(b) The Superior Fitness Co (SFC), which is well established in Mayland, operates nine centres. Each of SFC’s

centres is similar in size to those of HFG. SFC also provides dietary plans and fitness programmes to its clients.

The directors of HFG have decided that they wish to benchmark the performance of HFG with that of SFC.

Required:

Discuss the problems that the directors of HFG might experience in their wish to benchmark the performance

of HFG with the performance of SFC, and recommend how such problems might be successfully addressed.

(7 marks)

2 The Rubber Group (TRG) manufactures and sells a number of rubber-based products. Its strategic focus is channelled

through profit centres which sell products transferred from production divisions that are operated as cost centres. The

profit centres are the primary value-adding part of the business, where commercial profit centre managers are

responsible for the generation of a contribution margin sufficient to earn the target return of TRG. The target return is

calculated after allowing for the sum of the agreed budgeted cost of production at production divisions, plus the cost

of marketing, selling and distribution costs and central services costs.

The Bettamould Division is part of TRG and manufactures moulded products that it transfers to profit centres at an

agreed cost per tonne. The agreed cost per tonne is set following discussion between management of the Bettamould

Division and senior management of TRG.

The following information relates to the agreed budget for the Bettamould Division for the year ending 30 June 2009:

(1) The budgeted output of moulded products to be transferred to profit centres is 100,000 tonnes. The budgeted

transfer cost has been agreed on a two-part basis as follows:

(i) A standard variable cost of $200 per tonne of moulded products;

(ii) A lump sum annual charge of $50,000,000 in respect of fixed costs, which is charged to profit centres, at

$500 per tonne of moulded products.

(2) Budgeted standard variable costs (as quoted in 1 above) have been set after incorporating each of the following:

(i) A provision in respect of processing losses amounting to 15% of material inputs. Materials are sourced on

a JIT basis from chosen suppliers who have been used for some years. It is felt that the 15% level of losses

is necessary because the ageing of the machinery will lead to a reduction in the efficiency of output levels.

(ii) A provision in respect of machine idle time amounting to 5%. This is incorporated into variable machine

costs. The idle time allowance is held at the 5% level partly through elements of ‘real-time’ maintenance

undertaken by the machine operating teams as part of their job specification.

(3) Quality checks are carried out on a daily basis on 25% of throughput tonnes of moulded products.

(4) All employees and management have contracts based on fixed annual salary agreements. In addition, a bonus

of 5% of salary is payable as long as the budgeted output of 100,000 tonnes has been achieved;

(5) Additional information relating to the points in (2) above (but NOT included in the budget for the year ending

30 June 2009) is as follows:

(i) There is evidence that materials of an equivalent specification could be sourced for 40% of the annual

requirement at the Bettamould Division, from another division within TRG which has spare capacity.

(ii) There is evidence that a move to machine maintenance being outsourced from a specialist company could

help reduce machine idle time and hence allow the possibility of annual output in excess of 100,000 tonnes

of moulded products.

(iii) It is thought that the current level of quality checks (25% of throughput on a daily basis) is vital, although

current evidence shows that some competitor companies are able to achieve consistent acceptable quality

with a quality check level of only 10% of throughput on a daily basis.

The directors of TRG have decided to investigate claims relating to the use of budgeting within organisations which

have featured in recent literature. A summary of relevant points from the literature is contained in the following

statement:

‘The use of budgets as part of a ‘performance contract’ between an organisation and its managers may be seen as a

practice that causes management action which might lead to the following problems:

(a) Meeting only the lowest targets

(b) Using more resources than necessary

(c) Making the bonus – whatever it takes

(d) Competing against other divisions, business units and departments

(e) Ensuring that what is in the budget is spent

(f) Providing inaccurate forecasts

(g) Meeting the target, but not beating it

(h) Avoiding risks.’

Required:

(a) Explain the nature of any SIX of the eight problems listed above relating to the use of budgeting;

(12 marks)

(b) Illustrate EACH of the six problems chosen in (a) using the data from the Bettamould division/TRG scenario;

and (6 marks)

(c) Suggest ways in which each of the six problems chosen in (a) above may be overcome. (6 marks)

(iii) Identify and discuss an alternative strategy that may assist in improving the performance of CTC with

effect from 1 May 2009 (where only the products in (a) and (b) above are available for manufacture).

(4 marks)

3 The Global Hotel Group (GHG) operates hotels in most of the developed countries throughout the world. The directors

of GHG are committed to a policy of achieving ‘growth’ in terms of geographical coverage and are now considering

building and operating another hotel in Tomorrowland. Tomorrowland is a developing country which is situated 3,000

kilometres from the country in which GHG’s nearest hotel is located.

The managing director of GHG recently attended a seminar on ‘the use of strategic and economic information in

planning organisational performance’.

He has called a board meeting to discuss the strategic and economic factors which should be considered before a

decision is made to build the hotel in Tomorrowland.

Required:

(a) Discuss the strategic and economic factors which should be considered before a decision is made to build

the hotel. (14 marks)

(d) Advise on any lifetime inheritance tax (IHT) planning that could be undertaken in respect of both Stuart and

Rebecca to help reduce the potential inheritance tax (IHT) liability calculated in (c) above. (7 marks)

Relevant retail price index figures are:

May 1994 144·7

April 1998 162·6

(b) GHG has always used local labour to build and subsequently operate hotels. The directors of GHG are again

considering employing a local workforce not only to build the hotel but also to operate it on a daily basis.

Required:

Explain TWO ways in which the possibility of cultural differences might impact on the performance of a local

workforce in building and operating a hotel in Tomorrowland. (6 marks)

(b) Calculate the taxable benefit in 2005/06 if Jan were to use the accommodation offered by his employer. You

may assume that the rules for calculating benefits are the same as in 2004/05. (3 marks)

(ii) Comment on the figures in the statement prepared in (a)(i) above. (4 marks)