CHS is a large multidivision firm. One division. Health Services, is well known
ID: 2468342 • Letter: C
Question
CHS is a large multidivision firm. One division. Health Services, is well known inside CHS for its efficient information technology (IT). A smaller division. Optics, has approached Health Services with a proposal that it provide IT support in the form of machine time for some of Optics's billing and administrative work. After an analysis of the demands that Optics would place on the system, the IT manager of Health Services notes that Health Services would have to lease a new server because of the additional load. The lease rates for the current server are a fixed annual lease of $3,200 and it averages machine time of 2,800 hours annually. The new server leases for an annual rate of $5,000. Because the new server is a faster machine. Health Services can complete its current requirements in only 2,000 hours. The work for Optics is estimated to be 1,000 hours. In addition to leasing a new server, there are two other changes Health Services would have to make in IT. First, they will have to upgrade their server support position. The IT manager estimates that it will cost an additional $20,000 per year to get an individual with the necessary advanced training. In addition. Health Services has a contract for service from the machine vendor. The support contract is a fixed price contract of $1 per hour of machine usage. The current lease contract can be canceled at no cost if Health Services leases a more expensive machine. Suppose Health Services could sell time on the machine to other companies in the area on a per-hour basis. Further, it can sell all the time available for $30 per hour. Required: What is the optimal transfer price rule Health Services should use to charge Optics? Suppose Optics uses 1,000 hours on the new machine. What is the average cost per hour Optics would pay using the rule you developed in part (a)? Suppose Optics uses 100 hours on the new machine. What is the average cost per hour Optics would pay using the rule you developed in part (a)?Explanation / Answer
Solution.
(a)
Since Health services department is in a position to sell all the time available @$30 per hour to other companies, it should definitely lease the new server and get additional capacity. Further Cost-based transfer pricing should be used to determine the Transfer Price.
Calculation of additional cost incurred to create additional capacity of 1000 hours:
(b) Average cost per hour = $22
(c) Average cost per hour = $22
Rest 900 remaining hours can be sold by Health Services to other companies @$30 earning a profit of $8 per hour sold.
Particulars Amount ($) Additional lease rent [$5000-$3200] 1800 + Cost of training 20000 - Cost saving on support service [(2800-2000)*$1] 800 Fixed cost (A) 21000 / Number of additional hours (B) 1000 hours Aditional Fixed Cost per hour 21 + Variable cost per hour on usage 1 Transfer price per hour $22