TE2103: IFL has recently developed sales of ‘Fleur’ Perfume in a recyclable atomizer which is sold alongside the companies traditional products: Performance Management Report, NUI, Ireland

IFL has recently developed sales of ‘Fleur’ Perfume in a recyclable atomizer which is sold alongside the companies traditional products of bottles of ‘Fleur’ Perfume and bottles of ‘Rose’ Perfume. The company is now considering the sale of ‘Rose’ Perfume in atomizer bottles.

It is the company policy that any new product must be capable of generating sufficient profit to cover all costs, including initial marketing and advertising expenditure of €1,100,000. Current weekly production, with unit costs and selling prices, is as follows:

Sales volume is equal to production volume. A 50 week trading year is assumed. Rates of absorption of fixed costs are based on current levels of output. All products have a similar cost structure.

In order to produce ‘Rose’ in atomizers, the atomizer machine would require modification at a cost of €500,000 which is to be recovered through sales within one year. Additional annual fixed costs of €450,000 would be incurred in manufacturing the new product. Variable costs of production would be 50c per atomizer. Research has estimated demand at different selling price levels to be:

There is enough capacity on the atomizer machine, but the factory is operating near capacity in other areas. The new atomizer product would have to be produced by reducing production in other areas and two alternatives have been identified:

• Reduce production of bottles of ‘Fleur’ by 30% p.a. or
• Reduce production of bottles of ‘Rose’ by 33% p.a.

The directors consider that the new product must cover any loss of profit caused by this reduction in volume. They are aware that bottling is a much more labor-intensive process than atomizing perfume. They are also aware that market research has shown growing customer dissatisfaction with the wastage of perfume sold in bottles, particularly the type of bottle that ‘Fleur’ Perfume is sold in. All labor is accounted for as variable costs.

The Board will expect your report to contain:

• The current annual profit being made by the company.
• The contributions that the various alternative sales levels of atomizers might make
• A recommendation as to the most profitable course of action.
• An overall recommendation based on the quantitative factors above and, most importantly, the qualitative factors based on the information provided and also based on your research given the facts of this case.