecast monthly demand of its product. at the end of december, the company wishes to forecast sales for january. the estimate of trend through november has been 200 additional boards sold per month. average sales have been around 1000 units per month. the demand for december was 1100 units. the company uses α = 0.20 and β = 0.10. make a forecast including trend for the month of january.

c.

clarify customers’ doubts only when asked.