A Retailer Experiences a Seasonal Demand Pattern for Its Services

question 91

Essay

A retailer experiences a seasonal demand pattern for its services. Labor requirements over a typical six-month period follow.

Costs associated with operations are as follows:
Wages = $1,500 per worker per month
Hiring cost = $1,500 per worker
Layoff cost = $1,500 per worker
The current workforce level is 11 workers. Use the spreadsheet approach and the preceding data to answer the following questions.
a. What is the total cost of the staffing plan, including the cost of regular wages, hiring, and layoffs using a chase strategy with hiring and layoffs, but no overtime?
b. What is the total cost of the staffing plan, using a level strategy in which no overtime is allowed, and the undertime paid for?
c. Suppose that overtime is allowed up to 25% of the regular-time capacity, and that overtime wages are 150% of the regular-time rate. What is the total cost of the level strategy with overtime and undertime that also minimizes undertime?

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Definitions:

Fault Strength

A measure of how resistant a fault is to movement or slip under tectonic stresses.

Stress Decreases

Refers to the reduction in the force per unit area exerted on a material or structure.

Stress Consistently

implies the continuous application or presence of force on an object or material over a period of time.

Seismic Waves

Waves of energy that travel through the Earth's layers, produced by earthquakes or other earth movements, used to study the interior of the Earth.