Merton Truck Company Case
1
What is the objective of Merton
2
• Objective is to maximize profits for Merton
3
Why Merton is not able to increase profits
4
Possible Reasons
• Wrong decisions on production quantities
• Capacity problems
5
What decision the Merton has to take to
increase profits
6
• Selection of appropriate production quantities
for both models that maximize profits
• These are called decision variables in
mathematical programming language.
7
Representing linear program in
mathematical form
• Representation of decision variables
• Representation of objective function
• Representation of constraints
8
Representation of Decision Variable
• Let X1 denote the number of Model 101 units
that should be produced
• Let X2 denote the number of Model 102 units
that needs to be produced
9
Representation of Objective Function
• Profits = Contribution – Fixed Cost
• Where contribution = revenue – variable production
costs
• Selection of functional form to represent sub terms .
• Linear ?
• Non linear – logarithmic, exponential ?
10
We need to ask following questions to
ourselves
• How does Revenue, variable production cost,
production time functions vary with the production
quantity ?
• Proportional – are functions proportional to the level
of production quantity
• Additive – do production quantity level affect above
relationship s
• Divisible – can quantities be fractional
• Certainty
• Data 11
• Selection of Linear Model in our case
12
Calculation of correct per unit production
costs and overheads !
•
13
Model 101 Variable Production Cost
• Direct Materials : 24000 $
• Direct Labor : Engine + Stamping + Final Assmb
• = 1200 + 800 + 2000 = 4000
Variable Overhead = Engine+ Metal + 101 Assmb
= 2100 + 2400 + 3500=8000
Per unit Variable Production Cost for 101 = 36000
14
Model 101 Contribution
• Model 101 per unit contribution =
• Selling price per unit - variable cost per unit
• 39000 – 36000 = 3000 dollars
15
Representation of Objective Function
• Metron’s Profits =
• 3000 X1 + 5000 X2 - 8.6 (millions)
• Can we get the profits that we want ?
16
Representation of Constraint
• Engine Assembly Constraint ?
• 1 X1 + 2 X2 <= 4000
• What would be stamping department
constraint ?
17
Final Assembly Constraint
• 101 Assembly constraint
• 2 X1 <= 5000
• What would be 102 Assembly constraint ?
18
Final Mathematical Model
• Maximize : 3000 X1 + 5000 X2 - 8.6 (millions)
• Subject to constraints :
• 1 X1 + 2 X2 <= 4000 engine
• 2X1 + 2X2 < = 6000 stamping
• 2 X1 <= 5000 101 Assembly
• 3 X2 <= 4500 102 Assembly
19
What Next ?
20
Solution Process
• Software's such as Solver ( limited version in
Excel, unlimited could be purchased from
Frontline solvers), Ilog-Cplex and Xpress are
well-known and widely used.
21