Computronics is a manufacturer of calculators, currently producing 200 per week. One component for every calculator is a liquid crystal display (LCD), which the company purchases from Displays, Inc. (DI) for $1 per LCD. Computronics management wants to avoid any shortage of LCDs, since this would disrupt production, so DI guarantees a delivery time of 1/2 week on each order. The placement of each order is estimated to require 1 hour of clerical time, with a direct cost of $15 per hour plus overhead costs of another $5 per hour. A rough estimate has been made that the annual cost of capital tied up in Computronics' inventory is 15 percent of the value (measured by purchase cost) of the inventory. Other costs associated with storing and protecting the LCDs in inventory amount to 5 cents per LCD per year.
What should the order quantity and reorder point be for the LCDs? What is the corresponding total variable inventory cost per year (holding costs plus administrative costs for placing orders)?