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The average cost is computed by dividing the total cost of goods available for sale by the total units available for sale. This gives a weighted-average unit cost that is applied to the units in the ending inventory. There are two commonly used average cost methods: Simple weighted-average cost method and perpetual weighted-average cost method. [2]
The most commonly used inventory valuation methods under a perpetual system are: first-in first-out (FIFO) last-in first-out (LIFO) (highest in, first out) (HIFO) average cost or weighted average cost; These methods produce different results because their flow of costs are based upon different assumptions.
Perpetual inventory systems can still be vulnerable to errors due to overstatements (phantom inventory) or understatements (missing inventory) that can occur as a result of theft, breakage, scanning errors or untracked inventory movements, leading to systematic errors in replenishment. [2] The perpetual inventory formula is very straightforward.
The control of inventory involves managing the physical quantities as well as the costing of the goods as it flows through the supply chain. In managing the cost prices of the goods throughout the supply chain, several costing methods are employed: Retail method; Weighted Average Price method; FIFO (First In First Out) method
The difference between the cost of an inventory calculated under the FIFO and LIFO methods is called the LIFO reserve (in the example above, it is $750, i.e. $5250 - $4500). This reserve, a form of contra account, is essentially the amount by which an entity's taxable income has been deferred by using the LIFO method. [2]
This may require considerable recordkeeping. This method cannot be used where the goods or items are indistinguishable or fungible. Average cost. The average cost method relies on average unit cost to calculate cost of units sold and ending inventory. Several variations on the calculation may be used, including weighted average and moving average.
Weighted Average Cost; Moving-Average Cost; FIFO and LIFO. Queueing theory. [19] Inventory Turn is a financial accounting tool for evaluating inventory and it is not necessarily a management tool. Inventory management should be forward looking. The methodology applied is based on historical cost of goods sold.
For example, relating shipping and storage costs to a specific inventory item becomes difficult. These numbers often need to be estimated, diminishing the specificity advantage of the specific identification method. Thus, this method is generally limited to large, high-ticket items which can be easily identified specifically (such as tract houses).