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Significant Accounting and Reporting Policies | 12 Months Ended
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May 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Significant Accounting Policies | Significant Accounting and Reporting Policies The following is a summary of significant accounting and reporting policies not reflected elsewhere in the accompanying financial statements. Principles of Consolidation The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Herman Miller, Inc. and its majority-owned domestic and foreign subsidiaries. The consolidated entities are collectively referred to as “the company.” All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in the Consolidated Financial Statements. Nonconsolidated affiliates (20-50 percent owned companies) are accounted for using the equity method. Description of Business The company researches, designs, manufactures and distributes interior furnishings, for use in various environments including office, healthcare, educational, and residential settings, and provides related services that support companies all over the world. The company's products are sold primarily through independent contract office furniture dealers as well as the following channels: owned contract office furniture dealers, direct customer sales, independent retailers, and the company's online store. Accordingly, accounts and notes receivable in the accompanying balance sheets are principally amounts due from the dealers. Fiscal Year The company's fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to May 31. The fiscal years ended May 31, 2014 and June 1, 2013 each contain 52 weeks, while the fiscal year ended June 2, 2012 contains 53 weeks. An extra week in the company's fiscal year is required approximately every six years in order to realign its fiscal calendar-end dates with the actual calendar months. Foreign Currency Translation The functional currency for foreign subsidiaries is their local currency. The cumulative effects of translating the balance sheet accounts from the functional currency into the United States dollar using fiscal year-end exchange rates and translating revenue and expense accounts using average exchange rates for the period is reflected as a component of “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The financial statement impact of remeasuring all foreign currency transactions into the appropriate functional currency resulted in a net loss of $1.2 million, $1.3 million and $1.3 million for the fiscal years ended May 31, 2014, June 1, 2013 and June 2, 2012, respectively. These amounts are included in “Other expenses (income)” in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Cash Equivalents The company holds cash equivalents as part of its cash management function. Cash equivalents include money market funds, time deposit investments, and treasury bills with original maturities of less than three months. The carrying value of cash equivalents, which approximates fair value, totaled $5.6 million an d $5.9 million as of May 31, 2014 and June 1, 2013, respectively. All cash and cash equivalents are high-credit quality financial instruments, and the amount of credit exposure to any one financial institution or instrument is limited. Marketable Securities The company maintains a portfolio of marketable securities primarily comprised of investment-grade, fixed-income securities. These investments are held by the company's wholly owned insurance captive and are considered “available-for-sale” securities. Accordingly, they have been recorded at fair value based on quoted market prices, with the resulting net unrealized holding gains or losses reflected net of tax as a component of “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. All marketable security transactions are recognized on the trade date. Realized gains and losses on disposal of available-for-sale investments are included in “Interest and other investment income” in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. See Note 11 of the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional disclosures of marketable securities. Accounts Receivable Allowances Reserves for uncollectible accounts receivable balances are based on known customer exposures, historical credit experience, and the specific identification of other potentially uncollectible accounts. Balances are written off against the reserve once the company determines the probability of collection to be remote. The company generally does not require collateral or other security on trade accounts receivable. Concentrations of Credit Risk Our trade receivables are primarily due from independent dealers who, in turn, carry receivables from their customers. We monitor and manage the credit risk associated with individual dealers and direct customers where applicable. Dealers are responsible for assessing and assuming credit risk of their customers and may require their customers to provide deposits, letters of credit or other credit enhancement measures. Some sales contracts are structured such that the customer payment or obligation is direct to us. In those cases, we may assume the credit risk. Whether from dealers or customers, our trade credit exposures are not concentrated with any particular entity. Inventories Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market and include material, labor, and overhead. Inventory cost is determined using the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method at the manufacturing sites in Michigan, whereas inventories of the company's other subsidiaries are valued using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method. The company establishes reserves for excess and obsolete inventory, based on prevailing circumstances and judgment for consideration of current events, such as economic conditions, that may affect inventory. The reserve required to record inventory at lower of cost or market may be adjusted in response to changing conditions. Further information on the company's recorded inventory balances can be found in Note 3 of the Consolidated Financial Statements. Property, Equipment, and Depreciation Property and equipment are stated at cost. The cost is depreciated over the estimated useful lives of the assets, using the straight-line method. Estimated useful lives range from 3 to 10 years for machinery and equipment and do not exceed 40 years for buildings. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the lesser of the lease term or the useful life of the asset, not to exceed 10 years. We capitalize certain external and internal costs incurred in connection with the development, testing, and installation of software for internal use. Software for internal use is included in property and equipment and is depreciated over an estimated useful life not exceeding 5 years. Depreciation and amortization expense is included in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income in the "Cost of sales", "Selling, general and administrative" and "Design and research" line items. As of the end of fiscal 2014, outstanding commitments for future capital purchases approximated $12.7 million. Goodwill and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets The company performs an annual goodwill impairment test, by reporting unit, to determine whether the asset values are impaired. A reporting unit is defined as an operating segment or one level below an operating segment. The company also evaluates its acquired intangible assets at acquisition to determine whether any have “indefinite useful lives.” Intangible assets with indefinite useful lives, are not subject to amortization. The company's indefinite-lived intangible assets consist of certain trade names valued at approximately $40.9 million and $62.3 million as of fiscal year 2014 and 2013, respectively. These assets have indefinite useful lives and are evaluated annually for impairment using the relief from royalty method. Inputs for the relief from royalty method include revenue forecasts, royalty rate and discount rate. The company measures and records an impairment loss for the excess of the carrying value of the asset over its fair value. The company recognized asset impairment expenses totaling $21.4 million associated with the Nemschoff and POSH trade name intangibles for the fiscal year 2014. The Nemschoff and Posh trade name assets are included in the North American Furniture Solutions reportable segment and ELA Furniture Solutions segment, respectively. During the fiscal year 2012, the company also recorded impairment expenses of $3.8 million for the indefinite-lived intangible assets related to two healthcare trade names. These impairment expenses are recorded in the restructuring and impairment expense line in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income and are included in the "Corporate" category within the segment reporting and represent level 3 fair value measurements. Goodwill and other indefinite-lived assets included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets consist of the following:
(In millions) |  | Goodwill |  | Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets |  | Total Goodwill and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets
Balance, June 2, 2012 |  | $ | 146.4 |  |  | $ | 39.3 |  |  | $ | 185.7 |
Sale of owned dealers |  | (0.1 | ) |  | — |  |  | (0.1 | )
Maharam acquisition |  | 80.7 |  |  | 23.0 |  |  | 103.7 |
Balance, June 1, 2013 |  | 227.0 |  |  | 62.3 |  |  | 289.3 |
Foreign currency translation adjustments |  | 0.6 |  |  | — |  |  | 0.6 |
Sale of owned dealers |  | (0.4 | ) |  | — |  |  | (0.4 | )
China manufacturing and distribution acquisition |  | 1.0 |  |  | — |  |  | 1.0 |
Impairment charges |  | — |  |  | (21.4 | ) |  | (21.4 | )
Balance, May 31, 2014 |  | $ | 228.2 |  |  | $ | 40.9 |  |  | $ | 269.1 |
Goodwill stemming from the acquisition of Maharam in fiscal 2013 was allocated to the North-American Furniture Solutions and Specialty and Consumer reportable segments. The indefinite-lived intangible assets that were acquired from the Maharam business combination are all included within the Specialty and Consumer reportable segment. Long-Lived Assets The company reviews other long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset or an asset group may not be recoverable. Each impairment test is based on a comparison of the carrying amount of the asset or asset group to the future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset or asset group or in some cases by prices for similar assets. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment amount to be recognized is the amount by which the carrying value of the assets exceeds their fair value. Impairment expense of $4.0 million was recording during fiscal 2014 related to property in Ningbo, China. This was due to the acquisition of manufacturing-related assets, including a production facility and related equipment, in Dongguan, China, and as a result, the company decided not to pursue the construction of a new manufacturing and distribution facility on the previously acquired property in Ningbo. The company evaluated the fair value of this property and recorded an asset impairment, equal to the excess of carrying value over fair value. During fiscal 2012, the company recorded an impairment expense of $1.4 million related to fixed assets in connection with the 2012 restructuring plan. Both of these impairment charges were recorded in "Restructuring and impairment expenses" and were classified in the "Corporate" category for segment reporting purposes and represent level 3 fair value measurements. Amortizable intangible assets within "Other amortizable intangibles, net" in the Consolidated Balance Sheets consists primarily of patents, trademarks and customer relationships. The "customer relationships" intangible asset is comprised of relationships with customers and specifiers and networks and relationships with dealers and distributors. Refer to the following table for the combined gross carrying value and accumulated amortization for these amortizable intangibles.
| May 31, 2014
(In millions) | Patent and Trademarks |  | Customer Relationships |  | Other |  | Total
Gross carrying value | $ | 19.2 |  |  | $ | 43.6 |  |  | $ | 4.8 |  |  | $ | 67.6 |
Accumulated amortization | 12.7 |  |  | 8.3 |  |  | 2.4 |  |  | 23.4 |
Net | $ | 6.5 |  |  | $ | 35.3 |  |  | $ | 2.4 |  |  | $ | 44.2 |
| June 1, 2013
| Patent and Trademarks |  | Customer Relationships |  | Other |  | Total
Gross carrying value | $ | 21.6 |  |  | $ | 40.1 |  |  | $ | 5.0 |  |  | $ | 66.7 |
Accumulated amortization | 12.3 |  |  | 4.8 |  |  | 1.6 |  |  | 18.7 |
Net | $ | 9.3 |  |  | $ | 35.3 |  |  | $ | 3.4 |  |  | $ | 48.0 |
The company amortizes these assets over their remaining useful lives using the straight-line method over periods ranging from 5 to 20 years. It is estimated that the average remaining life of such patents and trademarks is approximately 5 years and 6 years, respectively. The estimated average remaining life of the customer relationships is 13 years. Estimated amortization expense on existing amortizable intangible assets as of May 31, 2014, for each of the succeeding five fiscal years is as follows:
(In millions) |
2015 | $ | 4.4 |
2016 | $ | 4.4 |
2017 | $ | 4.4 |
2018 | $ | 4.4 |
2019 | $ | 3.8 |
Self-Insurance The company is partially self-insured for general liability, workers' compensation, and certain employee health and dental benefits under insurance arrangements that provide for third-party coverage of claims exceeding the company's loss retention levels. The company's health benefits retention level does not include an aggregate stop loss policy. The company's retention levels designated within significant insurance arrangements as of May 31, 2014, ar e as follows:
(In millions) |  | Retention Level (per occurrence)
General liability and auto liability/physical damage |  | $ | 1.00 |
Workers' compensation and property |  | $ | 0.75 |
The company's policy is to accrue amounts equal to the actuarially-determined liabilities for loss and loss adjustment expenses, which are included in “Other liabilities” in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The actuarial valuations are based on historical information along with certain assumptions about future events. Changes in assumptions for such matters as legal actions, medical costs, and changes in actual experience could cause these estimates to change. The general and workers' compensation liabilities are managed through the company's wholly-owned insurance captive. Research, Development, and Other Related Costs Research, development, pre-production, and start-up costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development (R&D) costs consist of expenditures incurred during the course of planned research and investigation aimed at discovery of new knowledge useful in developing new products or processes. R&D costs also include the significant enhancement of existing products or production processes and the implementation of such through design, testing of product alternatives, or construction of prototypes. Research and development costs included in “Design and research” expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income are $53.9 million, $48.3 million, and $41.0 million, in fiscal 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively. Royalty payments made to designers of the company's products as the products are sold are a variable cost based on product sales. These expenses totaled $12.0 million, $11.6 million, and $11.7 million in fiscal years 2014, 2013, and 2012 respectively. They are included in "Design and research" expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income . Customer Payments and Incentives We offer various sales incentive programs to our customers, such as rebates, discounts and cooperative advertising programs. Programs such as rebates and discounts are adjustments to the selling price and are therefore characterized as a reduction to net sales. The cooperative advertising program, whereby customers are reimbursed for company approved advertising expenditures, provides us with an identifiable benefit from the advertisement at a verifiable market rate. Therefore, the cost of the cooperative advertising program is recognized as an operating expense and is included in the "Selling, general and administrative" line in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. We recognized operating expense related to our cooperative advertising program of $2.0 million for each of the fiscal years ended 2014, 2013, and 2012. Revenue Recognition The company recognizes revenue on sales through its network of independent contract furniture dealers and independent retailers once the related product is shipped and title passes. In situations where products are sold through subsidiary dealers or directly to the end customer, revenue is recognized once the related product is shipped to the end customer and installation, if applicable, is substantially complete. Offers such as rebates and discounts are recorded as reductions to net sales. Unearned revenue occurs during the normal course of business due to advance payments from customers for future delivery of products and services. Shipping and Handling Expenses The company records shipping and handling related expenses under the caption “Cost of sales” in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Cost of Sales We include material, labor and overhead in cost of sales. Included within these categories are such items as freight charges, warehousing costs, internal transfer costs, and other costs of our distribution network. Selling, General, and Administrative We include costs not directly related to the manufacturing of our products in the "Selling, general, and administrative" line within the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Included in these expenses are items such as compensation expense, rental expense, royalty expense, warranty expense, and travel and entertainment expense. Income Taxes Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities, and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to reverse. The company's annual effective tax rate is based on income, statutory tax rates, and tax planning strategies available in the various jurisdictions the company operates. Complex tax laws can be subject to different interpretations by the company and the respective government authorities. Significant judgment is required in evaluating tax positions and determining our tax expense. Tax positions are reviewed quarterly and tax assets and liabilities are adjusted as new information becomes available. In evaluating the company's ability to recover deferred tax assets within the jurisdiction from which they arise, the company considers all positive and negative evidence. These assumptions require significant judgment about forecasts of future taxable income. Stock-Based Compensation The company has several stock-based compensation plans, which are described in Not e 9 of the Consolidated Financial Statements. Our policy is to expense stock-based compensation using the fair-value based method of accounting for all awards granted. Earnings per Share Basic earnings per share (EPS) excludes the dilutive effect of common shares that could potentially be issued, due to the exercise of stock options or the vesting of restricted shares, and is computed by dividing net earnings by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS for fiscal years 2014, 2013, and 2012, was computed by dividing net earnings by the sum of the weighted-averag e number of shares outstanding, plus all dilutive shares that could potentially be issued. Refer to Note 8 of the Consolidated Financial Statements fo r further information regarding the computation of EPS. Comprehensive Income (Loss) Comprehensive income consists of net earnings, foreign currency translation adjustments, and unrealized holding gain (loss) on “available-for-sale” securities and pension liability adjustments. Refer to Note 15 of the Consolidated Financial Statements fo r further information regarding Comprehensive income (loss). Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Fair Value The Company follows ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, which provides a consistent definition of fair value, focuses on exit price, prioritizes the use of market-based inputs over entity-specific inputs for measuring fair value and establishes a three-tier hierarchy for fair value measurements. This topic requires fair value measurements to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:
• | Level 1 — Financial instruments with unadjusted, quoted prices listed on active market exchanges.
• | Level 2 — Financial instruments lacking unadjusted, quoted prices from active market exchanges, including over-the-counter traded financial instruments. Financial instrument values are determined using prices for recently traded financial instruments with similar underlying terms and direct or indirect observational inputs, such as interest rates and yield curves at commonly quoted intervals.
• | Level 3 — Financial instruments not actively traded on a market exchange and there is little, if any, market activity. Values are determined using significant unobservable inputs or valuation techniques.
See Note 11 of the Consolidated Financial Statements for the required fair value disclosures. Foreign Currency Forward Contracts Not Designated as Hedges The company transacts business in various foreign currencies and has established a program that primarily utilizes foreign currency forward contracts to offset the risks associated with the effects of certain foreign currency exposures. Under this program, the company's strategy is to have increases or decreases in our foreign currency exposures offset by gains or losses on the foreign currency forward contracts to mitigate the risks and volatility associated with foreign currency transaction gains or losses. These foreign currency exposures typically arise from net liability or asset exposures in non-functional currencies on the balance sheets of our foreign subsidiaries. These foreign currency forward contracts generally settle within 30 days and are not used for trading purposes. These forward contracts are not designated as hedging instruments. Accordingly, we record the fair value of these contracts as of the end of the reporting period in the Consolidated Balance Sheets with changes in fair value recorded within the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. The balance sheet classification for the fair values of these forward contracts is to "Other" current assets for unrealized gains and to "Other accrued liabilities" for unrealized losses. The Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income classification for the fair values of these forward contracts is to "Other expenses (income): Other, net", for both realized and unrealized gains and losses. As of May 31, 2014, the notional amounts of the forward contracts held to purchase and sell U.S. dollars in exchange for other major international currencies were $26.7 million and the notional amounts of the foreign currency forward contracts held to purchase and sell British pound sterling in exchange for other major international currencies were £15.2 million. The company also has other forward contracts related to other currency pairs at varying notional amounts. The effects of derivative instruments on the consolidated financial statements were as follows for the fiscal years ended 2014 and 2013 (amounts presented exclude any income tax effects): Fair Value of Derivative Instruments in Consolidated Balance Sheet
(In millions) |  |  | Fiscal Year
| Balance Sheet Location |  | May 31, 2014 |  | June 1, 2013
Foreign currency forward contracts not designated as hedges | Other current assets |  | $ | 0.2 |  |  | $ | 0.3 |
Foreign currency forward contracts not designated as hedges | Other current liabilities |  | $ | 0.1 |  |  | $ | 0.3 |
Effects of Derivative Instruments on Income
(In millions) |  |  | Fiscal Year
| Recognized Income on Derivative (Gain) Loss Location |  | May 31, 2014 |  | June 1, 2013 |  | June 2, 2012
Foreign currency forward contracts | Other expenses (income): Other, net |  | $ | (0.1 | ) |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 0.1 |
New Accounting Standards Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance During the first quarter of fiscal 2014, the company adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2013-02, "Comprehensive Income (ASC Topic 220): Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income," which requires entities to provide information about the amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income by component. In addition, entities are required to present, either on the face of the statement where net income is presented or in the notes, significant amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income by the respective line items of net income but only if the amount reclassified is required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified to net income in its entirety in the same reporting period. For other amounts that are not required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified in their entirety to net income, entities are required to cross-reference to other disclosures required under U.S. GAAP that provide additional detail on these amounts. Refer to Note 15 for the disclosures related to this adoption. Accounting Guidance Issued But Not Adopted as of May 31, 2014 In July 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU 2013-11, "Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists," which defines the presentation requirements of an unrecognized tax benefit, or a portion of an unrecognized tax benefit, in the financial statements. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. Early adoption is permitted and retrospective application is permitted, but not required. The company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance. In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued a new standard on revenue recognition. The new standard outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The core principle of the revenue model is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The standard is designed to create greater comparability for financial statement users across industries and jurisdictions and also requires enhanced disclosures. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is not permitted. The company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance.

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