Reference no: EM13378127

1. Explain why the management accounting information from the traditional responsibility accounting system fails to provide a greater strategic focus?                                                                                                                        
2. Give one example of an appropriate performance measure for each of the responsibility and the process-orientated accounting systems.
3. Explain four key features of a good process-oriented management accounting system.

Wallace Communications Ltd produces paints and primers in its factory.In recent years, the company's market share has been eroded by stiff competition from overseas. Two years ago, the company's CEO decided to devote more resources to improving product quality. He set up a task force from various areas of the factory, including: production, customer services, sales, and accounting.

Cost Item	Year 1	Year 2
Machine maintenance..................	$ 215,000	$160,000
Final testing  ..............................	160,000	94,000
Warranty repairs........................	69,000	23,000
Customer returns	262,000	80,000
Incoming inspection	45,000	22,000
Training suppliers	5,000	15,000
Scrap	68,000	40,000
Rework	120,000	62,000
Design reviews	20,000	95,000
Total Quality Cost	$964,000	$591,000

Total production costs for year 1 was $4,120,000 and for year 2 was $4,510,000.

Required:

(a) Prepare a Quality Cost Report for Wallace Communications Ltd.

(b) By analysing the quality cost report you prepared above, determine if the company's quality improvement programme has been successful.

(c) There are different views of how quality can be managed. While a certain level of quality may be accepted, there is an argument to aim for the highest level of quality. Discuss these two views of "quality as cost" and "quality as value".