Houma Containers, Inc

question 24

Essay

Houma Containers, Inc., makes industrial fiberglass tanks that are used on offshore oil platforms. Demand for the next four months and capacities of the plant are shown in the table below. Unit cost on regular time is $400. Overtime cost is 150% of regular time cost. Subcontracting is available in substantial quantity but at a very high cost, $1100 per unit. Holding costs are $200 per tank per month; back orders cost the firm $1000 per unit per month. Houma's management believes that the transportation algorithm can be used to optimize this scheduling problem. The firm has no beginning inventory and anticipates no ending inventory.
a. How many units will be produced on regular time in June?
b. How many units will be produced by subcontracting over the four-month period?
c. What will be the inventory at the end of April?
d. What will be total production from all sources in April?
e. What will be the total cost of the optimum solution?
f. Does the firm utilize the expensive options of subcontracting and back ordering? When; why?

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Definitions:

Components

The parts or elements that make up a larger system, product, or structure.

Contract Employee

An individual hired to perform a specific job or task for a designated period, not considered a permanent or long-term employee of the company.

Salaried Employee

An employee who receives a fixed amount of compensation from an employer regularly, typically on a monthly or bi-weekly basis.

Homemaker

An individual responsible for managing household tasks and caring for the family, without receiving formal wages.