East West Distributing Is in the Process of Trying to Determine

question 78

Essay

East West Distributing is in the process of trying to determine where they should schedule next year's production of a popular line of kitchen utensils that they distribute. Manufacturers in four different countries have submitted bids to East West. However, a pending trade bill in Congress will greatly affect the cost to East West due to proposed tariffs, favorable trading status, etc.
After careful analysis, East West has determined the following cost breakdown for the four manufacturers (in $1,000's) based on whether or not the trade bill passes: ​
a.
If East West estimates that there is a 40% chance of the bill passing, which country should they choose for manufacturing?
b.
Over what range of values for the "bill passing" will the solution in part (a) remain optimal?

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Definitions:

Allocation Base

A factor or criterion used for distributing overhead costs to products or services, based on activities such as direct labor hours or machine hours.

Departmental Overhead Rates

The method of allocating overhead (indirect costs) to specific departments based on relevant criteria, such as department size or usage.

Direct Labor Hour

A direct labor hour is a measure of the amount of time a worker spends directly manufacturing a product or providing a service, often used to allocate labor costs in production.

Finishing Department

The final phase in a manufacturing process where products undergo final touch-ups, quality assurance checks, and packaging.