Final answer:
The step following the determination of activity pools is to assign overhead costs, which is a part of cost accounting essential for proper allocation of production expenses.
Step-by-step explanation:
After determining the activity pool, the next step is not to calculate direct labor, ship the product, or make sales; rather, it's to assign overhead costs to products. This process is critical in cost accounting and ensures that the costs necessary for production are properly allocated.
Understanding the cost structure of a firm is essential in this context. It involves calculating total costs, average variable costs, average total costs, and marginal costs based on the firm's fixed and variable costs. Afterward, these costs are used to establish the prices to charge for goods or services.
Economies of scale influence labor productivity and thus, the cost structure—larger firms may find cost advantages due to their size. All these considerations are factored into the proper assignment of overhead costs after figuring out the activity pools within a company.