The process involves estimating total overhead costs for a specific period and dividing this estimate by an allocation base. This allocation base is typically a measure of activity, such as direct labor hours or machine hours. For example, if a company anticipates total overhead costs of $500,000 and plans to use 25,000 direct labor hours, the resulting figure is $20 per direct labor hour.
Employing this rate offers several advantages in cost accounting. It facilitates product costing throughout the period, rather than waiting until actual costs are known at the end. This allows for more timely pricing decisions and better cost control. Historically, this method was developed to address the challenges of allocating indirect costs to products or services in a consistent and reliable manner.