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Note 2. Revenue

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Note 2 – Revenue

The Company adopted Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, with a date of the initial application of January 1, 2018. The Company applied Topic 606 using the cumulative effect method, and accordingly recognized the cumulative effect of initially applying Topic 606 as an adjustment to the opening balance of stockholders’ equity at January 1, 2018. As a result, the Company used different methods for recognizing revenue in each of the periods presented as detailed below.

Products and services

The Company generates its revenue through manufacturing, integrating, distributing, and servicing its various products consisting of: Audio-Visual Systems, Domes, Show Content, and Maintenance and Service contracts. All of the Company’s products are sold worldwide.

Audio-Visual Systems consist of standard and customized hardware components integrated with proprietary software. The Audio-Visual Systems are most often used as the primary equipment for planetarium theaters operated by educational institutions. Occasionally, Audio-Visual Systems are sold for other special purposes at various visitor attractions. Audio-Visual System sales include upgrades of existing systems and sub-systems. Sales of typical Audio-Visual Systems range from $200 to $2,000.

Domes are hemispheric or curved metal structures fabricated from mostly aluminum metal tubing and sheets at the Company’s factory. Some Dome components have a special optical coating applied by a partner vendor. The Dome components are shipped to a customer site and are assembled and installed in or on the customer’s building by Company employees or subcontractors. Domes are often sold with an Audio-Visual System to serve as projection screens but can also be sold separately. Most often a Dome sold separately is used as a projection screen but occasionally they are used as architectural treatments. Dome projection screens sold separately can be used for existing planetarium theaters or other special visitor attractions such as theme park rides. A typical Dome is a hemispheric structure ranging from 40 to 70 feet in diameter but Domes are also produced in various curved shapes and sizes to accommodate a special purpose. Dome sales typically range from $200 to $1,000 but occasionally exceed this range for sales of multiple complex structures priced at several million dollars.

Show Content is sold under a license agreement. Show Content can also be sold with or without an Audio-Visual System. Most Show Content is sold to planetarium theaters which historically have been used as astronomical simulators; however, digital technologies have expanded capabilities to display a wider variety of content. The Company’s Show Content products include a variety of mostly educational topics including but not limited to astronomy, earth sciences, history, and biology. The Company sells Show Content it produces as well as content produced by other entities under distribution arrangements. Show Content sales typically range from $2 to $80.

Maintenance and Service is sold in the form of spare parts or service agreements that sometimes include an extended warranty feature. Maintenance and Service is sold predominantly for Audio-Visual Systems. Dome products require less maintenance but can benefit from an occasional cleaning. Part sales typically range from $1 to $100. Maintenance and Service contract sales typically range from $3 to $200.

The Company sells and markets its products through its employee sales team. For many foreign sales, the employee team is assisted by commissioned agents based in the locale of the customer. The Company markets its products through a network of industry associations and by messaging to the designers of planetarium theaters and visitor attractions. For Dome sales other than for planetarium projects, the Company relies on relationships developed with many satisfied customers in the architectural, visitor attraction, and theme park community. Customer decisions are based on price, product features and the experience of the supplier.

Most of the Company’s revenue comes from sales of Audio-Visual Systems and Domes for planetarium theaters or other visitor attractions. Sales can be to existing theaters interested in upgrading or to a new theater. Service Support and Show Content provide a reasonably steady stream of repeat revenue from existing customers which supplements the revenue from Audio-Visual Systems and Domes. As such, the Company relies on Audio-Visual Systems and Domes sales to new projects to generate the volume of revenue necessary sustain the business. Customer sales sometimes can take years to consummate from the initial planning stage to the award of the contract. Often there is a competitive bid process with multiple suppliers involved.

Customer contracts generally provide for progress payments which in many cases provides advance funding for the cost of performance. In some cases, customers hold a small portion of the contract payment for performance security through the warranty. The Company may also be required to provide performance security in the form of a surety bond or international standby letter of credit. Most customers are large public institutions, government or quasi-government entities, and large theme park entities, which carry little credit risk.

Multiple Performance Obligations

Some contracts include multiple performance obligations. Significant performance obligations commonly include the supply of Audio-Visual Systems, Domes, Show Content and various Service deliverables. Revenue earned on performance obligations are allocated to each deliverable based on the relative fair values. Relative fair values of performance obligations are generally determined based on actual and estimated selling price. Completion times of such contract obligations vary but typically occur within a three to twelve-month time period.

Revenue Recognition Methods for 2017

Percentage of Completion. In arrangements that are longer in term and require significant production, modification or customization, revenue is recognized using the percentage-of-completion method. In applying this method, the Company utilizes cost-to-cost methodology whereby it estimates the percent complete by calculating the ratio of costs incurred (consisting of material, labor and subcontracting costs, as well as an allocation of indirect costs) for each contract to its total anticipated costs for that contract. This ratio is then utilized to determine the amount of gross profit earned based on the Company’s estimate of total gross profit at completion for each contract. The Company routinely reviews estimates related to percentage-of-completion contracts and adjusts for changes in the period the revisions are made. Billings on uncompleted percentage-of-completion contracts may be greater than or less than revenue recognized and are recorded as an asset or liability in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Completed Contract. Contract arrangements which typically require a relatively short period of time to complete the production, modification, and customization of products are accounted for using the completed contract method. Accordingly, revenue is recognized upon delivery of the completed product, provided persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, title and risk of loss have transferred to the customer, the fee is fixed or determinable, and collection is reasonably assured.

Other. Other revenue consists primarily of amounts earned under maintenance contracts that are generally sold as a single element. Revenue from product maintenance contracts, including separately priced extended warranty contracts, is deferred and recognized over the period of performance under the contract.

Revenue Recognition Methods for 2018

In 2018, upon adoption of Topic 606, the Company recognizes revenue when it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring control over a product or service to a customer. The following describes the methods used to recognize revenue under the application of Topic 606.

Audio-Visual Systems. The Company’s Audio-Visual Systems are sold for a fixed price under non-cancelable contracts. Because systems are often designed with unique features and constantly changing technology components, there is no practical alternative use for a system after it is sold. Under Topic 606, if an entity’s performance does not create an asset with an alternative use to the entity, and the entity has an enforceable right to payment for the performance completed to date, then its performance obligation is satisfied and control of the product transfers over time. If control transfers over time, an entity selects a method to measure progress that is consistent with the objective of depicting its performance and recognizes revenue accordingly. The Company has determined the percentage-of-completion method utilizing cost-to-cost methodology best depicts the measure of progress because it tracks the utilization of total resources to fulfill the obligation. This same method has been used prior to the adoption of Topic 606 for recognizing revenue on certain Audio-Visual System sales and most Dome sales. With the adoption of Topic 606, essentially all Audio-Visual Systems and subsystem sales will use the percentage-of-completion method for revenue recognition.

Domes. The Company’s Domes are sold for a fixed price under non-cancelable contracts. Because Domes have custom design and interface features, there is no practical alternative use for a Dome after it is sold. As discussed above under Audio-Visual Systems, when there is no alternative use for the product and there is an enforceable right to payment, Topic 606 requires revenue to be recognized over the time of performance. Accordingly, the Company continues to use the percentage-of-completion method utilizing cost-to-cost methodology for the recognition of revenue for the sale of Domes, as it has prior to the adoption of Topic 606.

Show Content. Show Content is sold under various license agreements, most often for a fixed price, but occasionally for a variable share of the customer’s theater revenue. Sales of Show Content require no future obligations by the Company after delivery. The Company recognizes the revenue for fixed price Show Content licenses upon the execution of the license agreement and delivery of media since that is the time control and benefit of the Show Content is transferred. Under Topic 606, an entity does not recognize revenue for the variable amounts related to a royalty until a customer’s subsequent sales or usage occurs. Accordingly, revenue from the variable share of the customer’s theater revenue is recognized when realized. The method used by the Company for recognizing Show Content revenue has not changed with the adoption of Topic 606.

Maintenance and Service. Maintenance and Service revenue consists of parts sales and service contracts. Parts sales are recognized upon shipment which is when the control and benefit transfers to the customer. Service contracts are sold for a fixed price and provide the customer with various levels of preventive service, support and limited warranty protection. Under Topic 606, the revenue for service contracts is recognized ratably over the term of the contract or upon delivery of a service specified in the contract. The method used by the Company for recognizing Maintenance and Service revenue has not changed with the adoption of Topic 606.

Contract Acquisition Costs

Contract acquisition costs consist of expenditures of Company employee and other resources and, in some cases, the payment of sales commissions to non-employee agents. Expenditures of Company employee and other resources are costs that would be incurred regardless of whether the contract is obtained, are not recoverable, and therefore are expensed as they are incurred under Topic 606. Sales commissions paid to agents are incurred only if the contract is obtained and therefore are incremental costs of acquiring the contract. Rather than capitalize the cost of sales commissions, the Company has elected to expense sales commissions as incurred under the practical expedient permitted by Topic 606, whereby expensing is permitted when the amortization period of the asset that the entity otherwise would have recognized is one year or less.

Disaggregation of Revenue

In the following table, revenue reported for the year ended December 31, 2018 under Topic 606 is disaggregated by primary geographical market, major product line, timing of revenue recognition and product application.

Product Application	Planetarium Theaters	Other Visitor Attractions	Architectural Treatments	Total

Primary Geographic Area:

North America	$ 23,443	$ 1,452	$ 1,022	$ 25,917
Europe	2,607	1,175	-	3,782
Asia	4,077	1,911	-	5,988
Other	1,506	-	-	1,506
	$ 31,633	$ 4,538	$ 1,022	$ 37,193

Products:

Audio-Visual Systems	$ 21,315	$ 1,646	$ -	$ 22,961
Domes	5,686	2,892	1,022	9,600
Show Content	2,225	-	-	2,225
Maintenance and Service	2,407	-	-	2,407
	$ 31,633	$ 4,538	$ 1,022	$ 37,193

Timing of revenue recognition:

Goods transferred at point in time	$ 2,935	$ -	$ -	$ 2,935
Goods and services transferred over time	28,698	4,538	1,022	34,258
	$ 31,633	$ 4,538	$ 1,022	$ 37,193

Contract Balances

The following table provides information about receivables, contract assets, and contract liabilities from contracts with customers as of December 31, 2018 and January 1, 2018:

	December 31, 2018	January 1, 2018

Receivables reported as accounts receivable, net	$ 3,250	$ 3,794
Contract revenue in excess of billings	3,484	3,517
Billings in excess of contract revenue	5,959	6,265

Significant changes in the contract assets and the contract liabilities balances during the year are as follows:

	Contract Assets	Contract Liabilities

Revenue recognized that was included in the contract liability balance at the beginning of the year		$ (4,697)

Increases due to amounts billed to customers, excluding amounts recognized as revenue during the year		$ 4,391

Transferred to receivables from contract assets recognized at the beginning of the year	$ (3,404)

Increases as a result of revenue recognized, excluding amounts transferred to receivables during the year	$ 3,371

Contract revenue in excess of billings are contract assets that arise when revenue recognized on a contract exceeds the cumulative progress billings. Contracts generally provide for an enforceable right to payment for performance completed to date but do not necessarily have a present right to consideration payment for performance completed until the event that triggers the progress billing. The contract assets are transferred to receivables when the rights to payment occur and amounts are billed. Billings in excess of contract revenue are contract liabilities that arise when progress billings on a contract exceed the revenue recognized. Contract liabilities are relieved as the performance obligation is completed and revenue is recognized. Progress billings vary among contracts and can be triggered by chronological milestones, performance events or other various measurements of performance.

Backlog of Remaining Customer Performance Obligations

The following table includes estimated revenue expected to be recognized and recorded as sales in the future from the backlog of performance obligations that are unsatisfied (or partially unsatisfied) at the end of the reporting period.

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023

Sales	`$15,881`	`$678`	`$546`	`$170`	`$91`