Outsourcing (Make-or-Buy) Decision

Mountain Air Limited manufactures a line of room air purifiers. Management is currently evaluating the possible production of an air purifier for automobiles. Based on an annual volume of 10,000 units, the predicted cost per unit of an auto air purifier follows.

Direct materials$ 8.00Direct labor1.50Factory overhead7.00Total$ 16.50

These cost predictions include $50,000 in facility-level fixed factory overhead averaged over 10,000 units.

The completed air purifier units include a battery-operated electric motor, whichMountain Air assembles with parts purchased from an outside vendor for $2.00 per motor.Mini Motor Company has offered to supply an assembled battery-operated motor at a cost of $5.00 per unit, with a minimum annual order of 5,000 units. If Mountain Air accepts this offer, it will be able to reduce the variable labor and variable overhead costs of the auto air purifier by 50 percent.

(a) Determine whether Mountain Air should continue to make the electric motor or outsource it from Mini Motor Company. (Hint: Analyze the relevant costs of making the "motors," not the entire air purifier.)

• Calculate the net advantage (disadvantage)of outsourcing the electric motors from Mini Motor Company.
• Use a negative sign with your answer to indicate a net disadvantageof outsourcing (if applicable.)
• $Answer

(b) If it could otherwise rent the motor-assembly space for $20,000 per year, should it make or outsource this component?

• Calculate the net advantage (disadvantage)of outsourcing themotors, assuming thespace could be rented.
• Use a negative sign with your answer to indicate a net disadvantageof outsourcing (if applicable).
• $Answer

(c) Management should consider which of the following nonquantitative factors in deciding whether to make or buy the motors.

The quality of their own and the supplier's motors.

The dependability of the supplier.

Whether Mini Motor has a track record of meeting its commitments.

Whether they can depend on Mini Motor to supply motors for a number of years or whether it is attempting to use some temporarily idle capacity.

All of these.

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