Materials in a production line that are only partially finished are referred to as “work-in-process inventory.” The Accounting Tools team states that in order to calculate the cost of the work-in-process inventory, this term takes into account the cost of raw materials, direct labor cost, and factory overhead. For accounting purposes, you will frequently need to determine the costs of work-in-process inventory.
Work-in-process inventory maintains organization by keeping track of inventory costs during the manufacturing process. It is first noted as the beginning work-in-process inventory at the start of an accounting period and again as the ending work-in-process inventory at the end of the period. Work-in-process inventory is a vital part of inventory management. It shows the stage at which raw materials are transforming into a marketable product but are not yet finished.
Work-in-process inventory is kept to a minimum and either kept in the production area or a buffer storage area because overflow can hinder production. If the inventory is allowed to increase, damaged or defective units may accumulate undetected and slow production as a result. The ideal level of work-in-process inventory is so low that materials can easily move between workstations without affecting the rate of production. Work-in-process is recorded in the inventory line item on balance sheets as an asset because it is regarded as an asset. According to Accounting Tools, it ought to be the smallest of the main inventory accounts.
Companies try to reduce or eliminate work-in-progress inventory before the period ends to simplify accounting. Since work-in-process inventory typically ends in the same amount of time, this is typically not necessary. According to Indeed writers, increasing the emphasis on inventory reduction could compromise the production flow.
Work-in-process costs fall under the cost value method. According to Microsoft authors, this approach uses the percentage of completion to calculate the proportion of estimated total costs in order to assess the value of a good or job. The billable total price and budget total costs are needed for these calculations.
Upstate New York native Danielle Smyth works as a writer and content marketer. For almost ten years, she has been penning articles on business-related subjects. She collaborates with several small businesses to create B2B content for their websites, social media accounts, and marketing materials through her own content marketing agency, Wordsmyth Creative Content Marketing. She has also contributed to websites like Sweet Frivolity, Alliance Worldwide Investigative Group, Bloom Co, and Spent with business-related articles.
Why is work in process important in business?
There are a number of reasons why it is crucial to comprehend the WIP and its associated costs. The formula for calculating WIP is a useful tool for businesses to track and manage production costs and inventory because manufacturers can store large amounts of inventory. The fact that work in progress is an asset is one of the most crucial reasons why businesses calculate it. The cost of goods produced may be overstated or understated if the company’s balance sheet fails to calculate and record the total WIP.
The work-in-process formula also serves the crucial purpose of enabling companies and organizations to assess the efficiency and performance of the manufacturing process. For instance, some manufacturing processes might not permit zero work-in-process values, and slower manufacturing productivity when these values are too high When the WIP values are excessively high, this may indicate a production bottleneck or another problem that is slowing down manufacturing productivity. This enables managers to recognize issues and use fixes in production.
What is work in process?
The work in process formula is expressed as:
the cost of goods produced minus the beginning WIP, manufacturing costs, and ending WIP
This is the value of the inventory that hasn’t been finished, which only represents a portion of what the company will actually produce. The costs for starting (beginning WIP) and finishing (ending WIP) the entire inventory manufacturing process are what are used in the formula to represent manufacturing costs. However, the formula subtracts this amount as the costs for only the currently manufactured goods because only a portion of the inventory is finished. Let’s dissect the work-in-process formula into its component parts to gain a better understanding of it:
Beginning and ending WIP
The quantity a business has available to start production at the beginning of each accounting cycle is referred to as the beginning work in process. The beginning work in progress (WIP) for a company’s current accounting cycle will match the ending WIP for the previous accounting cycle. The inventory that is still being produced at the end of each accounting cycle is accounted for by the ending work in process. For illustration, if a business uses a monthly accounting cycle and has $45,000 in ending work-in-progress at the end of October, that $45,000 will be the beginning work-in-progress for November.
Manufacturing costs
The cost of turning raw materials into finished goods to sell on the market is incurred during the manufacturing process. These manufacturing costs frequently include costs for the use of equipment, raw materials, extra resources, and labor costs. For instance, a company’s total manufacturing costs would be $125,000 if it spent $30,000 to operate its manufacturing equipment, $20,000 for materials, and $75,000 for employee labor.
Costs of goods produced
The value that only represents the sum that a business has spent to create inventory that has gone through the entire manufacturing process and has entered the market is known as the cost of goods produced. These items are not included in the work in process because they are already finished and prepared for sale. For instance, the $25,000 is the cost of goods completed if a company estimates its total manufacturing costs at $50,000 but only spends $25,000 during the accounting period to produce goods that reach the market.
How to calculate work in process
You can use the formula to find the work currently being done by following the steps below:
1. Find the values for each element in the formula
The ending work in process (which will be your beginning work in process for the current cycle), the total costs for manufacturing inventory, and the costs associated with only the completed inventory should all be gathered for the previous month’s accounting cycle. Assume, for instance, that a business estimates its WIP for the prior months to be $35,000 This will be the beginning WIP in the formula.
2. Add the beginning WIP with the costs of manufacturing
Add up the costs of producing your products, using the ending WIP from the previous accounting cycle as the starting WIP for the current cycle. For instance, assume that the previous steps starting with WIP are $35,000 and that the manufacturing costs total $80,000. Combine these two values to get $115,000.
3. Using this total, subtract costs of goods produced
After adding the initial WIP and the manufacturing costs, you will deduct the cost of the produced goods from this outcome. With reference to the earlier illustration, the manufacturing costs plus the initial work in progress came to $115,000 Subtract the costs of only the completed goods. Subtract this amount from $115,000 assuming that the company’s total cost of goods produced is $75,000. This difference leads to the ending work in process.
4. The result is the ending work in process
The ending work in process is the difference between the total of the beginning work in process and the manufacturing costs. Take a look at how it looks in the formula:
Ending WIP equals Beginning WIP plus Manufacturing Costs minus Cost of Goods Produced.
Ending WIP = ($35,000) + ($80,000) – ($75,000)
Ending WIP = ($115,000) – ($75,000)
So the ending WIP for the example company is $40,000. This value can provide accountants with information about how production is progressing, whether employees can increase productivity, and other elements that may have an impact on the efficiency of production.
What is the difference between work in process and work in progress?
Before the end of each accounting cycle, some businesses choose to reduce or eliminate work-in-progress inventory in accounting applications. This can make accounting simpler because work-in-progress inventory is labeled as either finished goods or raw materials. However, a work in progress typically requires the same amount of time and adheres to the same manufacturing process steps throughout each accounting period. Because of this, attempting to speed up the process or eliminating work in progress can result in the production of defective inventory.
Work in Process (WIP) Inventory
FAQ
What is the example of work in process?
Work in process is calculated as follows: WIP = (operating inventory goods in process – raw materials used during the period – direct labor during the period – factory overhead for a period) – ending inventory.
What is the total work in process?
For instance, a bakery producing 50 batches of bread is considered to be working; likewise, a tailor making 5 suits that have been cut but not sewn will be considered to be working on all 5 of those suits. While the process of turning a work in progress into a finished item is lengthy.
