You are a supply analyst for High Tech Compounds $($HTC$)$ Corporation. HTC is a Michigan$-$based producer of highly specialized materials for application in a number of industries including automotive, aeronautics, sports, construction, and transport. The company has $375$ employees and an annual revenue of roughly $$850$ million.

You work for the composite materials group. Composites are made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties that, when combined, produce a new material with characteristics different from the individual components. HTC produces a range of composite materials. Composites are made to customer specifications, which change depending on their use. HTC is particularly well known for producing high quality glass reinforced with polymers. HTC uses these reinforced glass composites to create airplanes windows. Production requires rigorous quality standards in line with US Federal Aviation Administration Order $8110\mathrm{.}22$ which governs aviation parts manufacturers.

Over the last five years, HTC has established itself as an industry leader in the production of airplanes windows. A large part of the reason HTC has become an industry leader in this market segment is because of the innovative process that it uses to create its products. This process has served the company well up to this point. But now, increasing demand and more stringent regulatory requirements have begun to put a strain on HTC production process.