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Critical Accounting Policies Update
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Critical Accounting Policies Update

NOTE 3 – CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES UPDATE

 

Our critical accounting policies are detailed in “Note 2 – Accounting Policies and New Accounting Pronouncements” within Item 8 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 30, 2017. Significant changes to our accounting policies as a result of adopting Topic 606 are discussed below:

 

Revenue Recognition – Our revenue is comprised of engineering, procurement and construction management services and sales of fabricated systems and integrated control systems that we design and assemble. The majority of our services are provided under time-and-material contracts. Some time-and-material contracts may have limits. Revenue is not recognized over these limits until authorization by the client has been received.

 

A majority of sales of fabrication and assembled systems are under fixed-price contracts. We account for a contract when it has approval and commitment from both parties, the rights of the parties are identified, payment terms are identified, the contract has commercial substance and collectability of consideration is probable.

 

We generally recognize revenue over time as we perform because of continuous transfer of control to the customer. Our customer typically controls the work in process as evidenced either by contractual termination clauses or by our rights to payment for work performed to date plus a reasonable profit to deliver products or services that do not have an alternative use to the Company. The selection of the method to measure progress towards completion requires judgment and is based on the nature of the products or service to be provided, which measures the ratio of costs incurred to date to the total estimated costs at completion of the performance obligation. We generally use the cost-to-cost method of revenue recognition to measure progress for our contracts because it best depicts the transfer of control to the customer which occurs as we consume the costs on the contracts. Therefore, revenues and estimated profits are recorded proportionally as costs are incurred.

 

Under the typical payment terms of our fixed-price contracts, the customer pays us progress payments. These progress payments are based on quantifiable measures of performance or on the achievement of specified events or milestones. The customer may retain a small portion of the contract price until completion of the contract. Revenue recognized in excess of billings is recorded as a contract asset on the balance sheet. Amounts billed and due from our customers are classified as receivables on the balance sheet. The portion of the payments retained by the customer until final contract settlement is not considered a significant financing component because the intent is to protect the customer should we fail to adequately complete some or all of our obligations under the contract. For some contracts we may receive advance payments from the customer. We record a liability for these advance payments in contract liabilities on the balance sheet. The advance payment typically is not considered a significant financing component because it is used to meet working capital demand that can be higher in the early stages of a contract and to protect us from the other party failing to adequately complete some or all of its obligations under the contract.

 

To determine proper revenue recognition for contracts, we evaluate whether two or more contracts should be combined and accounted for as one single performance obligation or whether a single contract should be accounted for as more than one performance obligation. This evaluation requires significant judgment and the decision to combine a group of contracts or separate a single contract into multiple performance obligations could change the amount of revenue and profit recorded in a given period. For most of our contracts, we provide a significant service of integrating a complex set of tasks and components into a single project. Hence, the entire contract is accounted for as one performance obligation. Less commonly, we may provide distinct goods or services within a contract in which case we separate the contract into more than one performance obligation. If a contract is separated into more than one performance obligation, we allocate the total transaction price to each performance obligation in an amount based on the estimated relative standalone selling price of the promised goods or services underlying each performance obligation and use the expected cost plus margin approach to estimate the standalone selling price of each performance obligation. Due to the nature of the work require to be performed on many of our performance obligations, the estimation of total revenue and cost at completion is complex, subject to variables and requires significant judgment. We estimate variable consideration at the most likely amount to which we expect to be entitled. We include estimated amounts in the transaction price to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is resolved. Our estimates of variable consideration and determination of whether to include estimated amounts in the transaction price are based largely on an assessment of our anticipated performance and all information (historical, current and forecasted) that is reasonably available to us.

 

Contracts are often modified to account for changes in contract specifications and requirements. We consider contract modifications to exist when the modification either creates new or changes the existing enforceable rights and obligations. Most of our contract modifications are for goods or services that are not distinct from the existing contract due to the significant integration service provided in the context of the contract and are accounted for as if they were part of that existing contract. The effect of a contract modification on the transaction price and our measure of progress for the performance obligation to which it relates, is recognized as an adjustment to revenue (either as an increase or a reduction of revenue) on a cumulative catch-up basis.

 

We have a standard, monthly process in which management reviews the progress and execution of our performance obligations. As part of this process, management reviews information including, but not limited to, any outstanding key contract matters, progress towards completion and the related program schedule, identified risks and opportunities and the related changes in estimates of revenues and costs. The risks and opportunities include management’s judgment about the ability and cost to achieve the schedule, technical requirements, and other contractual requirements. Management must make assumptions and estimates regarding labor productivity and availability, the complexity of the work to be performed, the availability of materials, the length of time to complete the performance obligation, execution by our subcontractors, the availability and timing of funding from our customer and overhead cost rates, among other variables.

 

Based on this analysis, any adjustments to revenue, operating costs and the related impact to operating income are recognized as necessary in the period they become known. These adjustments may result from positive performance and may result in an increase in operating income during the performance of individual performance obligations if we determine we will be successful in mitigating risks surrounding the technical, schedule and cost aspects of those performance obligations or realizing related opportunities. When estimates of total costs to be incurred exceed total estimates to be earned, a provision for the entire loss on the performance obligation is recognized in the period the loss is recorded. Likewise, these adjustments may result in a decrease in operating income if we determine we will not be successful in mitigating these risks or realizing related opportunities. Changes in estimates of net revenue, operating costs and the related impact to operating income are recognized monthly on a cumulative catch-up basis, which recognizes in the current period the cumulative effect of the changes on current and prior periods based on a performance obligation’s percentage of completion. A significant change in one or more of these estimates could affect the profitability of one or more of our performance obligations.

 

Incremental Costs – Our incremental costs of obtaining a contract, which consists of sales commission and proposal costs, are reviewed and those costs that are immaterial to the financial statements are expensed as they occur. Those costs that are deemed to be material to the contract are deferred and amortized over the period of contract performance. We classify incremental costs as current or noncurrent based on the timing of when we expect to recognize the expense. The current and noncurrent portions of incremental costs are included in prepaid expenses and other current assets and other assets, net, respectively in our consolidated balance sheet. We had no amortization expense related to incremental costs in the first quarter of 2018 or 2017.