Production Planning and Staffing: Problems & Solutions

Production Planning and Staffing Analysis

The following questions refer to data in Tables 15.1, 15.2, and 15.3 (not provided in the prompt, but assumed to be present in the original context). Each question presents a scenario and asks for a specific calculation or decision based on the table data.

78) Use the information in Table 15.1. If the firm is committed to the regular production and overtime production as shown, what level of anticipation inventory would be needed at the start of the first month to result in an ending inventory of zero after month 6? C) 18 units to 25 units

79) Use the information in Table 15.1. According to the production plan, what is the unused overtime capacity in the fourth period? D) 12

80) Use the information in Table 15.1. Which of these changes would result in the greatest improvement (in terms of total cost) for the production plan? C) Increase anticipation inventory to 40 units at the start of the first month.

81) Use the information in Table 15.1. Which of these changes would result in the greatest improvement (in terms of total cost) for the production plan? B) Produce an additional 12 units using subcontracting in the second month.

82) Use the information in Table 15.1. Which of these changes would result in the greatest improvement (in terms of total cost) for the production plan? C) Produce an additional 12 units using overtime in the second and third months.

83) Use the information in Table 15.1. If anticipation inventory is increased to 30 units at the start of the first month, what is the inventory holding cost over the entire planning period? D) $215

84) Use the information in Table 15.1. Which one of these trade-offs works to your greatest advantage in terms of reducing costs over the entire planning period? B) Begin with a larger anticipation inventory to avoid backorders completely.

85) Use the information in Table 15.1. If anticipation inventory were 30 units at the start of the first month, what would the backorder cost be in the fourth month? D) $540

86) Use the information in Table 15.1. What would be the total plan cost if no more than five units each could be made each month by part-time, overtime, and subcontracted workers? C) $4,775

87) Use the information in Table 15.2. The total cost of the staffing plan, including the cost of regular wages, hiring, and layoffs using a chase strategy with hiring and layoffs but no overtime, is: D) greater than $44,000.

88) Use the information in Table 15.2. The total cost of the staffing plan, using a level strategy in which no overtime is allowed and the undertime paid for, is: B) greater than $60,000 but less than or equal to $65,000.

89) Use the information in Table 15.2. Suppose that overtime is allowed up to 25% of the regular-time capacity, and that overtime wages are 150% of the regular-time rate. The total cost of the level strategy with overtime and undertime, which also minimizes undertime, is: A) less than or equal to $60,000.

90) Use the information in Table 15.3. The total cost of the staffing plan, including the cost of regular wages, hiring, and layoffs, using a chase strategy with hiring and layoffs but no overtime, is: D) greater than $126,000.

91) Use the information in Table 15.3. Use a level strategy with overtime and undertime. Minimize undertime by maximizing overtime during the peak period. If the firm does not pay undertime, what is the total cost of the staffing plan including the cost of regular wages, hiring, and layoffs? A) less than or equal to $158,000

92) Use the information in Table 15.3. Use a chase strategy with hiring and layoffs but no overtime. How many workers will be hired in month 3? D) greater than 20

Key Concepts in Workforce Management

93) The workforce schedule: A) determines when employees work.

94) Gantt charts can be used to: C) monitor the progress of jobs and sequence work on each machine.

95) Job flow time is defined as the: A) time of completion of a job plus the time it was available in a work station.

96) Which one of the following approaches for scheduling customer demand would be appropriate for a dentist? D) appointments