The Interstate Biology Machines Company leases equipment to hospitals and laboratory for use in medical tests and
Question:
The Interstate Biology Machines Company leases equipment to hospitals and laboratory for use in medical tests and research on humans and animals. The company has several bureaus in Cities A, B, C and D, which are staffed by technicians who may be sent to customers’ establishments in the event of difficulty with the equipment. One day, requests for service have been received from customers in Cities, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The distance each service bureau to each customer, one way, is given in the table below in kilometers.
Customer
Bureau | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
A | 200 | 50 | 500 | 100 | 60 |
B | 100 | 200 | 80 | 40 | 600 |
C | 90 | 200 | 400 | 60 | 200 |
D | 700 | 100 | 200 | 400 | 90 |
It is necessary to assign the technicians to the customers so as to minimize the amount of technicians' travel.
a. What is the initial table for solving this problem with the assignment method?
b. What is the final table?
c. Which technician should be assigned to which customers?
d. What is the total round-trip distance which the technicians must travel?
e. Which customer’s request for service will not be answered?
Introduction to Operations Research
ISBN: 978-1259162985
10th edition
Authors: Frederick S. Hillier, Gerald J. Lieberman