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question 25

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Use this information to answer the following question that refer to the EI (Electech Inc.) case. Electech, Inc. (EI) produces a line of semiconductors for electronics products manufacturers. These items range in price from $5-$100 and are used in products the buyer is producing. EI also designs and builds computer networking equipment. The prices of these items range form $5,000 to $100,000. These are used to control production equipment. Usually, they are custom-made to the specifications of the buyer--the firm which will use the product in its own production process.
EI sells nationally through independent sales reps--paid on commission--who work in the large industrial centers across the country. EI is more concerned with the quality of these reps than with the number of them. All of them also sell other lines. EI also uses five full-time salaried salespeople who work out of its corporate headquarters under a sales manager.
The home office salespeople are "technical specialists" who sell almost all the networking equipment, while the "reps" mostly sell the semiconductors. Sometimes, however, the reps will send in leads to customers who want networking equipment. EI also sells some of its semiconductors through a Los Angeles wholesaler who carries stock for West Coast customers.
There are many producers and importers of semiconductors in the U.S.--but several firms have captured large shares of the networking equipment market. EI has held its own, and in fact, over the past five years has increased its market share of these products to over 25 percent--because of its better technical designs.
Industry-wide prices of the more or less homogeneous semiconductors have been forced further and further down over the last seven years--as have industry profits. The price of networking equipment is set by adding a standard markup percent to the direct cost of the items--for overhead and for profit. Following industry practice, all prices are quoted at the seller's factory.
EI publishes a catalog which is revised periodically. And it exhibits in most equipment trade shows.
In the EI case, which stage of the product life cycle do semiconductors appear to be?

Definitions:

Contribution Format Income Statement

An income statement format that separates variable costs from fixed costs, highlighting the contribution margin.

Unit Sales

The total number of individual items or units that a company sells during a certain period.

Contribution Margin Ratio

The contribution margin ratio is the ratio of the contribution margin (sales minus variable costs) to sales revenue, indicating the percentage of each sales dollar available to cover fixed costs and provide profit.

Fixed Monthly Expenses

Costs that do not vary from month to month, such as rent, loan payments, and insurance premiums.