CH 8

Problem 8-8

Shoney Video Concepts produces a line of videodisc players to be linked to personal computers for video games. Videodiscs have much faster access time than tape. With such a computer/video link, the game becomes a very realistic experience. In a simple driving game where the joystick steers the vehicle, for example, rather than seeing computer graphics on the screen, the player is actually viewing a segment of a videodisc shot from a real moving vehicle. Depending on the action of the player (hitting a guard rail, for example), the disc moves virtually instantaneously to that segment and the player becomes part of an actual accident of real vehicles (staged, of course).

Shoney is trying to determine a production plan for the next 12 months. The main criterion for this plan is that the employment level is to be held constant over the period. Shoney is continuing in its R&D efforts to develop new applications and prefers not to cause any adverse feelings with the local workforce. For the same reason, all employees should put in full workweeks, even if this is not the lowest-cost alternative. The forecast for the next 12 months is

MONTH	FORECAST DEMAND	MONTH	FORECAST DEMAND
January	560	July	160
February	760	August	160
March	860	September	260
April	560	October	660
May	360	November	760
June	320	December	860

Manufacturing cost is $160 per set, equally divided between materials and labor. Inventory storage cost is $5 per month. A shortage of sets results in lost sales and is estimated to cost an overall $20 per unit short.

The inventory on hand at the beginning of the planning period is 160 units. Ten labor hours are required per videodisc player. The workday is Eight hours.

Develop an aggregate production schedule for the year using a constant workforce. For simplicity, assume 22 working days each month except July, when the plant closes down for three weeks' vacation (leaving 7 working days). Assume that total production capacity is greater than or equal to total demand. (Leave no cells blank - be certain to enter "0" wherever required. Negative values should be indicated by a minus sign. Round down your answers to the nearest whole number.)

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Total

Forecast

560

760

860

560

360

320

160

160

260

660

760

860

Beginning inventory

Available production

Ending inventory

Costs

Total

Lost sales

Inventory

Total