ShoeMart offers a large variety of different types of shoes to its customers. The following table provides the sales information for all the products in the shoe category:

$\backslash$table$[[\backslash$table$[[$Product$],[$ID$]],\backslash$table$[[$Monthly$],[$Demand$]],\backslash$table$[[$Unit$],[$Cost$($$$)]]],[$BBAL$-$HI$,190,40],[$BBAL$-$LO$,200,50],[$DRS$-$BL$,210,35],[$DRS$-$BR$,185,50],[$DRS$-$GR$,90,90],[$FBAL$-$HI$,115,80],[$FBAL$-$LO$,150,60],[$RN$-1,350,50],[$RN$-2,275,35],[$RN$-2,150,50],[$SCR$-$GL$,75,100],[$SCR$-$WN$,140,50],[$SNK$-$BLU,$195,35],[$SNK$-$GOL,$160,70],[$SNK$-$GRN$,125,80],[$SNK$-$PIN,$240,35]]$

Problem $1($Qualitative$)$

a$)$ What is the use of process $/$ capacity analysis? Why is it beneficial to a firm? How would the marketing and sales team be impacted by the operation team's process $/$ capacity plan?

b$)$ What is the use of inventory management? Why is it beneficial to a firm? How would the finance team be impacted by the operation team's inventory management plan?