Novelty Gadgets is a marketer of inexpensive

toys and novelties that it sells to retail stores,

specialty stores, and catalog companies. As an

accountant working for the company, you have

been asked to design a product code for the

company. In analyzing this problem, you have

discovered the following:

a. The company has three major product lines:

(1) toys and games, (2) party and magic

tricks, and (3) inexpensive gifts. There are

major subproducts within each of these

product lines, and the number of these categories is 25, 18, and 113, respectively.

b. The company has divided its selling efforts

into five geographic areas: (1) the United

States, (2) the Far East, (3) Europe and Africa,

(4) South America, and (5) International (a

catchall area). Each major geographic area

has several sales districts (never more than

99 per area). Between 1 and 20 salespeople

are assigned to each district.

c. As noted earlier, there are three major categories of customers, and certain customers

can also purchase goods on credit. There

are five different classes of credit customers

and each rating indicates the maximum

amount of credit the customer can have.

Design a group code that Novelty Gadgets could use to prepare sales analysis

reports. Be sure to identify each digit or

position in your code in terms of both use

and meaning.