Management Advisory Services
"MAS is where accounting meets decision-making! This subject covers management accounting, cost analysis, budgeting, and strategic planning. Think of yourself as a business consultant - helping companies make smarter decisions. Master these tools and you'll be invaluable to any organization, future CPA!"
1. Cost-Volume-Profit (CVP) Analysis 📊
CVP Analysis is one of the most important tools for decision-making. Master this!
A. Key Concepts and Formulas
| Concept | Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution Margin (CM) | Sales - Variable Costs | Amount available to cover fixed costs and profit |
| CM per Unit | Selling Price - Variable Cost per Unit | CM contributed by each unit sold |
| CM Ratio | CM / Sales | Percentage of each peso that covers fixed costs |
| Break-even (units) | Fixed Costs / CM per Unit | Units to sell to have zero profit |
| Break-even (pesos) | Fixed Costs / CM Ratio | Sales needed to have zero profit |
| Target Profit (units) | (FC + Target Profit) / CM per Unit | Units to sell to achieve desired profit |
| Margin of Safety | Actual Sales - Break-even Sales | Cushion before incurring loss |
| Degree of Operating Leverage | CM / Net Operating Income | Sensitivity of profit to sales changes |
💡 BOARD EXAM TIP:
When there's a target profit after tax:
Target Profit Before Tax = Target Profit After Tax / (1 - Tax Rate)
B. Multi-Product CVP Analysis
Weighted Average CM = Σ (CM per Unit × Sales Mix %)
Then use the weighted average CM in break-even formula.
2. Standard Costing & Variance Analysis 🎯
Variance analysis helps identify where actual performance deviates from standards:
A. Direct Materials Variances
| Variance | Formula | Who is Responsible? |
|---|---|---|
| Materials Price Variance (MPV) | (AP - SP) × AQ Purchased | Purchasing Department |
| Materials Quantity Variance (MQV) | (AQ Used - SQ) × SP | Production Department |
B. Direct Labor Variances
| Variance | Formula | Who is Responsible? |
|---|---|---|
| Labor Rate Variance (LRV) | (AR - SR) × AH | HR / Personnel |
| Labor Efficiency Variance (LEV) | (AH - SH) × SR | Production Supervisor |
C. Variable Overhead Variances
| Variance | Formula |
|---|---|
| VOH Spending Variance | Actual VOH - (AH × Standard VOH Rate) |
| VOH Efficiency Variance | (AH - SH) × Standard VOH Rate |
D. Fixed Overhead Variances
| Variance | Formula |
|---|---|
| FOH Budget Variance | Actual FOH - Budgeted FOH |
| FOH Volume Variance | Budgeted FOH - Applied FOH |
📝 Legend:
AP = Actual Price | SP = Standard Price | AQ = Actual Quantity | SQ = Standard Quantity
AR = Actual Rate | SR = Standard Rate | AH = Actual Hours | SH = Standard Hours
Favorable: Actual < Standard (saves money)
Unfavorable: Actual > Standard (costs more)
3. Relevant Costing & Decision Making 🔧
Focus on costs that MATTER for the decision at hand:
A. Types of Costs
| Cost Type | Definition | Relevant? |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant Cost | Future cost that differs between alternatives | YES |
| Sunk Cost | Already incurred, cannot be changed | NO |
| Opportunity Cost | Benefit foregone from next best alternative | YES |
| Differential Cost | Difference in cost between alternatives | YES |
| Allocated Fixed Costs | Fixed costs that remain regardless of decision | NO |
B. Common Decision Types
Make or Buy Decision
Make if: Total relevant cost to make < Purchase price
Consider: Variable manufacturing costs + Avoidable fixed costs + Opportunity cost
Special Order Decision
Accept if: Special price > Relevant costs
Conditions: Excess capacity, no effect on regular sales
Keep or Drop Decision
Keep if: Segment CM > Avoidable fixed costs
Warning: Don't drop just because of allocated overhead!
Sell or Process Further
Process if: Incremental revenue > Incremental cost
Joint costs are irrelevant (sunk cost)
C. Scarce Resource Allocation
When resources are limited:
Rank products by: CM per unit of scarce resource
Example: If machine hours are limited, prioritize products with highest CM per machine hour
4. Budgeting 📋
Budgeting is planning in financial terms. Know the sequence!
A. Master Budget Components (Sequence)
- Sales Budget - Starting point! (Units × Price)
- Production Budget - Units to produce (Sales + Ending Inv - Beginning Inv)
- Direct Materials Budget - Materials needed + purchases
- Direct Labor Budget - Labor hours and cost
- Manufacturing Overhead Budget - Variable + Fixed overhead
- Selling & Admin Budget
- Cash Budget - Cash inflows and outflows
- Budgeted Income Statement
- Budgeted Balance Sheet
B. Flexible Budget
Static Budget
Prepared for ONE activity level only
Does NOT adjust for actual volume
Flexible Budget
Adjusts for actual activity level achieved
Better for performance evaluation
5. Performance Measurement 📈
A. Responsibility Centers
| Center Type | Manager Controls | Performance Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Center | Costs only | Cost variance, efficiency |
| Revenue Center | Revenues only | Sales variance |
| Profit Center | Revenues and costs | Segment margin, profit |
| Investment Center | Revenues, costs, AND assets | ROI, Residual Income, EVA |
B. Investment Center Metrics
| Metric | Formula | Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| ROI | Net Operating Income / Average Operating Assets | Easy comparison between divisions |
| Residual Income (RI) | NOI - (Operating Assets × Required Rate) | Encourages profitable investments |
| EVA | NOPAT - (Capital × WACC) | Considers cost of all capital |
⚠️ ROI Problem:
Managers may reject profitable projects if it lowers their current ROI (even if ROI > cost of capital)
Solution: Use Residual Income instead!
6. Strategic Management Tools 🎯
A. Balanced Scorecard (4 Perspectives)
| Perspective | Focus | Sample Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Financial | How do we look to shareholders? | ROI, EVA, Revenue growth |
| Customer | How do customers see us? | Satisfaction, retention, market share |
| Internal Business Process | What must we excel at? | Quality, cycle time, defect rates |
| Learning & Growth | Can we continue to improve? | Employee training, innovation, IT |
B. Capital Budgeting Methods
| Method | Formula/Concept | Decision Rule |
|---|---|---|
| NPV | PV of inflows - PV of outflows | Accept if NPV > 0 |
| IRR | Rate that makes NPV = 0 | Accept if IRR > Required Rate |
| Payback Period | Investment / Annual Cash Flow | Accept if ≤ Target period |
| Profitability Index | PV of Inflows / Initial Investment | Accept if PI > 1 |
7. Practice Questions - Test Yourself! 📝
MAS Practice Problems (Click to expand)
1. Fixed costs are ₱100,000 and CM per unit is ₱20. Break-even units is:
A) 2,000 units
B) 5,000 units
C) 10,000 units
D) 20,000 units
Answer: B - Break-even = ₱100,000 / ₱20 = 5,000 units
2. Materials Price Variance = (AP - SP) × AQ. This variance is the responsibility of:
A) Production Department
B) Purchasing Department
C) Sales Department
D) HR Department
Answer: B - Purchasing Department is responsible for the price paid for materials.
3. Which cost is RELEVANT in decision making?
A) Sunk cost
B) Allocated fixed overhead
C) Opportunity cost
D) Book value of old equipment
Answer: C - Opportunity cost is always relevant as it represents foregone benefits.
4. The starting point of a master budget is:
A) Production budget
B) Cash budget
C) Sales budget
D) Direct materials budget
Answer: C - Sales budget is always the starting point; all other budgets flow from it.
5. An Investment Center manager is evaluated using:
A) Cost variance only
B) Revenue only
C) ROI and Residual Income
D) Sales volume only
Answer: C - Investment centers are evaluated on ROI and Residual Income as they control revenues, costs, and assets.
6. Accept a project if NPV is:
A) Less than zero
B) Equal to zero
C) Greater than zero
D) None of the above
Answer: C - A positive NPV indicates the project returns more than the required rate of return.
🎯 MAS Board Exam Tips!
- Master CVP formulas - break-even, target profit, margin of safety
- Know variance analysis - who is responsible for each variance
- Understand relevant costs - sunk costs are NEVER relevant!
- Remember budget sequence - Sales → Production → Materials...
- Know responsibility centers - Cost, Revenue, Profit, Investment
- ROI vs RI - RI encourages accepting profitable projects
- Capital budgeting - NPV is the gold standard!
MAS is about thinking like a business consultant - make decisions that add value! Kaya mo yan, future CPA! 💪
Test Your Knowledge! 🧠
Ready ka na ba? Take the practice quiz for Management Advisory Services to reinforce what you just learned.
Start Practice Quiz 📝