Q4. Harley purchases components from three suppliers. Components purchased from Supplier A are priced at $5 each and used at the rate of 20,000 units per month. Components purchased from Supplier B are priced at $4 each and are used at the rate of 2,500 units per month. Components purchased from Supplier C are priced at $5 each and used at the rate of 900 units per month. Currently, Harley purchases a separate truckload from each supplier. As part of its JIT drive, Harley has decided to aggregate purchases from the three suppliers. The trucking company charges a fixed cost of $400 for the truck with an additional charge of $100 for each stop. Thus, if Harley asks for a pickup from only one supplier, the trucking company charges $500; from two suppliers, it charges $600; and from three suppliers, it charges $700. Assume a holding cost of 20 percent per year.

a) Suggest a replenishment strategy for Harley that minimizes annual cost.

b) Compare the cost of your strategy with Harley’s current strategy of ordering separately from each supplier

. Q5. Ford and GM carry spare parts for their dealers at a third-party warehouse in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Demand for Ford spare parts is 100 units per month, whereas demand for GM parts is 120 per month. Each spare part costs $100 and both companies have a holding cost of 20 percent.

a) Currently, each company uses a separate truck to ship these parts. Each truck has a fixed cost of $500. What is the optimal order size and frequency for Ford? For GM? What is the annual ordering and holding cost for each company?

b) A third-party logistics provider has offered to combine shipments for each of the two companies on a single truck. This will increase the cost of each truck to $600. If the two companies agree to the joint shipment, what is the optimal order frequency and size? What is the annual ordering and holding cost for the two companies combined? Should Ford and GM accept the third party’s proposal?

Q6. W.W. Grainger sources from hundreds of suppliers and is considering the aggregation of inbound shipments to lower costs. Truckload shipping costs $500 per truck along with $100 per pickup. Average annual demand from each supplier is 10,000 units. Each unit costs $50 and Grainger incurs a holding cost of 20 percent. What is the optimal order frequency and order size if Grainger decides to aggregate four suppliers per truck?