IN DETAILS i .Using Least Cost method, find the initial solution to this transportation problem. State the routes and the initial total shipment cost. ii. Revise the initial solution found in part (i) by doing TWO iterations (ONLY) using MODI and Stepping Stone method. iii. Is the solution obtained after the second iteration an optimal solution? Indicate why it is or it is not the optimal solution.

The three blood banks in Kuala Lumpur are coordinated through a Central Blood bank that facilitates blood delivery to four hospitals in the central region of Malaysia. The cost to ship a standard container of blood from each bank to each hospital is shown in the table below. Also given are the biweekly number of containers available at each blood bank and the biweekly number of containers of blood needed at each hospital. How many shipments should be made biweekly from each blood bank to the different hospitals so that total shipment costs are minimised? Hosp 1 Hosp 2 Hosp 3 Hosp 4 SUPPLY 8 9 11 16 50 TO FROM Bank 1 Bank 2 Bank 3 12 7 5 8 80 14 10 6 7 120 250 DEMAND 90 70 40 50 250