The Difference Between Prime Costs and Conversion Costs

The word prime stems from the Latin word  ‘prôtos’, which means first in existence, or the first in order. Just as prime numbers are indivisible, prime costs refer to the direct costs of raw materials and labor that are essential to manufacturing a product. Numerous manufacturing overhead costs are encountered in manufacturing facilities and processes.

Conversion costs are the sum of the direct labor costs and factory overheads of a single product. Conversion costs are all the costs that are borne to convert raw material into finished goods. Both these costs can be used by the management to evaluate the efficiency of the production process in different ways. Prime costs ad conversion costs are different in their calculation, presentation and objective.

What is a Conversion Cost?

Conversion costs, however, are not presented on the cost sheet of a product. To conversion cost of the chair will neglect any costs related to the material that goes into the production of the chairs. These include the $5 for wood, $4 for the frame of the chair and $3 for paint and other small materials. The electricity expense of the factory for a month is $5,000 of which $1,000 is attributed to the chair production process. Furthermore, the rent paid on the factory is $10,000 of which $2,000 is attributable to chair production. In this article, we will cover the prime and conversion costs of a business.

• However, the little paper umbrellas that adorn every cocktail are counted as direct material since they’re disposable garnishments.
• Tangible components, such as raw materials, necessary to create a finished product, are included in direct materials.
• The direct expenses are expenses that are directly related to the production of the watch, such as any royalties paid for the production of the watch.
• For example, raw materials and packing materials such as leather, soles, packing boxes for a shoe manufacturer and wood for a furniture maker etc.

Prime costs comprise expenditures incurred directly in creating a finished product or service. Direct labor, direct material, and direct expenses are the three elements of prime costs. Factory overheads and administrative costs are not included in this category. The direct labor costs are taken fully when calculating the conversion cost of a chair. The direct material cost of the chair will include $5 paid to the assembly worker and $2 paid to the paint and polish worker. The cost related to the warehouse keeper is still indirect labor and is ignored when calculating conversion costs.

What is the Difference Between Prime Cost and Conversion Cost (Formula & Examples)

However, looking at your prime costs is just one way to analyze your business’s financial performance. Check out a host of other financial accounting ratios you can use to take your financial analysis to the next level. Allocation of overhead costs ensures proper monitoring and cost planning. Prime costs and conversion costs are also different due to their presentations. The cost sheet is a document that is used to calculate the cost of a product.

The calculation for prime costs includes direct labor, plus the amount spent on direct materials. The calculation for conversion costs also includes direct labor (in addition to overhead expenses incurred as a result of the transformation of raw materials into finished products). Conversion costs can be considered to layer on top of prime costs, where they are needed to convert raw materials into finished goods.

Formula for Calculating Prime Costs

All these expenditures are aggregated and divided on the number of units produced to find the cost per unit of a single product. For complex production setups, other methods such as batch costing and process costing may be used to determine the cost per unit produced. The cost of labor and payroll taxes used directly in the production process are part of prime costs. Labor that is used to service and consult the production of goods is also included in prime costs. Direct labor examples might include assembly line workers, welders, carpenters, glass workers, painters, and cooks.

Looking at prime costs versus conversion costs can help you evaluate your operations and find places to save money. Comparing and examining these costs is a good way to identify how much waste is going on within your company. deductible business expenses Plus, tracking these costs makes it easier for you to measure how much unnecessary spending occurs. By digging into conversion costs, you can see exactly what you are paying that doesn’t go into your product.

These costs thus include only direct costs and are a core part of the total product cost. The core cost area for a manufacturing entity is its product cost which encompasses all costs incurred in respect of entity’s manufacturing activities. The correct measurement and analysis of product costs is important as it facilitates several actions like setting the base for product pricing as well as effectively controlling costs to maximize profits. Product costs are further categorized to facilitate in-depth and accurate cost control and management. Conversion costs are those production costs required to convert raw materials into completed products. Prime costs are calculated by factory managers and reviewed by operational managers to ensure that the production process has been completed efficiently and effectively.

The $7 material costs that do no relate to the production of the bicycle are not considered. Manufacturing overheads include all product costs other than direct materials and direct labor. These are the expenses that must be incurred to keep manufacturing operations afloat but cannot be directly traced to a specific product or process.

Prime Costs

Rent of factory building, electricity, gas and coal used in production, salaries of production managers, depreciation of production machines and equipment are a few examples of these costs. Prime costs and conversion costs include costs of factors of production, providing a varied perspective of production efficiency. Prime costs are expenses directly related to creating finished goods while conversion costs are used in the conversion of raw materials into finished goods i.e. a complete product. During a month, Company B has a total cost of $55,000 in direct labor and $66,000 in factory overhead costs. Manufacturing overheads used in calculating conversion costs are the overheads that cannot be attributed to the production process or a single unit in production, for example, rent or electricity.

Therefore, it is especially important for self-employed persons to employ the prime cost method when determining what price to set for their goods and services. Prime costs are reviewed by operations managers to ensure the company has an efficient production process. The calculation of prime costs also helps organizations set prices at a level that produce an acceptable amount of profit. Overhead expenses include utility expenses such as electricity and other expenses required to keep the factory or unit operational throughout any working day.

These production overheads are ignored when calculating the prime cost of the product. Conversion costs, on the other hand, refer to the indirect costs of production that are necessary to convert the raw materials into a finished product. Conversion costs include the cost of manufacturing overhead, which includes expenses such as rent, utilities, and depreciation of equipment. In other words, conversion costs are the costs of the activities required to transform the raw materials into a finished product. Direct labor costs include the salary, wages, or benefits paid to an employee who works on the completion of finished products.

Direct labor cost is the same as it has been referred to in the above paragraphs under prime cost. This is computed and reviewed by operational managers to determine whether wastages or inefficiencies exist in the manufacturing process. The calculation of the cost of sales, which is reported on the income statement, also depends on the conversion cost. The Ascent is a Motley Fool service that rates and reviews essential products for your everyday money matters. Once the bicycles are assembled and painted, they are sent to the warehouse.

What impacts the cost

Notice that the costs against items H, I and J have not been made part of any of prime cost or conversion cost computations. This is because these items are Elizbeth Inc’s period costs and don’t relate to its manufacturing process. Aggregation of prime https://online-accounting.net/ costs is useful for evaluating efficiency of material usage as well as efficacy of working of direct labor. Prime cost accounting can help you decide on a product’s selling price or whether to drop a product line in favor of a lower-cost alternative.

A warehouse keeper is paid $5 per hour to ensure the bicycles are not stolen. When costs are classified by their behavior, they are grouped together based on how these costs change in relation to the level of activity of the business. These costs can be classified into fixed, variable, semi-fixed or semi-variable and stepped fixed costs. Costs classified by behavior can be used in the decision-making process of a business.

Direct labor includes costs such as salaries or wages of the employees that are involved in the production process. The direct expenses are expenses that are directly related to the production of the watch, such as any royalties paid for the production of the watch. Prime costs and conversion costs are two concepts used in managerial accounting to calculate the cost of producing a product or service. While both types of costs are important for calculating the total cost of production, they differ in terms of what expenses they include.