OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Overview Powell Industries, Inc. (we, us, our, Powell or the Company) was incorporated in the state of Delaware in 2004 as a successor to a Nevada company incorporated in 1968. The Nevada company was the successor to a company founded by William E. Powell in 1947, which merged into the Company in 1977. Our major subsidiaries, all of which are wholly owned, include: Powell Electrical Systems, Inc.; Powell (UK) Limited; Powell Canada Inc. and Powell Industries International, B.V. We develop, design, manufacture and service custom-engineered products and systems for the distribution, control and monitoring of electrical energy. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, we serve the oil and gas markets, including onshore and offshore oil and gas production, pipeline, refining and liquid natural gas terminals, as well as petrochemical, electric utility, light rail traction power and other heavy industrial markets. Basis of Presentation These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Powell and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X for interim financial information. Certain information and footnote disclosures, normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP), have been condensed or omitted pursuant to those rules and regulations. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to fairly state the financial position, results of operations and cash flows with respect to the interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been included. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire fiscal year. We believe that these financial statements contain all adjustments necessary so that they are not misleading. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto of Powell and its subsidiaries included in Powell’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2018, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on December 12, 2018. References to Fiscal 2019 and Fiscal 2018 used throughout this report shall mean our fiscal years ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Use of Estimates The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying footnotes. The most significant estimates used in our condensed consolidated financial statements affect revenue recognition and estimated cost recognition on our customer contracts, the allowance for doubtful accounts, provision for excess and obsolete inventory, warranty accruals and income taxes. The amounts recorded for warranties, legal, income taxes, impairment of long-lived assets (when applicable) and other contingent liabilities require judgments regarding the amount of expenses that will ultimately be incurred. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions, as well as the specific circumstances surrounding these contingent liabilities, in evaluating the amount of liability that should be recorded. Additionally, the recognition of deferred tax assets requires estimates related to future income and other assumptions regarding timing and future profitability because the ultimate realization of net deferred tax assets is dependent on the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which temporary differences become deductible. Estimates routinely change as new events occur, additional information becomes available or operating environments change. Actual results may differ from our prior estimates. New Accounting Standards In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued a new standard on revenue recognition that supersedes previously issued revenue recognition guidance. This standard provides a five-step approach to be applied to all contracts with customers and requires expanded disclosures about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue (and the related cash flows) arising from customer contracts, significant judgments and changes in judgments used in applying the revenue model and the assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. Effective October 1, 2018, we adopted this standard using the modified retrospective basis. After evaluating the impact of this new standard on contracts outstanding as of October 1, 2018, we determined that no adjustment to retained earnings was necessary. See Note D for further discussion of revenue. In February 2016, the FASB issued a new topic on leases which requires lessees to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than twelve months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement. A modified retrospective transition approach is required for lessees for capital and operating leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, with certain practical expedients available. The new topic is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. This would be our fiscal year ending September 30, 2020. In Fiscal 2018, we acquired new lease software designed to assist with our compliance of this new topic. We are still evaluating the impact this new topic will have on our consolidated financial position and results of operations. In November 2016, the FASB issued a new topic on the statement of cash flows that changes the presentation of restricted cash and cash equivalents on the statement of cash flows. Restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents is to be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. We adopted this topic in Fiscal 2019 and our Condensed Consolidated Cash Flow Statements for all periods reflect this presentation. In May 2017, the FASB issued a new topic on modification accounting with regards to stock based compensation. This new topic clarifies when a change to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award should be accounted for as a modification. An entity should account for the effects of a modification unless the fair value, vesting conditions and classification, as an equity instrument or a liability instrument, of the modified award are the same before and after a change to the terms or conditions of the share-based payment award. We adopted this topic in Fiscal 2019 and it has not had a material impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Overview

Powell Industries, Inc. (we, us, our, Powell or the Company) was incorporated in the state of Delaware in 2004 as a successor to a Nevada company incorporated in 1968. The Nevada company was the successor to a company founded by William E. Powell in 1947, which merged into the Company in 1977. Our major subsidiaries, all of which are wholly owned, include: Powell Electrical Systems, Inc.; Powell (UK) Limited; Powell Canada Inc. and Powell Industries International, B.V.

We develop, design, manufacture and service custom-engineered products and systems for the distribution, control and monitoring of electrical energy. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, we serve the oil and gas markets, including onshore and offshore oil and gas production, pipeline, refining and liquid natural gas terminals, as well as petrochemical, electric utility, light rail traction power and other heavy industrial markets.

Basis of Presentation

These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Powell and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X for interim financial information. Certain information and footnote disclosures, normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP), have been condensed or omitted pursuant to those rules and regulations. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to fairly state the financial position, results of operations and cash flows with respect to the interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been included. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire fiscal year. We believe that these financial statements contain all adjustments necessary so that they are not misleading.

These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto of Powell and its subsidiaries included in Powell’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2018, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on December 12, 2018.

References to Fiscal 2019 and Fiscal 2018 used throughout this report shall mean our fiscal years ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying footnotes. The most significant estimates used in our condensed consolidated financial statements affect revenue recognition and estimated cost recognition on our customer contracts, the allowance for doubtful accounts, provision for excess and obsolete inventory, warranty accruals and income taxes. The amounts recorded for warranties, legal, income taxes, impairment of long-lived assets (when applicable) and other contingent liabilities require judgments regarding the amount of expenses that will ultimately be incurred. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions, as well as the specific circumstances surrounding these contingent liabilities, in evaluating the amount of liability that should be recorded. Additionally, the recognition of deferred tax assets requires estimates related to future income and other assumptions regarding timing and future profitability because the ultimate realization of net deferred tax assets is dependent on the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which temporary differences become deductible. Estimates routinely change as new events occur, additional information becomes available or operating environments change. Actual results may differ from our prior estimates.

New Accounting Standards

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued a new standard on revenue recognition that supersedes previously issued revenue recognition guidance. This standard provides a five-step approach to be applied to all contracts with customers and requires expanded disclosures about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue (and the related cash flows) arising from customer contracts, significant judgments and changes in judgments used in applying the revenue model and the assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. Effective October 1, 2018, we adopted this standard using the modified retrospective basis. After evaluating the impact of this new standard on contracts outstanding as of October 1, 2018, we determined that no adjustment to retained earnings was necessary. See Note D for further discussion of revenue.

In February 2016, the FASB issued a new topic on leases which requires lessees to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than twelve months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement. A modified retrospective transition approach is required for lessees for capital and operating leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, with certain practical expedients available. The new topic is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. This would be our fiscal year ending September 30, 2020. In Fiscal 2018, we acquired new lease software designed to assist with our compliance of this new topic. We are still evaluating the impact this new topic will have on our consolidated financial position and results of operations.

In November 2016, the FASB issued a new topic on the statement of cash flows that changes the presentation of restricted cash and cash equivalents on the statement of cash flows. Restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents is to be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. We adopted this topic in Fiscal 2019 and our Condensed Consolidated Cash Flow Statements for all periods reflect this presentation.

In May 2017, the FASB issued a new topic on modification accounting with regards to stock based compensation. This new topic clarifies when a change to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award should be accounted for as a modification. An entity should account for the effects of a modification unless the fair value, vesting conditions and classification, as an equity instrument or a liability instrument, of the modified award are the same before and after a change to the terms or conditions of the share-based payment award. We adopted this topic in Fiscal 2019 and it has not had a material impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.