A firm installs1500 air conditioners which need to be serviced every six months. The firm can hire a team from its logistics department at a fixed cost of $6,000.00. Each unit will be serviced by the team at $15.00. The firm can also outsource this at a cost of $17.00 inclusive of all charges.

a. For the given number of units, compute the total cost of servicing for both options. which is a better decision?

b. Find the break-even volume and characterize the range of volumes for which it is more economical to outsource.