In a university, a mechanical workshop has four shops, each dedicated to specific problems: foundry shop (shop A), machine shop (shop B), forging shop (shop C), and fabrication shop (shop D). The workshop is 1000 feet long and 250 feet wide. Each room is 250 feet by 250 feet. The present location of rooms is A, B, C, D, that is, a straight line. The load summary shows the number of contacts that each superintendent in a shop has with other superintendents in the other shops. Assume that all controllers are equal in this value. Load summary: AB = 15, AC = 25, AD = 35, BC = 20, BD = 15, CD = 25.

(a) Evaluate this layout according to the material handling cost method.

(b) Improve the layout by exchanging functions within rooms. Show your amount of improvement.