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    Benjamin Duquette
    Sales Variance Calculation Help!
    RP - Thread posted October 1, 2009 by Benjamin Duquette
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    Title:
    Sales Variance Calculation Help!
    Content:

    I was doing some sales variance analysis however my company's data only provides margins and margins as a % of sales.

    I decided to experiment and did a hypothetical price & volume calculation based on margins as a % of sales, and the textbook approach using sales price per unit, GP per unit and volume.

    When I calculated the Sales variance, the totals were the same, but the individual price & volume variances for the two methods differed, and I am struggling to figure out why. 

    Has anyone ever attempted this and determined why this would be? Which version in your experience, was more accurate. Here is an example of the situation:

      Planned Actual Price Volume Sales Variance
    Product A
    Sales Price Per Unit  $             30.0  $             25.0       (323,000)            (65,000)            (388,000) Based on Margins
    Production cost Per Unit  $             17.0  $             17.0       (570,000)        182,000.0            (388,000) Traditional Calculations
    GP Per Unit  $             13.0  $               8.0
    Sales Volume         100,000.0         114,000.0
    Sales $  $  3,000,000.0  $  2,850,000.0
    GP $  $  1,300,000.0  $     912,000.0
    GP % 43.3% 32.0%
    Product B
    Sales Price Per Unit  $             10.0  $             15.0        114,000             98,000             212,000 Based on Margins
    Production cost Per Unit  $               3.0  $               3.0        380,000       (168,000.0)             212,000 Traditional Calculations
    GP Per Unit  $               7.0  $             12.0
    Sales Volume         100,000.0          76,000.0
    Sales $  $  1,000,000.0  $  1,140,000.0
    GP $  $     700,000.0  $     912,000.0
    GP % 70.0% 80.0%
    Total Products
    Sales Price Per Unit                 20.0                 20.0       (171,000)             (5,000)            (176,000) Based on Margins
    Production cost Per Unit                 10.0                 10.0        (76,000)       (100,000.0)            (176,000) Traditional Calculations
    GP Per Unit  $             10.0  $             10.0
    Sales Volume         200,000.0         190,000.0
    Sales $  $  4,000,000.0  $  3,990,000.0
    GP $  $  2,000,000.0  $  1,824,000.0
    GP % 50.0% 45.7%          
     
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