CPA Australia SMA case studies
CPA Australia SMA · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Strategic Management Accounting (SMA) is one of the core segments of the CPA Program offered by CPA Australia, the professional body whose home page describes the qualification as a pathway to "a limitless future" for accountants. Candidates typically encounter SMA after completing the foundational segments, and it suits accountants who want to move beyond financial reporting into analysis that supports managerial and strategic decisions: costing systems, budgets and control, performance measurement, relevant costing, and how strategy and value creation are framed in a sustainability-conscious organisation. The CPA Australia SMA case studies are 5 cases and about 4,354 words.
1Meridian Instruments: Activity-Based Costing and the Custom Systems Line
Meridian Instruments builds two products in one plant: a standard laboratory balance (40,000 units a year) and configured analytical systems (600 units a year). Manufacturing overhead of 4.20 million is currently allocated on direct labour hours - 0.5 hours per balance and 6 hours per system, 23,600 hours in total.
709 words, about 4 min2Halden Fasteners: Contribution Variances and a Dysfunctional Purchasing KPI
Halden Fasteners distributes two lines. The annual budget assumes 120,000 units: 80,000 stainless at 12 with a standard contribution of 5.00, and 40,000 zinc at 7 with 2.00.
838 words, about 4 min3Castellan Group: Transfer Pricing, Capacity and the ROI Trap
Castellan Group has two divisions. Components (Division A) can make 200,000 units a year, sells 150,000 externally at 95, incurs variable production cost of 60 and variable selling and distribution cost of 4 on external sales only, and carries fixed costs of 3.6 million.
947 words, about 5 min4Kestrel Composites: A Special Order in a Bottleneck
Kestrel Composites moulds carbon-fibre panels through a single autoclave with 120,000 machine hours a year; 108,000 hours are committed to two products. Panel X sells for 120, has variable cost of 66 and takes three autoclave hours.
923 words, about 5 min5Loom & Larch: Nearshoring, Carbon and Total Cost of Ownership
Loom & Larch sells 200,000 outdoor jackets a year. Its offshore supplier quotes 18.00 FOB, plus 1.10 ocean freight and insurance and 12% import duty on FOB; the pipeline is 90 days including port congestion, 12% of units are marked down at an average loss of 12, air-freight expediting averages 1.10 a unit, and rework and returns cost 0.55 a unit.
937 words, about 5 min