Example of Methods of Allocating Service Costs
Suppose the following data:
| User department | Unit of Service Provided | Costs Prior to Service Department | 
|   | S1 | S2 | S3 | Shs. | 
| S1 |            0 |     2,000 |     4,500 |        92,400 | 
| S2 |     1,000 |            0 |            0 |      184,800 | 
| S3 |     2,000 |   4,000 |            0 |      138,600 | 
| P1 |     4,000 | 10,000 |     1,500 |      400,000 | 
| P2 |     3,000 |     4,000 |     9,000 |      500,000 | 
| Totals | 10,000 | 20,000 | 15,000 | 1,315,800 | 
Direct method
|   | S1 | S2 | S3 | P1 | P2 | TOTAL | 
| Cost   Prior to Allocation |  92,000 |  184,800 |  138,600 | 400,000 | 500,000 |   | 
| Allocate   S1(4:3) | (92,400) | - | - | 52,800 |   39,600 |   | 
| Allocate   S2 (5:2) | - | (184,800) | - | 132,000 |   52,800 |   | 
| Allocate   S3(1:6) | -           | -           | (138,600) |   19,800 | 118,800 |   | 
|   | -            | -            | -            | 604,600 | 711.200 |   | 
|   |   |   |   |   |   | 1,315,800 | 
 
Step-wise Method      
|   | S1 | S2 | S3 | P1 | P2 | TOTAL | 
| Cost   Prior to Allocation |  92,000 |  184,800 |  138,600 | 400,000 | 500,000 |   | 
| Allocate   S1(1:2:4:3) | 92,400 | 9,240 | 18,480 | 36,960 | 27,720 |   | 
|   |   | 194,040 | 157,080 | 436,960 | 527,720 |   | 
| Allocate   S2(2:5:3) |   | (194,040) | 43,120 | 107,800 | 43,120 |   | 
|   |   | -            | 200,200 | 544,760 | 570,840 |   | 
| Allocate   S3(1:6) |   |   | (200,200) | 28,600 | 171,600 |   | 
|   |   |   | - | 573,360 | 742,440 |   | 
|   |   |   |   |   |   | 1,315,800 | 
Reciprocal Method
Let Sa represent the net costs of service dept 1
Let Sb represent the net costs of service dept 2
Let Sc represent the net costs of service dept 3
Sa = 92,400 + 0.15b + 0.3 Sc--------------------------Eq(i)
Sb = 184,800 + 0.1 Sa ----------------------------------Eq(ii)
Sc  = 138,600 + 0.2 Sa + 0.2 Sb----------------------Eq(iii)
After substituting Equation (iii) into Equation (i) and solving, then we get;
Sa = 92,400 + 0.1 (184,800 + 0.1 Sa) + 0.35c
Sa = 92,400 + 18,480 + 0.01 Sa + 0.3Sc
0.99 Sa = 110,880 + 0.3Sc--------------------------Eq(iv)
After substituting Equation (ii) into Equation (iii) and solving, then we get,
Sc  = 138,600 + 0.2Sa + 0.2 (184,800 + 0.1Sa)
Sc  = 138,600 + 0.2Sa + 0.22Sc--------------------------Eq(v)
After substituting (v) into Eq(iv) and solving then we get,
0.99Sa = 110,880 + 0.3 (175,560 + 0.22Sa),
0.99Sa = 163,548 + 0.066 Sa
0.924Sa = 163,548
Sa = 163,548= 177,000
Consequently Sb = 184,800 + 0.1 (Sa) = 184,800 + 0.1(177,000) = Shs.202, 500
                      Sc = 138,600 + 0.2(177,000) + 0.2(202,500) = Shs.214, 500
|   | S1 | S2 | S3 | P1 | P2 | 
| Costs   before allocation |    92,400 |  184,800 | 138,600 | 400,000 | 500,000 | 
| Costs   after recognition |   177,000 |  202,500 | 214,500 |   |   | 
| Allocate   costs S1(1:2:4:3) | (177,000) |      17,700 | 35,400 | 70,800 | 53,100 | 
| Allocate   S2 (2:4:10:4) |    20,250 | (202,500) | 40,500 | 101,250 | 40,500 | 
| AllocateS3   (3:1:6) |    64,350 | -            | (214,500) | 21,450 | 128,700 | 
|   | -            | -            | -            | 593,500 | 722,300 |