Return on Investment; Different Measures for Total Assets Ready Products Inc. operates two divisions, each with its own manufacturing facility. The accounting system reports the following data for...

Return on Investment; Different Measures for Total Assets Ready Products Inc. operates two divisions, each with its own manufacturing facility. The accounting system reports the following data for 2019:

Ready estimates the useful life of each manufacturing facility to be 15 years. As of the end of 2019, the plant for the health care division is 4 years old, while the manufacturing plant for the cosmetics division is 6 years old. Each plant had the same cost at the time of purchase, and both have useful lives of 15 years with no salvage value. The company uses straight-line depreciation and the depreciation charge is $70,000 per year for each division. The manufacturing facility is the only long-lived asset of either division. Current assets are $300,000 in each division. An index of construction costs, replacement costs, and liquidation values for the manufacturing facilities for the period that Ready has been operating is as follows:

Required

1. Compute return on investment (ROI) for each division using the historical cost of divisional assets (including current assets) as the investment base. Interpret the results. 2. Compute ROI for each division, incorporating current-cost estimates as follows: a. Gross book value (GBV) of long-lived assets plus book value of current assets. b. GBV of long-lived assets restated to current cost using the index of construction costs plus book value of current assets. c. Net book value (NBV) of long-lived assets restated to current cost using the index of construction costs plus book value of current assets. d. Current replacement cost of long-lived assets plus book value of current assets. e. Current liquidation value of long-lived assets plus book value of current assets. 3. Which of the measures calculated in requirement 2 would you choose to (a) evaluate the performance of each division manager and (b) decide which division is most profitable for the overall firm? What are the strategic advantages and disadvantages to the firm of each of the measures you selected?