What is the Committed Cost?

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Examples of Committed Cost

Example #1

Let’s have a look over the types of committed costs:

Explanation

  • As you can see, a typical company may have overhead expenses which are unavoidable & are committed to the character of the business.These expenses will not stop even if the company is not operating.

Example #2

Let us have a look over how rental cost is calculated –

  • Escalation means an increase in rental amount per annum. Over five years, the rental cost has increased from $ 42500 to $ 51659.Even in the wake of COVID-19, companies must bear the rental cost irrespective of whether the factories are running or in an idle state.Thus, rental is treated as a committed cost.

Example #3

Say a hotel is running at location 1 with the following details –

The factory is running at a rental cost of $ 3500,000. But the whole space is not being utilized in the past three years due to a lesser number of customers & increase in home deliveries. The hotel management received an offer of similar infrastructure with reduced space & reduced rental costs. The management accepted the offer to shift to location 2.

The initial stages of the hotel at a new location will be difficult to establish. Thus, the details at location 2 are as follows –

Implication

  • Shifting the establishment from location 1 to location 2 impacts the main business.The rental is reduced by $ 1400,000, but still, it is committed to cost. You can see at location 2; the hotel has to incur the annual employee costs with no change. Additionally, it has to incur the relocation cost of shifting the hotel premises.Since the hotel is new at the location, it will receive fewer orders in the initial stages. Thus, even the materials cost is reduced substantially.However, such relocation impacts business with the pinch of committed costs and is difficult to alter or change.Relocation means shutting down the business at location 1 & restarting at location 2, wherein the hotel has to re-establish its reputation and its goodwill & capturing new customers.

Example #4

Let us have an example of the maintenance cost of new machinery. The details are as follows:

  • Even if the company is not using the machinery for a few months, it must pay maintenance costs as agreed.Thus, $ 24000 is the committed cost.

Committed Cost vs. Discretionary Cost

Advantages

  • It confirms the service from the vendor.Fixed cost is incurred only once; hence, another decision-making is not affected by the committed cost.Committed costs ensure the availability of something when needed.It works like an advance paymentAn Advance PaymentAdvance payment is made by a buyer to the seller before the actual scheduled time of receiving the goods and services. It protects the seller from the risk of non-payment. Additionally, it helps sellers financially in the production of the goods or rendering of services.read more of future goods or services to be received from the vendor.An unauthorized person cannot make changes in committed costs.

Conclusion

Committed cost is considerably high in the wake of COVID-19. Many companies are determined to pay the fixed costs (such as rental expenses, AMC, etc.) even if the factories are not operational. Many individuals are also working from their home towns, but they have to pay rent for the flat in their work town. Committed costs are a burden if the said services/goods are unavailable for usage due to such outbreaks. On the other hand, a committed one has assured revenue for another. Thus, breaking the chain may cause the economic cycle to break down.

This has been a guide to what is Committed Cost and its definition. Here we discuss examples of committed costs along with advantages and their differences from discretionary costs. You may learn more about finance from the following articles –

  • Semi-Fixed CostSwitching CostFactory CostCost Overrun