Note: 1. An Excel spreadsheet containing data tables is available at Canvas. 2. Please round up the number of required workers/agents up to the next highest integer in all problems. Problem 1 ABC Home Appliances produces home appliances such as dishwasher, refrigerator etc. In your role as Operations Manager for ABC Home Appliances you have just completed forecasting the following demand for its washing machines for the next twelve months: Demand Month (Units) January 6,500 February 7,000 March 7,305 April 11,300 May 9,700 June 7,805 July 8,500 August 11,000 September 16,950 October 14,105 November 10,010 December 7,500 Total 117,675 A worker can produce an average 180 washing machines/month. Workers earn $4,500/month and they do not work overtime. ABC Home Appliances spends $2,500 for each employee it hires (with training), and it costs $3000 to lay off a worker. Hires and lay-offs occur on the first day of each month. At the end of each month, if there is any inventory on hand, it costs $40 per unit to carry it to the next period. If there are unsatisfied orders (backorders) at the end of the month, a penalty cost of $120 per backordered unit is incurred. All backorders must be fulfilled by the end of December. There is currently no inventory available in stock at the beginning of January and 50 employees working in the company. a) Prepare a chase aggregate plan assuming that no inventory can be carried from one month to the next month and that no backorders are allowed. Please display the workforce level on a monthly basis. Compute the total cost of the chase plan. b) Prepare a level aggregate plan that allows inventory holding from one month to the next, as well as backorders. Calculate the inventory level or backorders at the end of each month. Compute the total cost of the level plan. c) Based on the total costs you calculated in part (a) and part (b), which plan is better?