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Direct material cost is the cost of the raw materials and components used to create a product. The materials must be easily identifiable with the resulting product (otherwise they are considered to be joint costs). The direct material cost is one of the few variable costs involved in the production process; as such, it is used in the derivation of throughput from production processes. Throughput is sales minus all totally variable expenses. Examples of direct materials are: 1  The timber used to construct a house. 2  The steel included in an automobile. 3  The circuit board included in a radio. 4  The fabric used to assemble clothing.
Definition: Variable costs are production costs that change in proportion to the amount of goods that are produced. In other words, for every good that is produced, variable costs increase by the same amount. In any production process, manufacturers incur a variety of costs. Cost accountants and managers usually split these costs into two main categories: variable costs and fixed costs. Example A good example of variable costs for a piano manufacturer is the cost of piano keys.