Problem 8-9

Plan production for the next year. The demand forecast is spring, 19,100; summer, 10,600; fall, 14,600; winter, 17,900. At the beginning of spring you have 68 workers and 960 units in inventory. The union contract specifies that you may lay off workers only once a year, at the beginning of summer. Also, you may hire new workers only at the end of summer to begin regular work in the fall. The number of workers laid off at the beginning of summer and the number hired at the end of summer should result in planned production levels for summer and fall that equal the demand forecasts for summer and fall, respectively. If demand exceeds supply, use overtime in spring only, which means that backorders could occur in winter. You are given these costs: hiring, $140 per new worker; layoff, $280 per worker laid off; holding, $22 per unit-quarter; backorder cost, $9 per unit; straight-time labor, $12 per hour; overtime, $18 per hour. Productivity is 0.5 unit per worker hour, eight hours per day, 50 days per quarter.

Find the total cost of this plan. Note: Hiring expense occurs at beginning of Fall. (Leave no cells blank - be certain to enter "0" wherever required.)

	Spring	Summer	Fall	Winter
Forecast	19,100	10,600	14,600	17,900
Beginning inventory
Production required
Production hours required
Regular workforce
Regular production
Overtime hours
Overtime production
Total production
Ending inventory
Ending backorders
Workers hired
Workers laid off

	Spring	Summer	Fall	Winter
Straight time	$	$	$	$
Overtime
Inventory
Backorder				$
Hiring
Layoff
Total	$	$	$	$
Total cost				$