Case Problem 2 Phoenix Computer
Case Problem 2 Phoenix Computer
1. The monthly cost of a new employee is $2,250 = $27,000/12. The training program is 3
months for a new employee and costs $1,500. So the total cost of hiring a new employee and
training her/him to be a laptop specialist is $8,250 = 3($2,250) + $1,500.
2. The training program is only 2 months for current employees and costs $1,000. So a
replacement employee will only need to be hired 2 months before the laptop specialist is
needed in this case. So the incremental cost of putting a current employee through the
training program is $5,500 = 2($2,250) + $1,000.
3. It is clear that 100 new employees will need to be hired either to become laptop specialists
themselves or to replace current employees who will become laptop specialists. So the
company's monthly payroll cost will increase by $225,000 = 100($2,250) in September over
January.
A linear program can be formulated and solved to minimize the cost of hiring and training
over the period from February to August. The following variable definitions are used:
There are 16 constrains needed. The first 5 deal with meeting the needs for laptop
specialists. Constraints (6) through (10) restrict the number of current employees that may
enter the program while Constraints (11) through (16) deal with the capacity of the training
center.
The following output from The Management Scientist shows a model and solution that can
be used to answer the questions in part 3.
MIN
8250Feb3+5500Mar2+2250IdleMay+8250Mar3+5500Apr2+2250IdleJun+8250Apr
3+55 00May
2+2250IdleJul+8250May3+5500Jun2+2250IdleAug+8250Jun3+5500Jul2+2250
IdleS ep
S.T.
1) 1Feb3+1Mar2-1IdleMay=20
2) 1Feb3+1Mar2+1Mar3+1Apr2-1IdleJun=30
3) 1Feb3+1Mar2+1Mar3+1Apr2+1Apr3+1May2-1IdleJul=85
4) 1Feb3+1Mar2+1Mar3+1Apr2+1Apr3+1May2+1May3+1Jun2-1IdleAug=85
5)
1Feb3+1Mar2+1Mar3+1Apr2+1Apr3+1May2+1May3+1Jun2+1Jun3+1Jul2-IdleSep
=100
6) 1Mar2<15
7) 1Mar2+1Apr2<35
8) 1Mar2+1Apr2+1May2<35
9) 1Mar2+1Apr2+1May2+1Jun2<40
10) 1Mar2+1Apr2+1May2+1Jun2+1Jul2<50
11) 1Feb3<25
12) 1Mar2+1Mar3<25
13) 1Apr2+1Apr3<25
14) 1May2+1May3<25
15) 1Jun2+1Jun3<25
16) 1Jul2<25
OPTIMAL SOLUTION