A Missouri job shop has four departments$$machining $($M$),$ dipping in a chemical bath $($D$),$ finishing $($F$),$ and plating

$($P$)$assigned to four work areas. The operations manager, Mary

Marrs, has gathered the following data for this job shop as it is

currently laid out $($Plan A$).$

$100$s of Workpieces Moved Between Work Areas Each

Year Plan A

M DFP

M $6182$

D$42$

F $18$

P$$

Distances Between Work Areas $($Departments$)$ in Feet

M DFP

M $20128$

D $610$

F $4$

P$$

It costs $$0\mathrm{.}50$ to move $1$ workpiece $1$ foot in the job shop.

Marrs$$s goal is to find a layout that has the lowest material handling cost.

a$)$ Determine cost of the current layout, Plan A$,$ from the data above.

b$)$ One alternative is to switch those departments with the high

loads, namely, finishing $($F$)$ and plating $($P$),$ which alters the

distance between them and machining $($M$)$ and dipping $($D$),$ as

follows:

Distances Between Work Areas $($Departments$)$ in Feet Plan B

MD F P

M $20812$

D $106$

F $4$

P $$

What is the cost of this layout?

c$)$ Marrs now wants you to evaluate Plan C$,$ which also switches

milling $($M$)$ and drilling $($D$),$ below.

Distance Between Work Areas $($Departments$)$ in Feet Plan C

MD F P

M $20106$

D $812$

F $4$

P $$

What is the cost of this layout?

d$)$ Which layout is best from a cost perspective? P