Stickler Sticky (SS) Ltd. currently faced with a decision regarding its production equipment. Stickler Sticky (SS) is evaluating two options for its production equipment: upgrading or replacing. The company manufactures and sells 7,500 heaters every year, each priced at $920. The current production equipment, which was acquired at a cost of $2,150,000, has been in use for just two years and is subject to straight-line depreciation over a five-year useful life. Furthermore, it possesses no terminal disposal value, but it can be currently sold for $650,000.

The following table presents data for the two alternatives:

A	B	C
Choice:	Upgrade	Replace
One-time equipment costs:	$3,500,000	$5,200,000
Variable manufacturing cost per Heater:	$180	$90
Remaining useful life of equipment (years):	3	3
Terminal disposal value of equipment:	0	0

Required:

1. Prepare schedule, for the remaining 3 years, reflecting whether SS should upgrade its production line or replace it?

2. Assuming that all other data are as given previously stated, calculate SS's maximum allowable cost for replacement versus upgrading, where there is a negotiable one-time replacement of the production equipment?

3. Assume that the capital expenditures to replace and upgrade the production equipment are as given in the original exercise, but that the production and sales quantity is not known. For what production and sales quantity would SS:

• Upgrade the equipment?
• Replace the equipment?

4. Nick Koe is SS manager, who will be relocated after one year and whose bonus is based on operating income. Given unchanged data, evaluate Nick's decision-making process and which alternative he would choose, taking into account his relocation and bonus dependence.

5. By reference to the above data:

• Explain whether historical costs and future costs are relevant?
• Differentiate between quantitative and qualitative aspects in the process of decisionmaking?

Here are examples to help you in you answering the 5 questions above: