A Toy Manufacturer Makes Stuffed Kittens and Puppies Which Have

question 41

Essay

A toy manufacturer makes stuffed kittens and puppies which have relatively lifelike motions. There are three different mechanisms which can be installed in these "pets." These toys will sell for the same price regardless of the mechanism installed, but each mechanism has its own variable cost and setup cost. Profit, therefore, is dependent upon the choice of mechanism and upon the level of demand. The manufacturer has in hand a forecast of demand that suggests a 0.2 probability of light demand, a 0.45 probability of moderate demand, and a probability of 0.35 of heavy demand. Payoffs for each mechanism-demand combination appear in the table below.
Construct the appropriate decision tree to analyze this problem. Use standard symbols for the tree. Analyze the tree to select the optimal decision for the manufacturer.

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Definitions:

Whole Dollar Pricing

A pricing strategy where products are priced at round number amounts rather than using cents, designed to simplify pricing for consumers.

Price Maximization

A strategy aimed at setting the price of a product or service at the highest possible level at which the target segment of consumers is still willing to purchase it.

Elastic Demand

A situation where the demand for a product or service significantly changes in response to changes in its price.

Unbundling

The practice of breaking down a service or product into individual components that can be sold separately.