{"id":67847,"date":"2014-12-10T19:18:43","date_gmt":"2014-12-10T12:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/standard-cost\/"},"modified":"2025-03-20T13:08:46","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T06:08:46","slug":"standard-cost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/en\/standard-cost\/","title":{"rendered":"Variance Analysis in Actual Cost Accounting vs. Standard Cost Accounting"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In standard cost accounting, not only direct material costs (things), which are variable costs, but also direct labor costs (people) and manufacturing overhead costs (machines), which are typically fixed costs, are treated as if they were variable costs. Then, material costs are analyzed into price variance and quantity variance, labor costs into wage rate variance and labor hour variance, and overhead costs into efficiency variance, capacity variance, and budget variance.<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/en\/cost-management-indonesia\/\" class=\"st-cardlink\" aria-label=\"Cost Management in Indonesia\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"kanren st-cardbox\" >\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<dl class=\"clearfix\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<dt class=\"st-card-img\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1-2-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-st_thumb150 size-st_thumb150 wp-post-image\" alt=\"\u30a4\u30f3\u30c9\u30cd\u30b7\u30a2\u306e\u539f\u4fa1\u7ba1\u7406\u30b7\u30b9\u30c6\u30e0\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1-2-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<dd>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"st-cardbox-t\">Cost Management in Indonesia<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"st-card-excerpt smanone\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Mass production factories, such as two- and four-wheeler parts manufacturers common in Indonesia, have multiple manufacturing processes. In such cases, processing costs are calculated for each process, and the method of aggregating these costs into the product is called process costing. In this approach, labor costs and manufacturing overheads are recorded at the end of the month by the accounting department, transferred to inventory assets, and then allocated accordingly. On the other hand, in factories producing custom-made items under individual order production, job order costing is used, where costs are aggregated by order number or project number. In this case, &#8230; <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"cardbox-more\">\u7d9a\u304d\u3092\u898b\u308b<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/dl>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h2>Variance Analysis in Actual Cost Accounting vs. Standard Cost Accounting<\/h2>\n<h3>In Standard Costing, Direct Labor Costs and Manufacturing Overhead Are Calculated as Variable Costs<\/h3>\n<p>Manufacturing costs are broadly categorized into direct material costs (things), direct labor costs (people), and manufacturing overhead costs (machines). The majority of variable costs consist of direct material costs and outsourcing processing fees, but manufacturing variable costs (direct expenses) also include some manufacturing overhead items such as utility costs for machines, shipping costs for specific items, and purchasing incidentals.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-25266 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/cost-3-1024x180.png\" alt=\"In Standard Costing, Direct Labor Costs and Manufacturing Overhead Are Calculated as Variable Costs\" width=\"1024\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/cost-3-1024x180.png 1024w, https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/cost-3-300x53.png 300w, https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/cost-3-768x135.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><br \/>\nIn addition to direct material costs, which are variable costs, direct labor costs and manufacturing overhead costs, which are fixed costs, are expressed in a variable cost-like formula to calculate standard costs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"graybox\">\n<div class=\"maruno\">\n<ol>\n<li>Direct Material Cost = Unit Price \u00d7 Quantity<\/li>\n<li>Direct Labor Cost = Wage Rate \u00d7 Labor Hours<\/li>\n<li>Manufacturing Overhead = Allocation Rate \u00d7 Operating Hours<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Direct Material Costs (Things)<\/h3>\n<p>Production management systems function based on master data such as item masters, BOMs (Bill of Materials), and unit price masters. However, in daily operations on the shop floor, things don\u2019t always align perfectly with the definitions in the master data.<br \/>\nFor example, the actual material input on the shop floor may exceed the required amount based on the BOM, scrap may occur leading to production results falling short of the plan, or the purchase price at the time of issuing a P\/O (Purchase Order) may end up lower than the price in the purchasing unit price master due to negotiations. These create variances between master data and actual shop floor performance.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-20761 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/difference1.png\" alt=\"Quantity Variance\" width=\"316\" height=\"157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/difference1.png 316w, https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/difference1-300x149.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 316px) 100vw, 316px\" \/><br \/>\nThis example illustrates variances related to direct material costs: quantity variance (Qty difference) and price variance (Price difference).<\/p>\n<div class=\"graybox\">\n<div class=\"maruck\">\n<ul>\n<li>Price Variance = (Actual Purchase Unit Price &#8211; Standard Purchase Unit Price) \u00d7 Actual Quantity<\/li>\n<li>Quantity Variance = (Actual Quantity &#8211; Standard Quantity) \u00d7 Standard Purchase Unit Price<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The practical document format looks something like this:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-14874 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/rm_differ.gif\" alt=\"Price Variance\" width=\"593\" height=\"128\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Direct Labor Costs (People)<\/h3>\n<p>For direct labor costs, actual working hours (activity) per process step are collected via daily work reports, and:<\/p>\n<div class=\"graybox\">\n<div class=\"maruck\">\n<ul>\n<li>Actual Direct Labor Cost \u00f7 Actual Working Hours<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The variance caused by the difference between the actual wage rate derived from this and the standard wage rate (allocation rate) is called the wage rate variance (Allocation rate difference), while the variance caused by the difference in working hours is called the labor hour variance (Activity difference).<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-20762 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/difference2.png\" alt=\"Wage Rate Variance\" width=\"316\" height=\"157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/difference2.png 316w, https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/difference2-300x149.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 316px) 100vw, 316px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"graybox\">\n<div class=\"maruck\">\n<ul>\n<li>Wage Rate Variance = (Actual Wage Rate &#8211; Standard Wage Rate) \u00d7 Actual Working Hours<br \/>\nActual Wage Rate = Actual Direct Labor Cost \u00f7 Actual Working Hours<\/li>\n<li>Labor Hour Variance = (Actual Working Hours &#8211; Standard Working Hours) \u00d7 Standard Wage Rate<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The practical document format looks something like this:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-14885 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/lc_differ2.gif\" alt=\"Labor Cost Variance\" width=\"1008\" height=\"121\" \/><br \/>\nActual working hours (direct labor hours) can be aggregated by direct department units (cost centers). However, to calculate direct labor hours per item (minutes per unit), they are apportioned based on standard labor hours (Standard activity) preset in the master data and the actual production quantity.<\/p>\n<div class=\"graybox\">\n<div class=\"maruck\">\n<ul>\n<li>Total Direct Labor Hours per Item = Total Direct Labor Hours by Department \u00d7 {(Standard Labor Hours \u00d7 Actual Production Quantity) \/ SUM(Standard Labor Hours \u00d7 Actual Production Quantity)}<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The concept of calculating direct labor cost per unit as \u201cLabor Hours \u00d7 Wage Rate\u201d is used by the ordering party to provide an estimate of outsourcing processing fees to the contractor, but it is also applied when calculating labor costs per product.<\/p>\n<h3>Manufacturing Overhead Costs (Machines)<\/h3>\n<p>While the majority of variable costs in manufacturing costs consist of direct material costs and outsourcing processing fees, strictly speaking, utility costs for operating machines should be classified as variable costs. Thus, manufacturing overhead costs are divided into manufacturing variable costs and manufacturing fixed costs.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-25272 \" src=\"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/cost-4-1024x472.png\" alt=\"Variance Analysis of Manufacturing Overhead\" width=\"462\" height=\"213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/cost-4-1024x472.png 1024w, https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/cost-4-300x138.png 300w, https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/cost-4-768x354.png 768w, https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/cost-4.png 1519w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><br \/>\nThe difference between standard operating hours (full capacity hours) and actual operating hours is the capacity variance hours. When multiplied by the standard fixed cost rate, this becomes the capacity variance amount, representing the loss when machine load (Load) falls short of capacity (Capacity).<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15176 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sougyoudo.gif\" alt=\"Capacity Variance\" width=\"660\" height=\"105\" \/><br \/>\nOn the other hand, efficiency variance represents the loss when the actual machine capacity falls short of the standard capacity. The difference between the standard capacity hours (actual production quantity divided by standard capacity) and the actual capacity hours (actual production quantity divided by actual capacity) is the efficiency variance hours. When multiplied by the standard fixed cost rate, this becomes the capacity variance amount.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15177 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/nouritsu.gif\" alt=\"Efficiency Variance\" width=\"656\" height=\"112\" \/><br \/>\nBudget variance is the difference when actual manufacturing overhead costs (allocation rate \u00d7 actual operating hours) exceed the budget due to increases in material unit prices or wage rates.<\/p>\n<h2>Differences Between Actual Cost Accounting and Standard Cost Accounting<\/h2>\n<p>In actual cost accounting, the total direct material cost is calculated as \u201cStandard Material Unit Price \u00d7 Actual Input Quantity,\u201d and the total manufacturing overhead cost is calculated as \u201cStandard Unit Price (per hour) \u00d7 Actual Working Hours.\u201d This allows real-time calculation of unit costs for products and intermediates (preliminary costs). In accounting system-integrated ERP packages, journal entries are recorded using the perpetual inventory method, enabling constant tracking of inventory valuation.<br \/>\nFor material costs in standard costing, when \u201cStandard Usage = Child Requirement (BOM) \u00d7 Production Quantity,\u201d it is:<\/p>\n<div class=\"graybox\">\n<div class=\"maruck\">\n<ul>\n<li>Standard Purchase Unit Price (Purchasing Unit Price Master) \u00d7 Standard Usage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>However, in actual costing, it becomes:<\/p>\n<div class=\"graybox\">\n<div class=\"maruck\">\n<ul>\n<li>Standard Purchase Unit Price (Purchasing Unit Price Master) \u00d7 Actual Usage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>For example, when producing 100 units of a product that uses 4 bolts per unit, in standard costing:<\/p>\n<div class=\"graybox\">\n<div class=\"maruck\">\n<ul>\n<li>Standard Purchase Unit Price \u00d7 4 Bolts \u00d7 100 Units<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>But in actual costing:<\/p>\n<div class=\"graybox\">\n<div class=\"maruck\">\n<ul>\n<li>Standard Purchase Unit Price \u00d7 (4 Bolts \u00d7 100 Units + Defectives)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In other words, while there is no price variance between actual and standard costs, a quantity variance arises as Standard Purchase Unit Price \u00d7 Variance Amount.<br \/>\nSimilarly, for labor costs in standard costing:<\/p>\n<div class=\"graybox\">\n<div class=\"maruck\">\n<ul>\n<li>Standard Wage Rate \u00d7 Standard Working Hours<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>But in actual costing:<\/p>\n<div class=\"graybox\">\n<div class=\"maruck\">\n<ul>\n<li>Standard Wage Rate \u00d7 Actual Working Hours (Standard Working Hours + Loss Time)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Thus, while there is no wage rate variance, a labor hour variance occurs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In standard cost accounting, not only direct material costs (things), which are variable costs, but also direct labor costs (people) and manufacturing overhead costs (machines), which are typically fixed costs, are treated as if they were variable costs. Then, material costs are analyzed into price variance and quantity variance, labor costs into wage rate variance and labor hour variance, and overhead costs into efficiency variance, capacity variance, and budget variance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":81334,"parent":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[624],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cost-management"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67847"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67847\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bahtera.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}