This calculation tool facilitates the estimation of indirect manufacturing costs allocated to each product or service before the actual costs are known. It operates by dividing estimated overhead costs by an allocation base, such as direct labor hours or machine hours. For instance, if a company anticipates $500,000 in overhead and 25,000 direct labor hours, the resulting rate would be $20 per direct labor hour. This estimated rate is then applied throughout the accounting period to assign overhead to production.
Employing this rate offers several advantages. It provides a consistent and timely assignment of overhead costs, crucial for pricing decisions, cost control, and inventory valuation. By enabling cost allocation early in the production process, it allows for better planning and performance evaluation. Historically, reliance on such estimation became prevalent due to the complexities of tracking actual overhead costs in real-time and the need for timely financial reporting.