| Summary of Business and Significant Accounting Policies | Summary of Business and Significant Accounting Policies Volt Information Sciences, Inc., (the “Company,” “Volt,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) is a global provider of staffing services (traditional time and material-based as well as project-based) and information technology infrastructure services. Our staffing services consist of workforce solutions that include providing contingent workers, personnel recruitment services, and managed service programs supporting primarily professional administration, technical, information technology, light-industrial and engineering positions. Our managed service programs consist of managing the procurement and on-boarding of contingent workers from multiple providers. Our technology outsourcing services provide pre- and post- production development support, testing, and customer support to companies in the mobile, gaming, and technology devices industries. In addition, we provide information technology infrastructure services which provides server, storage, network and desktop IT hardware maintenance, data center and network monitoring and operations. Our complementary businesses offer customized talent, technology and consulting solutions to a diverse client base. Volt services global industries including aerospace, automotive, banking and finance, consumer electronics, information technology, insurance, life sciences, manufacturing, media and entertainment, pharmaceutical, software, telecommunications, transportation, and utilities. The Company was incorporated in New York in 1957. The Company's stock is traded on the NYSE MKT under the symbol “VISI”. (a) Fiscal Year The Company’s fiscal year ends on the Sunday nearest October 31st. The fiscal years 2016, 2015 and 2014 consisted of 52 weeks. (b) Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and all subsidiaries over which the Company exercises control. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company accounts for investments over which it has significant influence but not a controlling financial interest using the equity method of accounting. (c) Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, assumptions and judgments, including those related to revenue recognition, allowance for doubtful accounts, casualty reserves, valuation of goodwill, intangible assets and other long-lived assets, business combinations, stock compensation, employee benefit plans, restructuring and severance accruals, income taxes and related valuation allowances and loss contingencies. Actual results could differ from those estimates and changes in estimates are reflected in the period in which they become known. (d) Revenue Recognition Revenue is generally recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, products have been delivered or services have been rendered, the fee is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured. For arrangements within the scope of the multiple-deliverable guidance, a deliverable constitutes a separate unit of accounting when it has stand-alone value and there are no customer-negotiated refunds or return rights for the delivered elements. For multiple-element arrangements, composed only of hardware products and related services or only services, we allocate revenue to each element in an arrangement based on a selling price hierarchy. The selling price for a deliverable is based on its vendor-specific objective evidence (“VSOE”) if applicable, third-party evidence (“TPE”) if VSOE is not available, or estimated selling price (“ESP”), if neither VSOE nor TPE is available. Total transaction revenue is allocated to the multiple elements based on each element’s relative selling price compared to the total selling price. Services are sometimes provided despite a customer arrangement not yet being finalized. In these cases revenue is deferred until arrangements are finalized or in some cases until cash is received. The cumulative revenue deferred for each arrangement is recognized in the period the revenue recognition criteria are met. The following revenue recognition policies define the manner in which the Company accounts for specific transaction types: Staffing Services Revenue is primarily derived from supplying contingent staff to the Company’s customers or providing other services on a time and material basis. Contingent staff primarily consist of contingent workers working under a contract for a fixed period of time or on a specific customer project. Revenue is also derived from permanent placement services, which is generally recognized after placements are made and when the fees are not contingent upon any future event. Our technology outsourcing services provide pre- and post- production development support, testing, and customer support to companies in the mobile, gaming, and technology devices industries. Reimbursable costs, including those related to travel and out-of-pocket expenses, are also included in Net revenue, and equivalent amounts of reimbursable costs are included in Cost of services. Under certain of the Company’s service arrangements, contingent staff are provided to customers through contracts involving other vendors or contractors. When the Company is the principal in the transaction and therefore the primary obligor for the contingent staff, we record the gross amount of the revenue and expense from the service arrangement. When the Company acts only as an agent for the customer and is not the primary obligor for the contingent staff, we record revenue net of vendor or contractor costs. The Company is generally the primary obligor when responsible for the fulfillment of services under the contract, even if the contingent workers are neither employees of the Company nor directly contracted by the Company. Usually in these situations the contractual relationship with the vendors and contractors is exclusively with the Company and the Company bears customer credit risk and generally has latitude in establishing vendor pricing and has discretion in vendor or contractor selection. The Company is generally not the primary obligor when we provide comprehensive administration of multiple vendors for customers that operate significant contingent workforces, referred to as managed service programs. The Company is considered an agent in these transactions if it does not have responsibility for the fulfillment of the services by the vendors or contractors (referred to as associate vendors). In such arrangements the Company is typically designated by its customers to be a facilitator of consolidated associate vendor billing and a processor of the payments to be made to the associate vendors on behalf of the customer. Usually in these situations the contractual relationship is between the customers, the associate vendors and the Company, with the associate vendors being the primary obligor and assuming the customer credit risk and the Company generally earning negotiated fixed mark-ups and not having discretion in supplier selection. Information Technology Infrastructure Services Revenue from hardware maintenance, computer and network operations infrastructure services under fixed-price contracts and stand-alone post-contract support (“PCS”) is generally recognized ratably over the contract period, provided that all other revenue recognition criteria are met, and the cost associated with these contracts is recognized as incurred. For time and material contracts, the Company recognizes revenue and costs as services are rendered, provided that all other revenue recognition criteria are met. Telecommunication Infrastructure and Security Services Revenue from performing engineering and construction services is recognized either on the completed contract method for those contracts that are of a short-term nature, or on the percentage-of-completion method, measuring progress using the cost-to-cost method, provided that all other revenue recognition criteria are met. Known or anticipated losses on contracts are provided for in the period they become evident. Claims and change orders that are in the process of being negotiated with customers for additional work or changes in the scope of work are included in the estimated contract value when it is deemed probable that the claim or change order will result in additional contract revenue and such amount can be reliably estimated. (e) Expense Recognition Cost of services within staffing services consists primarily of contingent worker payroll, related employment taxes and benefits, and the cost of facilities used by contingent workers in fulfilling assignments and projects for staffing services customers, including reimbursable costs. Indirect cost of staffing services is included in Selling, administrative and other operating costs in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Cost of services differ from the cost included within Selling, administrative and other operating costs in that they arise specifically and directly from the actions of providing staffing services to customers. Cost of information technology infrastructure services and telecommunication infrastructure and security services consists of the direct and indirect cost of providing non-staffing services, which include payroll and related employment taxes, benefits, materials, and equipment costs. Gross margin is calculated as revenue less direct costs for staffing services and revenue less direct and indirect costs for non-staffing services. Selling, Administrative and Other Operating Costs Selling, administrative and other operating costs primarily relate to the Company’s selling and administrative efforts as well as the indirect costs associated with providing staffing services. Restatement, Investigations and Remediation The Company previously restated its Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended November 2, 2008, with the restated financial statements issued during fiscal 2013. The costs incurred were comprised of financial and legal consulting, audit and related costs of the restatement, related investigations and completion of delayed filings during fiscal 2014 required under SEC regulations. (f) Comprehensive Income (Loss) Comprehensive income (loss) is the net income (loss) of the Company combined with other changes in stockholders’ equity not involving ownership interest changes. For the Company, such other changes include foreign currency translation and mark-to-market adjustments related to available-for-sale securities. (g) Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. (h) Short-Term Investments and Related Deferred Compensation, Net The Company has a nonqualified deferred compensation and supplemental savings plan that permits eligible employees to defer a portion of their compensation. The employee compensation deferral is invested in short-term investments corresponding to the employees’ investment selections, primarily mutual funds, which are held in a trust and are reported at current market prices. The liability associated with the nonqualified deferred compensation and supplemental savings plan consists of participant deferrals and earnings thereon, and is reflected as a current liability within Accrued compensation in an amount equal to the fair value of the underlying short-term investments held in the plan. Changes in asset values result in offsetting changes in the liability as the employees realize the rewards and bear the risks of their investment selections. (i) Property, Equipment and Software, Net Property and equipment are stated at cost and depreciation is calculated on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Costs for software that will be used for internal purposes and incurred during the application development stage are capitalized and amortized to expense over the estimated useful life of the underlying software. Training and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred. The major classifications of property, equipment and software, including their respective expected useful lives, consisted of the following: Buildings 25 to 32 years Machinery and Equipment 3 to 15 years Leasehold improvements Shorter of length of lease or life of the asset Software 3 to 7 years Property, equipment and software are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable or it is no longer probable that software development will be completed. If circumstances require a long-lived asset or asset group be reviewed for possible impairment, the Company first compares undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by each asset or asset group to its carrying value. If the carrying value of the long-lived asset or asset group is not recoverable on an undiscounted cash flow basis, an impairment is recognized to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the fair value. (j) Goodwill Goodwill represents the future economic benefits arising from assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. The Company applies the method of assessing goodwill for possible impairment permitted by Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2011-08, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other. The Company first assesses the qualitative factors for reporting units that carry goodwill. If the qualitative assessment results in a conclusion that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds the carrying value, then no further testing is performed for that reporting unit. When a qualitative assessment is not used, or if the qualitative assessment is not conclusive and it is necessary to calculate fair value of a reporting unit, then the impairment analysis for goodwill is performed at the reporting unit level using a two-step approach. The first step of the goodwill impairment test is used to identify potential impairment by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill utilizing an enterprise-value based premise approach. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, step two does not need to be performed. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an indication of goodwill impairment exists for the reporting unit and the entity must perform step two of the impairment test (measurement). Under step two, an impairment loss is recognized for any excess of the carrying amount of the reporting unit’s goodwill over the implied fair value of that goodwill. The implied fair value of goodwill is determined by allocating the fair value of the reporting unit in a manner similar to a purchase price allocation and the residual fair value after this allocation is the implied fair value of the reporting unit goodwill. Fair value of the reporting unit is determined by using various valuation techniques including income (discounted cash flow), market and/or consideration of recent and similar purchase acquisition transactions. The Company performs its annual impairment review of goodwill in its second fiscal quarter and when a triggering event occurs between annual impairment tests. (k) Income Taxes Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases as well as for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using current tax laws and rates in effect for the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized within income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company must then assess the likelihood that its deferred tax assets will be realized. If the Company does not believe that it is more likely than not that its deferred tax assets will be realized, a valuation allowance is established. When a valuation allowance is increased or decreased, a corresponding tax expense or benefit is recorded. Accounting for income taxes involves uncertainty and judgment in how to interpret and apply tax laws and regulations within the Company’s annual tax filings. Such uncertainties may result in tax positions that may be challenged and overturned by a tax authority in the future, which would result in additional tax liability, interest charges and possible penalties. Interest and penalties are classified as a component of income tax expense. The Company recognizes the effect of income tax positions only if those positions are more likely than not of being sustained. Recognized income tax positions are measured at the largest amount that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Changes in recognition or measurement are reflected in the period in which the change in estimate occurs. (l) Share-Based Compensation The Company recognizes share-based compensation as a cost in the financial statements. Equity awards are measured at the grant date fair value of the award. The Company determines grant date fair value of stock option awards using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model and a Monte Carlo simulation. The fair value of restricted stock awards are determined using the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. Expense is recognized over the requisite service period based on the number of options or shares expected to ultimately vest. Forfeitures are estimated at the date of grant and revised when actual or expected forfeiture activity differs materially from original estimates. If there are any modifications or cancellations of the underlying unvested awards, the Company may be required to accelerate any remaining unearned stock-based compensation cost or incur incremental cost. Excess tax benefits of awards that are recognized in equity related to stock option exercises are reflected as financing cash inflows in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. (m) Foreign Currency Assets and liabilities of non-U.S. subsidiaries that operate in a local currency environment, where that local currency is the functional currency, are translated to U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. Income and expense accounts are translated at average exchange rates during the year which approximate the rates in effect at the transaction dates. The resulting translation adjustments are directly recorded to a separate component of Accumulated other comprehensive Income (Loss). Gains and losses arising from intercompany foreign currency transactions that are of a long-term nature are reported in the same manner as translation adjustments. Gains and losses arising from intercompany foreign currency transactions that are not of a long-term nature and certain transactions of the Company’s subsidiaries which are denominated in currencies other than the subsidiaries’ functional currency are recognized as incurred in Foreign exchange gain (loss), net in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. (n) Fair Value Measurement In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820, Fair Value Measurements , the Company utilizes valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible. The Company determines fair value based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability in the principal or most advantageous market. Fair value is defined as the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When considering market participant assumptions in fair value measurements, the following fair value hierarchy distinguishes between observable and unobservable inputs, which are categorized in one of the following levels: Level 1: Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2: Quoted prices in active markets for similar assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identically similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active and models for which all significant inputs are observable either directly or indirectly. Level 3: Unobservable inputs reflecting the reporting entity’s own assumptions or external inputs for inactive markets. The Company uses this framework for measuring fair value and disclosures about fair value measurement. The Company uses fair value measurements in areas that include: the allocation of purchase price consideration to tangible and identifiable intangible assets; impairment testing for goodwill and long-lived assets; share-based compensation arrangements and financial instruments. The carrying amounts of the Company’s financial instruments, which include cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and short-term borrowings under the Company’s credit facilities, approximated their fair values, due to the short-term nature of these instruments, and the fair value of the long-term debt is based on the interest rates the Company believes it could obtain for borrowings with similar terms. The Company recognizes transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy on the date of the event or change in circumstances that caused the transfer. (o) Legal and Other Contingencies The Company is involved in various demands, claims and actual and threatened litigation that arise in the normal course of business. If the potential loss from any claim or legal proceeding is considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated, a liability and an expense are recorded for the estimated loss. Significant judgment is required in both the determination of probability and the determination of whether an exposure is reasonably estimable. Actual expenses could differ from these estimates in subsequent periods as additional information becomes known. (p) Concentrations of Credit Risk Cash and cash equivalents are maintained with several financial institutions and deposits held with banks may exceed the amount of insurance provided on such deposits. Generally, these deposits may be redeemed upon demand and the Company mitigates its credit risk by spreading its deposits across multiple financial institutions and monitoring their respective risk profiles. (q) Restructuring and Severance Charges The Company accounts for restructuring activities in accordance with ASC 420, Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations. Under the guidance, for the cost of restructuring activities that do not constitute a discontinued operation, the liability for the current fair value of expected future costs associated with such restructuring activity is recognized in the period in which the liability is incurred. The costs of restructuring activities taken pursuant to a management approved restructuring plan are segregated. (r) Earnings (Loss) Per Share Basic earnings per share are calculated by dividing net earnings by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. The diluted earnings per share computation includes the effect, if any, of shares that would be issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options and unvested restricted stock shares, reduced by the number of shares which are assumed to be purchased by the Company from the resulting proceeds at the average market price during the year, when such amounts are dilutive to the earnings per share calculation. (s) Treasury Stock The Company records treasury stock at the cost to acquire it and includes treasury stock as a component of Stockholders’ Equity. In determining the cost of the treasury shares when either sold or issued, the Company uses the FIFO (first-in, first-out) method. If the proceeds from the sale of the treasury shares are greater than the cost of the shares sold, the excess proceeds are recorded as additional paid-in capital. If the proceeds from the sale of the treasury shares are less than the original cost of the shares sold, the excess cost first reduces any additional paid-in capital arising from previous sales of treasury shares for that class of stock, and any additional excess is recorded as a reduction of retained earnings. (t) Assets and Liabilities Held for Sale The Company classifies long-lived assets (disposal group) to be sold as held for sale in accordance with ASU 2014-08, Presentation Of Financial Statements (Topic 205) And Property, Plant, And Equipment (Topic 360): Reporting Discontinued Operations And Disclosures Of Disposals Of Components Of An Entity (“ASU 2014-08”), in the period in which all of the following criteria are met: management, having the authority to approve the action, commits to a plan to sell the asset (disposal group); the asset (disposal group) is available for immediate sale in its present condition subject only to terms that are usual and customary for sales of such assets (disposal group); an active program to locate a buyer and other actions required to complete the plan to sell the asset (disposal group) have been initiated; the sale of the asset (disposal group) is probable, and transfer of the asset (disposal group) is expected to qualify for recognition as a completed sale within one year , except if events or circumstances beyond our control extend the period of time required to sell the asset (disposal group) beyond one year; the asset (disposal group) is being actively marketed for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to its current fair value; and actions required to complete the plan indicate that it is unlikely that significant changes to the plan will be made or that the plan will be withdrawn. A long-lived asset (disposal group) that is classified as held for sale is initially measured at the lower of its carrying value or fair value less any costs to sell. Any loss resulting from this measurement is recognized in the period in which the held for sale criteria are met. Conversely, gains are not recognized on the sale of a long-lived asset (disposal group) until the date of sale. The fair value of a long-lived asset (disposal group) less any costs to sell is assessed each reporting period it remains classified as held for sale and any subsequent changes are reported as an adjustment to the carrying value of the asset (disposal group), as long as the new carrying value does not exceed the carrying value of the asset at the time it was initially classified as held for sale. Upon determining that a long-lived asset (disposal group) meets the criteria to be classified as held for sale, the Company reports the assets and liabilities of the disposal group for all periods presented, if material, in the line items Assets held for sale and Liabilities held for sale, respectively, in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. (u) Discontinued Operations The results of operations of a component or a group of components of the Company that either has been disposed of or is classified as held for sale is reported in discontinued operations if the disposal represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on the Company’s operations and financial results. For any transaction expected to be structured as a sale of shares of an entity and not a sale of assets, the Company classifies the deferred taxes as part of Assets or Liabilities held for sale. (v) Reclassifications Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year financial statements in order to conform to the current year’s presentation. (w) New Accounting Pronouncements From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) or other standard setting bodies. Unless otherwise discussed, the Company believes that the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial position or results of operations upon adoption. New Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted by the Company In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments: A Consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force . The amendments provide guidance on eight specific cash flow classification issues: debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments or other debt instruments with coupon interest rates that are insignificant in relation to the effective interest rate of the borrowing, contingent consideration payments made after a business combination, proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims, corporate and bank-owned life insurance policies, distributions received from equity method investees, beneficial interests in securitization transactions and separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. The amendments in this update are effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. If an entity early adopts the amendments in an interim period, any adjustments should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes that interim period. An entity that elects early adoption must adopt all of the amendments in the same period. The Company is in the process of assessing the impact that the adoption of this ASU will have on its consolidated financial statements. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments . This ASU provides guidance for recognizing credit losses on financial instruments based on an estimate of current expected credit losses model. For public business entities that are SEC filers, the amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. All entities may adopt the amendments in this update earlier as of the fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is in the process of assessing the impact that the adoption of this ASU will have on its consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting . This ASU simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. For public business entities, the amendments in this update are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted for any entity in any interim or annual period. If an entity early adopts the amendments in an interim period, any adjustments should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes that interim period. An entity that elects early adoption must adopt all of the amendments in the same period. The Company is in the process of assessing the impact that the adoption of this ASU will have on its consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) . This ASU requires that lessees recognize assets and liabilities for leases with lease terms greater than twelve months in the statement of financial position and also requires improved disclosures to help users of financial statements better understand the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. This update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim reporting periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. ASU 2016-02 is effective for us in our first quarter of fiscal 2020 on a modified retrospective basis. We have preliminarily evaluated the impact of our pending adoption of ASU 2016-02 on our consolidated financial state |
