Analytical skills give a manager the ability to identify problems creatively, generate alternatives, and select the "best" alternative to solve problems.

The following account balances at the beginning of january were selected from the general ledger of fresh bagel manufacturing company: work in process inventory $0 raw materials inventory $ 28 comma 100 finished goods inventory $ 40 comma 600 additional data: 1. actual manufacturing overhead for january amounted to $ 65 comma 000. 2. total direct labor cost for january was $ 63 comma 400. 3. the predetermined manufacturing overhead rate is based on direct labor cost. the budget for the year called for $ 255 comma 000 of direct labor cost and $ 382 comma 500 of manufacturing overhead costs. 4. the only job unfinished on january 31 was job no. 151, for which total direct labor charges were $ 5 comma 200 (1 comma 300 direct labor hours) and total direct material charges were $ 14 comma 400. 5. cost of direct materials placed in production during january totaled $ 123 comma 700. there were no indirect material requisitions during january. 6. january 31 balance in raw materials inventory was $ 35 comma 300. 7. finished goods inventory balance on january 31 was $ 35 comma 400. what is the cost of goods manufactured for january?

Laws corporation is considering the purchase of a machine costing $16,000. estimated cash savings from using the new machine are $4,120 per year. the machine will have no salvage value at the end of its useful life of six years and the required rate of return for laws corporation is 12%. the machine's internal rate of return is closest to (ignore income taxes) (a) 12% (b) 14% (c) 16% (d) 18%

Sunset foods relies on a highly centralized functional structure to ensure consistency in the quality and taste of its products and to drive down costs via process innovations. however, as a consequence of its highly compartmentalized structure, the firm has found it difficult to transfer information and ideas from one department to the next. with the launch of its new line of breakfast foods coming up, how can sunset improve its ability to collaborate without sacrificing the benefits of its current structure