home $/$ study $/$ business $/$ operations management $/$ questions and answers $/$ mba inc. assembles lawn mowers and snow blowers $...$ Question: MBA Inc. assembles lawn mowers and snow blowers fr$...$ Bookmark MBA Inc. assembles lawn mowers and snow blowers from subassemblies and component parts provided by reliable vendors. Both products $($end items$)$ utilize the same small engines, many of the same parts and require the same assembly time and employee labor skills. On December $20,$ the Production Planning Committee of MBA Inc. is due to adopt an aggregate plan for the coming year. The available planning information is as follows: Information: Demand Forecasts Quarter Lawn Mowers Snow Blowers Q $-$ I $10,0009,000$ Q $-$ II $15,0007,000$ Q $-$ III $16,00019,000$ Q $-$ IV $3,00010,000$ Quarter $-$ I Beginning Inventory: Mowers $600$; blowers $400$ Output and Costs: Regular Time $$5\mathrm{.}00$ per unit Overtime $$7\mathrm{.}50$ per unit Subcontract $$10\mathrm{.}00$ per unit Part Time $$12\mathrm{.}00$ per unit Inventory $$4\mathrm{.}00$ per unit per quarter based on avg. inventory during each quarter Backorders $$8\mathrm{.}00$ per unit per period $($based on backorders at end of period$)$ Hiring $$100\mathrm{.}00$ per employee $($Full$-$Time or Part$-$Time$)$ Layoff $$500\mathrm{.}00$ per employee $($no cost if Part$-$Time$)$ Production Rates: Regular $500$ units per Full$-$Time employee per quarter $($of either unit$)$ Overtime up to $200$ units per Full$-$Time employee per quarter $($of either unit$)$ Part Time $400$ units per Part Time employee per quarter $($of either unit$)$ Production work force: As of the first of the year, the production work force consists of $44$ Full$-$Time employees. Additional Assumptions: $1)$ Part Time employees may not work overtime $2)$ Assume $100\%$ utilization of Full$-$Time employees on regular time and of Part Time employees at all times $($i$.$e$.,$ all such employees on the payroll during a period produce at the rates shown under Production Rates$).3)$ Overtime utilization of Full$-$Time employees can be on an as needed basis subject to the limitation on maximum overtime output shown under Production Rates. The V$.$P of Marketing is not all that happy with the large volume of backorders in your plan from question $1$A $.$ She asks that you develop a plan that requires no backorders at any time during the year. The V$.$P$.$ of manufacturing says that he will insist that any such plan specify level output each quarter. The V$.$P$.$ of Finance states that you no longer need to have a Qtr$.$ IV ending inventory of zero but it should be as low as possible. Use the original demand data, beginning inventory, etc. from problem $1.$ Develop a plan that will meet the requirements of all three V$.$P