Overhead Variance Analysis

Management Accounting and Cost Control · 3:27

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Lyrics

[Verse 1]
When production levels shift and change
Manufacturing costs can seem so strange
We need to break apart the variance
Into spending and volume components

Fixed overhead stays the same in total
Variable moves with activity's protocol
But when we allocate to units made
That's where variances come into play

[Chorus]
Split it up, break it down
Spending variance first is found
Actual minus budgeted rate
Times the hours that you calculate
Volume variance tells the tale
Of capacity that might fail
Under-applied or over too
Overhead analysis will guide you through

[Verse 2]
Spending variance shows efficiency
Did we control costs effectively?
Take actual overhead incurred
Subtract the budget, that's the word
Times actual hours worked today
Favorable or adverse, what do the numbers say?

[Chorus]
Split it up, break it down
Spending variance first is found
Actual minus budgeted rate
Times the hours that you calculate
Volume variance tells the tale
Of capacity that might fail
Under-applied or over too
Overhead analysis will guide you through

[Verse 3]
Volume variance measures utilization
Of our manufacturing installation
Budgeted hours minus actual hours
Multiplied by the standard rate's powers
When production exceeds the plan we made
Over-applied overhead gets displayed

[Bridge]
Fixed overhead has two parts to see
Spending and volume separately
Variable overhead's got two as well
Spending and efficiency to tell
Four-way analysis breaks it clean
Most detailed picture you've ever seen

[Chorus]
Split it up, break it down
Spending variance first is found
Actual minus budgeted rate
Times the hours that you calculate
Volume variance tells the tale
Of capacity that might fail
Under-applied or over too
Overhead analysis will guide you through

[Outro]
From two-way up to four-way split
Management insights benefit
Performance measurement made clear
Through overhead variances we hold dear

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