Product details

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Case
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Reference no. 9-102-030
Published by: Harvard Business Publishing
Originally published in: 2001
Version: 13 March 2008
Length: 17 pages
Data source: Field research

Abstract

An entrepreneurial, publicly traded biotech company has begun production and sales of its core product-cartridges that permit DNA samples to be analyzed on a microchip. In the early quarters, sales are difficult to forecast and the company has experienced fluctuating production volumes and unpredictable gross margins, which has upset the board of directors. The finance staff investigates whether to adopt a new costing approach based on capacity. With large amounts of unused capacity, the decision of how to apply capacity costs is critical to the company's management and its reporting strategy with analysts.
Location:
Industry:
Size:
USD12 million revenues, 170 employees
Other setting(s):
2001

About

Abstract

An entrepreneurial, publicly traded biotech company has begun production and sales of its core product-cartridges that permit DNA samples to be analyzed on a microchip. In the early quarters, sales are difficult to forecast and the company has experienced fluctuating production volumes and unpredictable gross margins, which has upset the board of directors. The finance staff investigates whether to adopt a new costing approach based on capacity. With large amounts of unused capacity, the decision of how to apply capacity costs is critical to the company's management and its reporting strategy with analysts.

Settings

Location:
Industry:
Size:
USD12 million revenues, 170 employees
Other setting(s):
2001

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