Here are screenshots of the spreadsheet given to me:

1. Based on Table 5-14 Annual demand at CoolWipes and Table 5-15 Transportation costs per unit, without using Excel Solver, can you recommend in what cities should the new plant(s) be built for wipes or ointment? Please explain your reasons.
2. What is the annual cost, including fixed costs, variable costs, and transportation costs, of serving the entire nation from Chicago?
3. To minimize the annual cost, in what cities should the plant(s) be built and what product lines should be included? Assume that the Chicago plant will be maintained at its current capacity.
4. What is the minimal annual cost?

I need help with these four questions, *NOT* the questions asked in the case study paper! Thank you

The professor mentioned something about using solver in excel to help get the answer.

CASE STUDY Designing the Production Network at Cool Wipes Matt O'Grady, vice president of supply chain at save the company significant amounts in transportation CoolWipes, thought that his current production and dis- expense in the future. tribution network was not appropriate, given the signifi- cant increase in transportation costs over the past few Cool Wipes years. Compared to when the company had set up its production facility in Chicago, transportation costs had Cool Wipes was founded in the late 1980s and produced increased by a factor of more than four and were baby wipes and diaper ointment. Annual demand for the expected to continue growing in the next few years. A two products was as shown in Table 5-14. At that time, quick decision on building one or more new plants could the company had one factory in Chicago that produced TABLE 5-14 Regional Annual Demand at Cool Wipes (in thousands) Wipes Ointment Wipes Ointment Zone Demand Demand Zone Demand Demand Northwest 50 Lower Midwest 800 65 Southwest 700 90 Northeast 1,000 120 Upper Midwest 120 Southeast 600 70 500 900 TABLE 5-15 Transportation Costs per Unit Chicago Princeton Atlanta Los Angeles Northwest Southwest Upper Midwest $6.32 $6.32 $3.68 $6.60 $6.60 $5.76 $6.72 $6.48 $5.92 $4.36 $3.68 $6.32 Lower Midwest $4.04 $5.92 $4.08 $6.32 Northeast Southeast $5.76 $5.96 $3.68 $4.08 $4.04 $3.64 $6.72 $6.60 both products for the entire country. The wipes line in the Matt had to decide whether to build a new plant and if so, Chicago facility had an annual capacity of 5 million units, which production lines to put into the new plant. an annualized fixed cost of $5 million a year, and a vari- able cost of $10 per unit. The ointment line in the Chi- Study Questions cago facility had an annual capacity of 1 million units, an 1. What is the annual cost of serving the entire nation from annualized fixed cost of $1.5 million a year, and a vari- Chicago? able cost of $20 per unit. The transportation costs per unit 2. Do you recommend adding any plant(s)? If so, where (for both wipes and ointment) are shown in Table 5-15. should the plant(s) be built and what lines should be included? Assume that the Chicago plant will be main- tained at its current capacity but could be run at lower uti- New Network Options lization. Would your decision be different if transportation Matt had identified Princeton, New Jersey; Atlanta; and costs are half of their current value? What if they were Los Angeles as potential sites for new plants. Each new double their current value? plant could have a wipes line, an ointment line, or both. A 3. If Matt could design a new network from scratch (assume new wipes line had an annual capacity of 2 million units, he did not have the Chicago plant but could build it at the cost and capacity specified in the case), what production an annual fixed cost of $2.2 million, and a variable pro- network would you recommend? Assume that any new duction cost of $10 per unit. A new ointment line had an plants built besides Chicago would be at the cost and capac- annual capacity of 1 million units, an annual fixed cost of ity specified under the new network options. Would your $1.5 million, and a variable cost of $20 per unit. The cur- decision be different if transportation costs were half of their rent transportation costs per unit are shown in Table 5-15. current value? What if they were double their current value? Table 5-14 Regional Annual Demand at Cool Wipes (in thousnads) Zone Wipes Demand Ointment Demand Northwest 500 50 Southwest 700 90 Upper Midwest 900 120 Zone Lower Midwest Northeast Southeast Wipes Demand 800 1,000 600 Ointment Demand 65 120 70 Table 5-15 Transportation Costs per Unit Chicago Princeton, NJ Atlanta LA Northwest $6.32 $6.60 $6.72 $4.36 Southwest $6.32 $6.60 S6.48 S3.68 Upper Midwest $3.68 $5.76 $5.92 $6.32 Lower Midwest $4.04 $5.92 $4.08 $6.32 Northeast $5.76 $3.68 $5.14 $6.72 Southeast $5.96 $4.08 $3.64 $6.60 Cost and Capacity Data (in thousands) Chicago Princeton, NJ Atlanta LA Fixed Cost $5,000 $2,200 $2,200 $2,200 $ Wipes Variable Cost/Unit S10 $10 $ S10 $10 Capacity 5,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 Fixed Cost $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $ $1,500 Ointment Variable Cost/Unit $20 $20 $20 $20 Capacity 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Decisions: Plant Open? Wipes Line Open? Ointment Line Open? Yes=1, No=0 Yes=1, No=0 Chicago Princeton, NJ Atlanta LA Northwest Southwest Upper Midwest Lower Midwest Northeast Southeast Decisions: Supply units (in thousands) Wipes Production Chicago Princeton, NJ Atlanta LA Northwest Southwest Upper Midwest Lower Midwest Northeast Southeast Ointment Production Chicago Princeton, NJ Atlanta LA Constraints Northwest Southwest Upper Midwest Lower Midwest Northeast Southeast Total wipes supplied to Zone Wipes demand in Zone Total ointment supplied to Zone Ointment demand in Zone ... Total wipes supplied Total wipes capacity from City in City Total ointment supplied from City Total ointment capacity in City Chicago Princeton, NJ Atlanta LA Costs Wipes Line Ointment Line fixed cost variable cost transportation cost fixed cost variable cost transportation cost total cost