To build a traditional ABC model for this department, you would survey employees to estimate the percentage of time they spend (or expect to spend) on the three activities and then assign the department’s resource expenses according to the average percentages you get from the survey. Let’s say employees report that they spend (or expect to spend) about 70% of their time on customer orders, 10% on inquiries or complaints, and 20% on credit checks. This implies, under ABC, that each order consumes $8 of resource expense, each inquiry $40, and each credit check $44.80, as shown in the exhibit “Doing ABC the Traditional Way.” Armed with these figures, known as the cost-driver rates, managers can assign the costs of the department’s resources to the customers and products that use its services.