Module C Internet Homework Problems

C.18 The following table presents cost, capacity, and demand data for a transportation problem in
Stephanie Robbin’s furniture company. Set up the appropriate transportation table and find
the initial solution using northwest-corner data. Note that a “dummy” source is needed to
balance the problem.

From \ To 1 2 3 Capacity

A $30 $10 $5 20
B $10 $10 $10 30
C $20 $10 $25 75
Demands 40 60 55

C.19 Determine whether the new solution table presented in Example C4 (see Figure C.8 in the text)
contains the optimal transportation allocation for Arizona Plumbing. If not, compute an improved solution
and test it for optimality.

C.20 After one iteration of the stepping-stone method, G. W. Willis Paint Company produced the
following transportation table. Complete the analysis, determining an optimal shipping solution.

G.W. Willis Paint Company

From \ To Warehouse 1 Warehouse 2 Warehouse 3 Factory

capacity
$8$ 8 $5$ 5 $$6 6
Factory A 120 120

$ 15
$15 $ 10
$10 $$14
14
80
Factory B 80

$3$ 3 $ 9
$9 $$10
10
Factory C 30 50 80

Warehouse
requirements 150 80 50 280

Cost = $2,350

1
C.21 Sound Track Stereos assembles its high-fidelity stereophonic systems at three plants and distributes
them from three regional warehouses. The production capacities at each plant, demand at each
warehouse, and unit shipping costs are presented in the following table:

Sound Track Stereos

From \ To Warehouse
WarehouseB A Plant
Warehouse
supplyB Warehouse C Plant Capacity

Plant W $6 $4 $9 200

Plant Y $10 $5 $6 175

Plant Z $12 $7 $8 75

Warehouse demand 250 100 150 500 \ 450

a) Set up this transportation problem by adding a dummy plant. Then use the northwest-
corner rule to find an initial basic feasible solution.
b) What is the optimal solution?

C.22 Jim Lloyd, vice president for operations of HHN, Inc., a manufacturer of cabinets for telephone
switches, is constrained from meeting his 5-year forecast by limited capacity at the company’s three
existing plants. These plants are Waterloo, Pusan, and Bogota. As his able assistant, you have been told that
because of existing capacity constraints and the expanding world market for HHN cabinets, a fourth plant is
to be added. The real estate department has advised Lloyd that two sites seem particularly good because of
stable political situations and tolerable exchange rates. These two locations are Dublin, Ireland, and
Fontainebleau, France. Lloyd suggests that from the data in the following table, which provide production
and transportation costs, you should be able to determine where the fourth plant should be located. (Note:
This problem is degenerate with the data for both locations.)

Plant Location
MARKET AREA WATERLOO PUSAN BOGOTA FONTAINEBLEAU DUBLIN
Canada: Demand 4,000
Production cost 50 30 40 50 45
Transportation cost 10 25 20 25 25
South America: Demand 5,000
Production cost 50 30 40 50 45
Transportation cost 20 25 10 30 30
Pacific Rim: Demand 10,000
Production cost 50 30 40 50 45
Transportation cost 25 10 25 40 40
Europe: Demand 5,000
Production cost 50 30 40 50 45
Transportation cost 25 40 30 10 20
Capacity 8,000 2,000 5,000 9,000 9,000