Profit Center Responsibility Reporting for a Service Company
Thomas Railroad Company organizes its three divisions, the North (N), South (S), and West (W) regions, as profit centers. The chief executive officer (CEO) evaluates divisional performance, using income from operations as a percent of revenues. The following quarterly income and expense accounts were provided from the trial balance as of December 31:
Revenues—N Region $1,039,000
Revenues—S Region 1,281,400
Revenues—W Region 2,205,700
Operating Expenses—N Region 658,400
Operating Expenses—S Region 762,600
Operating Expenses—W Region 1,333,900
Corporate Expenses—Dispatching 518,400
Corporate Expenses—Equipment Management 259,700
Corporate Expenses—Treasurer’s 158,000
General Corporate Officers’ Salaries 349,000
The company operates three service departments: the Dispatching Department, the Equipment Management Department, and the Treasurer’s Department. The Dispatching Department manages the scheduling and releasing of completed trains. The Equipment Management Department manages the railroad cars inventories. It makes sure the right freight cars are at the right place at the right time. The Treasurer’s Department conducts a variety of services for the company as a whole. The following additional information has been gathered:
North South West
Number of scheduled trains 5,400 6,500 9,700
Number of railroad cars in inventory 1,200 2,000 1,700