Beta Co., during Year 1, paid $14,000 for direct materials and $19,000 for production workers' wages. Lease payments and utilities on the production facilities amounted to $17,000 while general, selling, and administrative expenses totaled $8,000. The company produced 5,000 units and sold 3,000 units at a price of $15.00 a unit. What is Beta Co.'s cost of goods sold for the year

You work as the sales manager for a company that sells office supplies to businesses of all sizes. because the profit margins are razor-thin, you need to ensure that you are getting the very best prices on paper, pencils, pens, post-it notes, and other office supplies from the manufacturers. when reviewing the quarterly profit statement, you realize that your costs are higher than they should be, and you trace the higher costs back to an employee who has been lax about getting competitive bids to ensure the lowest prices. when you conduct your research to determine the reason for the higher costs, and take action to bring those costs back down, in which of the key management processes are you taking part?