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. I.XL, based in Medicine Hat, Alberta, produces clay bricks. It mixes dry ink t

ID: 348824 • Letter: #

Question

.      I.XL, based in Medicine Hat, Alberta, produces clay bricks. It mixes dry ink to its bricks to make them brown. I.XL’s demand for dry ink is 70 tons per year. Currently, I.XL buys the dry ink from an import merchant who buys the ink from a Delaware manufacturer. The shipments arrive in lot size of 30 tons by rail. The current cost of dry ink is $610 per ton, including rail transport cost to I.XL location. I.XL keeps 7 tons of dry ink as safety stock. I.XL’s buyer thinks that the merchant is overcharging. Therefore, he contacted the manufacturer directly and asked if he could purchase dry ink directly from them. The answer was affirmative and the cost would be $500 per ton if picked up at the manufacturer’s shipping dock. A common carrier has quoted a price of $3,000 to haul a full truckload of dry ink (25 tons) from Delaware to Medicine Hat. The trip will take 6 days. The holding cost rate for I.XL is 12% of unit cost per year. For truck deliveries, I.XL will only hold 3 tons of safety stocks. Which alternative has lower total annual cost?

         Current (Rail)

                        Annual purchase (& transport) cost =

           

                        Annual safety stock holding cost =                             ___________

                                                                                                 

               Direct from manufacturer (Truck)

                        Annual purchase cost (in C$) =

                       

                        Annual transport cost =

         

                        Annual in-transit holding cost =

                       

                                    Annual safety stock holding cost =    

Explanation / Answer

A) Current Rail:  

1) Demand for Dry Ink = 70 tons per year

The current cost of per ton ink = $610

So, Annual purchase(& transport) cost = $610 x 70 tons = $ 42,700

2) Safety stock = 7 tons

Holding cost = 12% of unit cost per year

Annual Safety stock holding cost for 1 ton = $610 *12/100 =$73.20 per unit

Annual safety stock holding cost for 7 tons = 7 tons x $73.20 = $512.40

Total Cost = $43,212.40

B) Direct from manufacturer (Truck):

1) Annual Purchase cost (in C$) = $ 35,000

Demand for Dry Ink = 70 tons per year

The current cost of per ton ink = $500

So, Annual purchase cost = $500 x 70 tons = $ 35,000

2) Annual Transport Cost = $8,800

cost = $3000 per 25 tons

Annual demand = 70 tons

Transport cost per ton = $3000 / 25 tons = $120

Annual Transport cost = $120 * 70 = $8,800

4) Annual Safety stock holding cost for 3 tons= $180

Holding cost = 12% of unit cost per year

Annual Safety stock holding cost for 1 ton = $500 *12/100 =$ 60 per unit

Annual safety stock holding cost for 3 tons = 3 tons x $60 = $180