Easy2 marksMultiple Choice

ACCA · Question 4 · Specialist cost and management accounting techniques

Section A

BioGen is a pharmaceutical company that spends heavily on research and development (R&D) before a drug is launched. Once launched, production costs are relatively low, but marketing costs are high in the early years.

Why is lifecycle costing particularly relevant for BioGen?

Answer options:

A.

It focuses solely on minimizing production costs during the manufacturing phase.

B.

It captures the significant pre-production R&D costs, ensuring they are recovered over the product's entire life.

C.

It allows the company to ignore end-of-life environmental and disposal costs.

D.

It is a short-term decision-making tool used for annual budgeting.

How to approach this question

Consider the cost profile of a pharmaceutical drug: high R&D, low production. How does lifecycle costing address this?

Full Answer

B.It captures the significant pre-production R&D costs, ensuring they are recovered over the product's entire life.✓ Correct
Lifecycle costing tracks and accumulates costs and revenues attributable to each product over its entire life cycle. For pharmaceuticals, a huge proportion of costs (R&D) are incurred before production even begins. Lifecycle costing ensures these are factored into profitability analysis and pricing decisions.

Common mistakes

Confusing lifecycle costing with target costing or traditional absorption costing.

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