Please help me answer the # questions.

1. Discuss the layout options for Dans company, considering the increased space and changes in the product line.
2. What advice could you give Dan regarding his inventory ordering and management practices?
3. Discuss the criteria that Dan could use to evaluate suppliers for metal.

Dan worked long and hard to improve the financial condition of the business as a result of the statements received at the end of the first year of operations. He was able to make some adjustments in operations, move some short-term debt to long term, and obtain additional equity that allowed the business to receive adequate financing for the second year. His banker was also influenced positively by the upward sales trends for the Ladder Rall. In addition to allowing the existing operation to receive stable financing, the bank also agreed to finance the addition to the building that Dan had been contemplating. It was felt that this building was needed to meet the growing demand for the product. With the new addition, Dan is now considering revising the Interior space of the plant. Until now, he has employed an assembly-line type of production process, as he makes only one product. However, Dan is starting to get orders for different-sized ladders (which require a variation in the size and type of Ladder Rail), as well as for other accessories, such as safety braces to prevent ladders from moving sideways when placed against a building or roof. Given the possibilities for increasing his line of products in the future, Dan wonders whether his current manufacturing layout is still effective. Another concer Dan is dealing with Is Inventory levels. Dan started out using the industry average for manufacturing plants to order initial inventory, but he soon realized that the industry average did not apply to a small plant like his. He then tried to order high volumes of inventory to get a better price, but he found that if the metal was sitting too long in Inventory, it was costing him in Interest expenses. Conversely, Dan does not want to run out of metal and cause a stoppage in the production process. Dan is currently purchasing the metal used in fabricating the Ladder Rail from a local plant in Hamilton. He is, however, continually receiving calls from salespeople from outside the area offering better prices. This is also a concern for Dan. All these dilemmas are weighing heavily on Dan and are taking him away from making the Ladder Rail units. He often thinks how nice it would be to just be involved in the manufacturing part and not have to worry about such things as buying metal and selling Ladder Ralls. Questions 1. Discuss the layout options for Dan's company, considering the increased space and changes in product line. 2. What advice could you give Dan regarding his inventory ordering and management practices? 3. Discuss the criteria that Dan could use to evaluate suppliers for metal