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6.1 Objective
This chapter is the first on inventory. We use it as an introduction to supply chain management
focusing on inventory and its role in business. In a class of 100 minutes without break, we talk about
the general cost and benefits of inventory, the different types of inventory and why they exist.
The focus of the remainder of the chapter/class is then on economies of scale as inventorys first reason of
existence. This should be an easy class to teach.
We assign a short case as supplemental reading for the economies of scale. The case is used to show
simple EOQ calculations and the benefits of centralization. It will also be useful for Chapter 7 to talk
about the benefits of postponement.
Hewlett-Packard: DeskJet Printer Supply Chain (A). Stanford Case 1993. Authors: Laura Kopczak
and Hau L. Lee.
Problem 6.2
BIM Computers: Assume 8 working hours per day.
49
Chapter 6
We know Q = 4 wks supply = 1,600 units; R = 400 units/wk = 20,000 units/yr; purchase cost
per unit C = $1250*80% = $1,000. Thus, holding cost H = rC = 20%/year $1,000 =
$200/yr. Switch over or setup cost S = $2,000 + (1/2hr$1,500/day1day/8hr)= $2,093.75.
Thus, # of setups per year = R/Q = 20,000 units/yr / 1600 units/setup = 12.5 setups/yr. Thus,
Annual setup cost = (R/Q) * S = 12.5 setups/yr $2,093.75/setup = $26,172/yr.
Annual Purchasing Cost = R*C = 20,000 units/yr $1,000/unit = $ 20 M/yr.
Annual Holding Cost = (Q/2) H = 800 $200/yr = $160,000/yr.
Thus, total annual production and inventory cost = $20,186,172.
2 RS 2 20000 2093.75
EOQ = = 647 units.
H 200
number of setups = R/Q = 20,000 /647 = 30.91. Thus, annual setup cost =
30.91setups/yr $2,093.75/setup = $64,718/yr.
annual holding cost = (Q/2) H = 323.5 $200/yr = $64,700/yr (notice that at
optimal EOQ annual holding cost equal setup costs)
annual purchasing cost remains $20M/yr
The resulting annual savings equals $20,186,172 - $20,129,418 = $56,754.
Problem 6.3
Victor's data: flow unit = one dress, flow rate R = 30 units/wk, purchase cost C = $150/unit, order lead
time L = 2 weeks, fixed order cost S = $225, cost of capital r = 20%/yr. Victor currently orders ten weeks
supply at a time, hence Q = 10wks 30 units/wk = 300 units.
a. Costs for Victor's current inventory management:
Annual variable ordering (purchasing) cost = RC = $150/unit 30 units/wk 52 wks/yr
= $234,000/yr.
Annual fixed ordering (setups) cost = (# of orders/yr) S = (R/Q) S = (3052/yr/300) $225
= $1,170/yr.
Annual holding cost = H (Q/2) = (rC) (Q/2) = $30/yr 150 = $4,500/yr.
Total annual costs = $239,670.
2RS 2 30 52 225
Q* = EOQ = = 153 units.
H 30
Thus, he should place an order for 153 units two weeks before he expects to run out. That is,
whenever current inventory drops to RL = 30 units/wk 2 wks = 60 units, which is the re-
order point.
His annual cost will be
c. Inventory turns = R/I, where average inventory I = Q/2 with cycle stock only.
Current policy: turns = R/(Q/2)=2 R/Q = 2 30units/wk / 300units = 2/10week = 52 2/10
per year = 10.4 times per year.
Proposed policy: Q is roughly halved, so turns roughly double to 20.4 times per year.
Problem 6.4
The retailer: Current fixed costs, S1 = $1000. Current optimal lot size Q1 = 400. New, desired lot size Q2
= 50. We must find the fixed cost S2 at which Q2 is optimal. Since Q1 is optimal for S1, we have
2RS1 2 R 1000
Q1 = 400 = . So, R/H = 160000/2000 = 80.
H H
Now,
2 RS 2
Q2 = 50 = ,
H
or S2 = 502 /(280) = 15.625. So the retailer should try to reduce her fixed costs to $15.625.
Problem 6.5
Major Airlines: This question illustrates the basic tradeoff between fixed and variable costs in a service
industry; thus the concepts of EOQ discussed in class in the context of inventory management are much
more generic.
The process view here is illuminating and it goes as follows: flow unit = one flight attendant (FA). The
process transforms an input (= "un-trained" FA) into an output (= "quitted" FA). The sequence of
activities is: undergo training for 6 weeks, go on vacation for one week, wait in a buffer of "trained, but
not assigned FA" until being assigned, serve as a FA on flights, and finally quit the job.
Untrained R Quitted
FA Training Vacation Pool of Serve on flights FA
trained FAs
T = 6 wks 1 wks ? wks 2 years
The question asks for the tradeoff between training costs (higher class size is preferred) versus 'holding
costs' in the buffer (smaller class size -> fewer attendants waiting in buffer is preferred).
(a)
Flow rate R = 1000 every two years = 500 attendants per year = 10 per week.
Fixed costs of training involves hiring ten instructors and support personnel for 6 weeks.
Thus, fixed costs of training S = 10 ($220+$80) 6 weeks = $18,000 per training session.
Annual holding cost is the cost incurred to hold one flow unit (FA) in the buffer for one year:
H = $500 per month 12 = $6,000 / person / year.
Chapter 6
Thus, Economic Class Size (EOQ) = 54.77 or 55 per class. Thus, we should run R/Q = 500 /
55 = 9.09 classes per year
Per person variable cost of training is the stipend paid for 6 weeks of training + stipend for a
week of vacation = $500/mo. perperson 7 wk 12 mo/yr / 50 wk/yr = $840 per person.
Notice that the annual variable cost is constant $840/person 500 person/yr = $420,000/yr
regardless of the class size.
Total Annual Cost = Fixed Costs of Training + Variable Costs of Training + Holding Costs =
($18,000 9.09) + ($840 500) + (55/2)($6000) = $748,636.36 per year.
Time Between starting consecutive classes (say, T) = Q/R = 5.5 weeks. Thus, we will have
two classes overlap for a 1/2 week (and thus we need two sets of trainers and training class
rooms). The inventory-time diagram looks as follows (assuming for simplicity that we start
the training process at time 0):
I (in training)
110
55
0 6 t (weeks)
5.5
I (on vacation)
Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
55
0 6 7
t (weeks)
I (in buffer)
Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
55
0 6 7 t (weeks)
(b): This part of the question illustrates the following: Often, in reality, people wish to adopt policies
that are simple (e.g., starting training every 6 weeks is simpler than trying to track the exact days to
start training when subsequent trainings start every 5.5 weeks. But what is the implication of
deviation from the optimal? In this case, quite small. This is because the optimal cost structure near
the (optimal) EOQ is quite flat. Thus any solution close to optimality will suffice.
Chapter 6
Problem 6.6
To estimate demand, observe that the average size of each transaction = $80. With 150 transactions per
week, annual demand R is estimated to be = 1505280 = 624,000.
Then, the economic quantity to place in the ATM machine is given by the EOQ formula:
2R S 2 624000 100
Q= = = 35, 327
H 0.1
The number of times the ATM needs to be filled = R/Q = 624000/35327 = 17.66 per year.
Problem 6.7
The annual demand, R = 150,000 lbs/yr. The purchase price per lb is $1.50. However the shipping cost
exhibits a quantity discount model. The holding cost per year is then 15% of the sum of the purchase and
shipping cost. The administrative costs of placing an order = $50/order.
(a) In addition, rental cost of the forklift truck adds to the fixed cost giving a total fixed cost, S =
50+350 = $400/order. We can use a spreadsheet model as shown in Table TN 6.1. The optimal
order quantity = 22,000 lbs with an annual cost of $249,916.77.
(b) If GC buys a forklift and builds a new ramp, then the per-transaction fixed cost will simply be the
administrative cost of $50 per order. The economic order quantity and annual operating costs of
this option is shown in Table TN 6.2. The economic order quantity is 15000 lbs. with an annual
operating cost = $246,833.75. The annual savings = 249,916.77 - 246,833.75 = $3,083.02. The
net present value of cost savings (over 5 years) with cost of capital of 15% = $10,334.76.
Assuming a useful life of 5 years for the forklift and ramp, an investment of less than $10,334
generates a positive NPV.
Problem 6.8
Changeover time = 4hrs resulting in a fixed cost, S = 4 250 = $1,000.
Annual demand, R = 1000/mo 12 = 12,000 units / yr.
Unit cost, C = 100
Holding cost = $25 / unit / yr.
a) The optimal production batch size is
Chapter 6
2 RS 2 800000 1800
Q 8485
H 40
and a cycle inventory of 4242.5 units.
(a) Given that each outlet orders independently and gets its own delivery, the optimal order size
at each outlet is (5 points) [SHOW WORK]
(i) 424
(ii) 3,000; EOQ = sqrt (2RS/H) = sqrt (2*4000*50*900/40) = 3000
(iii) 6,000
(iv) 42,426
(v) None of the above
(b) CC is thinking of centralizing purchasing (for all four outlets). In this setting, CC will place a
single order (for all outlets) with the supplier. The supplier will deliver the order on a
common truck to a transit point. Since individual requirements are identical across outlets, the
total order is split equally and shipped to the retailers from this transit point. This entire
operation has increased the fixed cost of placing an order to $1,800. If CC manages ordering
optimally in the new setting, average inventory in the CC system (across all four outlets) can
be expected to (5 points)
(i) Increase
(ii) Decrease
(iii) Remain unchanged
Order Shipping Total holding Number Annual Average Annual Annual Total
size (Q ) cost per variable cost
of orders order Cycle holding procurement Annual
pound cost = pound
purchase per year (R/Q ) cost Inventory cost cost costs TC
cost + (H ) (S R/Q ) (Q/2 ) (H Q/2 ) (C R )
shipping
(C )
8000 0.17 1.67 0.2505 18.75 7500.00 4000 1002 250500 259,002.00
9000 0.17 1.67 0.2505 16.67 6666.67 4500 1127.25 250500 258,293.92
10000 0.15 1.65 0.2475 15.00 6000.00 5000 1237.5 247500 254,737.50
11000 0.15 1.65 0.2475 13.64 5454.55 5500 1361.25 247500 254,315.80
12000 0.15 1.65 0.2475 12.50 5000.00 6000 1485 247500 253,985.00
13000 0.15 1.65 0.2475 11.54 4615.38 6500 1608.75 247500 253,724.13
14000 0.15 1.65 0.2475 10.71 4285.71 7000 1732.5 247500 253,518.21
15000 0.13 1.63 0.2445 10.00 4000.00 7500 1833.75 244500 250,333.75
16000 0.13 1.63 0.2445 9.38 3750.00 8000 1956 244500 250,206.00
17000 0.13 1.63 0.2445 8.82 3529.41 8500 2078.25 244500 250,107.66
18000 0.13 1.63 0.2445 8.33 3333.33 9000 2200.5 244500 250,033.83
19000 0.13 1.63 0.2445 7.89 3157.89 9500 2322.75 244500 249,980.64
20000 0.13 1.63 0.2445 7.50 3000.00 10000 2445 244500 249,945.00
20500 0.13 1.63 0.2445 7.32 2926.83 10250 2506.125 244500 249,932.95
21000 0.13 1.63 0.2445 7.14 2857.14 10500 2567.25 244500 249,924.39
21500 0.13 1.63 0.2445 6.98 2790.70 10750 2628.375 244500 249,919.07
22000 0.13 1.63 0.2445 6.82 2727.27 11000 2689.5 244500 249,916.77
22500 0.13 1.63 0.2445 6.67 2666.67 11250 2750.625 244500 249,917.29
23000 0.13 1.63 0.2445 6.52 2608.70 11500 2811.75 244500 249,920.45
23500 0.13 1.63 0.2445 6.38 2553.19 11750 2872.875 244500 249,926.07
24000 0.13 1.63 0.2445 6.25 2500.00 12000 2934 244500 249,934.00
24500 0.13 1.63 0.2445 6.12 2448.98 12250 2995.125 244500 249,944.10
25000 0.13 1.63 0.2445 6.00 2400.00 12500 3056.25 244500 249,956.25
25500 0.13 1.63 0.2445 5.88 2352.94 12750 3117.375 244500 249,970.32
Chapter 6