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Assignment ID: FG132537804

Wedding Bells Inc. specializes in the rentals and delivery of large tents, tables, chairs, dance platforms and sound systems that are used for outdoor weddings. The company owner, Susan Bells, recently completed a cost study of the firm’s Material-Handling Department in which she used work measurement to quantify the department’s activity. The control factor unit used in the work-measurement study was hundreds of kilograms of equipment loaded off or on the company delivery trucks.
Susan has compiled the following data:
Month                       Unit of Activity in 000’s of Kg                        Material-Handling Costs
January                                 1,400                                               $11,350
February                                 1,200                                                11,350
March                                     1,100                                              11,050
April                                         2,600                                             12,120
May                                            1,800                                        11,400
June                                            2,000                                           12,000
July                                                2,400                                      12,550
August                                            2,200                                      11,100
September                                        1,000                                   10,200
October                                             1,300                                  11,250
November                                             1,600                              11,300
December                                               1,800                          11,700
Required:
Question 1. Estimate the Material-Handling Department’s cost behaviour using the high-low method. Use an equation to express the results of this estimation method.
Question 2. Construct an Excel spreadsheet and use the Excel functions to estimate the cost behaviour using the least-of-squares method. Use an equation to express the results of this estimation method. Calculate the R-square value and interpret the results.
Question 3. Using both methods above, predict Wedding Bells’ Material-Handling costs for a month when 2,300 units of activity are recorded.
Question 4. Why do the results from the two methods of cost prediction above differ? Which method do you recommend? Why.