Please answer the case study questions

Case Questions chroughout the year as the company had been targeting the Pacific West, Wert

South, East South, and parts of South Atlantic regions of the United States,

During each meeting, Robert insisted that his team must assess risks to

their supply chain. The team paid special attention to quality of products,

supply problems, demand spikes and troughs, potential demand disruptions

obsolescence, and marker disruptions. Understanding those risks was essential

to the firm as they could include contingencies in their aggregate and $&$OP$

plans. Some of the important factors considered by the team during the mes$-$

ing are as follows?

a Changes since last meeting,

Company performance against company's goals and key performance

indicators

$"$ New risks,

Decisions to be considered now and in the near future,

Performance of products,

Progress of product development efforts,

Resource constraints,

Utilization of key resources,

$"$ What went well with the last S&OP plans, and

Any need to revise long$-$term plans.

The employees of Rowland Industries work on Monday through Frida:

The company maintains two shifts. Each shift runs for $8$ hours with half.

an$-$hour break, although the employees get paid $$20$ per hour for the full

$8-$hour regular shifts. Overtime is contingent on the aggregate plans and if

necessary, employees are paid one and a half times the regular shift wages.

The Human Resources Director at Rowland uses Internet to sites such as

indeed.com to identify and recruit employees. The new hiring plan in$.$

cludes task$-$oriented, team$-$oriented, productivity$-$related, process$-$related,

and labor$-$related training. The cost of hiring and training is estimated to case Study: Aggregate Planning at Rowland

Industries

Robert Rowland is the President of Rowland Industries. Rowland Industries

manufcturers poddleboats and pedal boats. The company from Columbus, Mis.

asopht has been doing well in the pass years and has escablished itself as one of

de premier small boar manuficturers within its distributor and customer base.

Robert and his team meet every month to develop Sales and Operations

$($ssoP$)$ plans, and to review and improve the aggregate plans for the next

Genonthes. These meetings last an entire day and are always well attended by

varioss functions including sales, marketing, operations, finance, and the ex$-$

coutive team. Prior to a monthly planning session, several information and

anhes are prepared by appropriate departments and shared with the execu$-$

cive team including:

Roicw of any newly introduced products,

Demind forecasts,

Updared inventory levels,

Updated production capabilities,

Working capital and other pertinent financials.

The monthly S&OP meeting involves high$-$level decision$-$making activi$-$

tos to determine planned levels of production, capacity; inventory, and labor

feret to minimize the cost of resources and maximize the profits and meet

curomer demand. Various members of the team provide accurate and current

infsemudiso of demand forecast, production capabilities, inventory levels, and

reounce arailability. Using the available information, the team generates plans.

This ageregate and S&OP process is an important aspect of uniting all key

coesituents of a firm to meet and accomplish an objective: a single goal. The

senise led executives of a firm who are

roponsible for sales, marketing, procure$-$

sens$,$ manaficturing, supply chain, and

Enance meet ro discuss the needs and con$-$

rowits of each of their respective areas as

well

A$.$ Prepare an aggregate plan based on a chase strategy.

B$.$ Prepare an aggregate plan based on a flex strategy with overtime

permitted. Use a constant workforce based on demand and available time.

C$.$ Prepare an aggregate plan based on a flex strategy with subcontract

if needed. Use a constant workforce using the lowest demand in the

planning horizon.

D$.$ Prepare an aggregate plan based on a flex strategy with a constant

workforce and subcontracs if needed.

E$.$ Prepare an aggregate plan based on a flex strategy with a constant

workforce. No subcontract or overtime. Vary inventory and use

stockouts and excess stocks.

F$.$ Prepare an aggregate plan based on a hybrid strategy. Rowland was

expecting a new contract and was prepared to go with a chase strategy.

During the month of March, they discovered that they did not get

that contract. Therefore, they kept the number of workers as of

March and went with a flex strategy from April using a flex strategy

with constant workforce and subcontract if needed.

G$.$ Which of the above strategies is the most cost$-$effective for Rowland

Industries?

H$.$ Of the subcontracting strategies, which is the most cost$-$effective?

If hiring cost equals $$2,500$ and layoff cost equals $$1,500,$ which is

the best strategy?

J$.$ If subcontract costs went up to $$1,300,$ which is the best strategy?