Quiz 13: Inventory Management

One important use of inventories in manufacturing is to decouple operations through the use of work in process inventories.

The objective of inventory management is to minimize the cost of holding inventory.

A retail store that carries twice the inventory as its competitor will provide twice the customer service level.

The overall objective of inventory management is to achieve satisfactory levels of customer service while keeping inventory costs reasonable.

The two main concerns of inventory control relate to the costs and the level of customer service.

To provide satisfactory levels of customer service while keeping inventory costs within reasonable bounds, two fundamental decisions must be made about inventory: the timing and size of orders.

In the EOQ formula, holding costs under 10% are expressed as percentages, above 10% are expressed as annual unit costs.

DVD recorders would be an example of independent demand items.

Reorder point models are primarily used for dependent demand items.

An example of inventory holding cost is the cost of moving goods to temporary storage after receipt from a supplier.

Decoupling operations applies to the railroad industry.

Interest, insurance, and opportunity costs are all associated with holding costs.

The A-B-C approach involves classifying inventory items by unit cost, with expensive items classified as 'A' items and low cost items classified as 'C' items.

An inventory buffer adds value and lowers cost in all supply chains.

In the A-B-C approach, C items typically represent about 15 percent of the number of items, but 60 percent of the dollar usage.

EOQ inventory models are basically concerned with the timing of orders.

The average inventory level is inversely related to order size.

The average inventory level and the number of orders per year are inversely related: As one increases, the other decreases.

The EOQ should be regarded as an approximate quantity rather than an exact quantity.Thus, rounding the calculated value is acceptable.

Carrying cost is a function of order size; the larger the order, the higher the inventory carrying cost.

Understocking an inventory item is a sure sign of inadequate inventory control.

Annual ordering cost is inversely related to order size.

The total cost curve is relatively flat near the EOQ.

Because price isn't a factor in the EOQ formula, quantity discounts won't affect EOQ calculations.

In the quantity discount model, if holding costs are given as a percentage of unit price, a graph of the total cost curves will have the same EOQ for each curve.

In the quantity discount model, the optimum quantity will always be found on the lowest total cost curve.

ROP models indicate to managers the time between orders.

When to order can be calculated by the ROP and expressed as a quantity.

The rate of demand is an important factor in determining the ROP.

The inventory value of the supply chain exceeds the inventory value of the organization's work in process inventory.

Safety stock is held because we anticipate future demand.

Variability in demand and/or lead time can be compensated for by safety stock.

Solving quality problems can lead to lower inventory levels.

ROP models assume that demand during lead time is composed of a series of dependent daily demands.

Profit margins tend to be inversely related to inventory turns.

In the fixed-order interval model, the order size is the same for each order.

The fixed-order interval model requires a continuous monitoring of inventory levels.

Discrete stocking levels are used when an organization doesn't want visibility of inventory levels.

The fixed-order interval model requires a larger amount of safety stock than the ROP model for the same risk of a stockout.

The single-period model can be very helpful in determining when to order.

The single-period model can be very helpful in determining how much to order.

Monitoring inventory turns over time can be used as a measure of performance.

A single-period model would be used mainly by organizations going out of business.

The basic EOQ model ignores the purchasing cost.

When the item is offered for resale, shortage costs in the single-period model can include a charge for loss of customer goodwill.

In the single-period model, the service level is the probability that demand will not exceed the stocking level in any period.

A quantity discount will lower the reorder point.

It is critical that the exact quantity calculated in the EOQ model be ordered.

Safety stock eliminates all stock outs.

The calculation of safety stock requires knowledge of demand and lead time variability.

The two basic issues in inventory are how much to order and when to order.

Cycle counting can be used in motorcycle inventory control.

Using the EOQ model, the higher an item's carrying costs, the more frequently it will be ordered.

The cycle time represents the time between reorder point and receipt of order.

The cost of placing an order is a function of order size.

All stock outs must be avoided.

In the basic EOQ model, annual holding cost is one-half of the total annual cost for all items purchased.

Quantity discounts are generally given for large number of orders.

The larger the number of orders placed, the larger the average level of inventory.

Which of the following is not one of the assumptions of the basic EOQ model? A)Annual demand requirements are known and constant. B)Lead time does not vary. C)Each order is received in a single delivery. D)Quantity discounts are available. E)All of the above are necessary assumptions.

Which of the following interactions with vendors would potentially lead to inventory reductions? A)reduce lead times B)increase safety stock C)less frequent purchases D)larger batch quantities E)longer order intervals

A non-linear cost related to order size is the cost of: A)interest B)insurance C)taxes D)receiving E)space

In a two-bin inventory system, the amount contained in the second bin is equal to the: A)ROP B)EOQ C)amount in the first bin D)optimum stocking level E)safety stock

When carrying costs are stated as a percentage of unit price, the minimum points on the total cost curves: A)Line up B)Equal zero C)Do not line up D)Cannot be calculated E)Depend on the percentage assigned

Dairy items, fresh fruit and newspapers are items that: A)do not require safety stocks B)cannot be ordered in large quantities C)are subject to deterioration and spoilage D)require that prices be lowered every two days E)have minimal holding costs

Which of the following is least likely to be included in order costs? A)processing vendor invoices for payment B)moving delivered goods to temporary storage C)inspecting incoming goods for quantity D)taking an inventory to determine how much is needed E)temporary storage of delivered goods

In an A-B-C system, the typical percentage of the number of items in inventory for A items is about: A)10 B)30 C)50 D)70 E)90

In the A-B-C classification system, items which account for fifteen percent of the total dollar-volume for a majority of the inventory items would be classified as: A)A items B)B items C)C items D)A items plus B items E)B items plus C items

In the A-B-C classification system, items which account for sixty percent of the total dollar-volume for few inventory items would be classified as: A)A items B)B items C)C items D)A items plus B items E)B items plus C items

The purpose of "cycle counting" is to: A)count all the items in inventory B)count bicycles and motorcycles in inventory C)reduce discrepancies between inventory records and actual D)reduce theft E)count 10% of the items each month

The EOQ model is most relevant for which one of the following? A)ordering items with dependent demand B)determination of safety stock C)ordering perishable items D)determining fixed interval order quantities E)determining fixed order quantities

Which is not a true assumption in the EOQ model? A)Production rate is constant B)Lead time doesn't vary C)No more than 3 items are involved D)Usage rate is constant E)No quantity discounts

In a supermarket, a vendor's restocking the shelves every Monday morning is an example of: A)safety stock replenishment B)economic order quantities C)reorder points D)fixed order interval E)blanket ordering

A cycle count program will usually require that 'A' items be counted: A)daily. B)once a week. C)monthly. D)quarterly. E)more frequently than annually.

A risk avoider would want ______ safety stock. A)Less B)More C)The same D)Zero E)50%

In the basic EOQ model, if annual demand doubles, the effect on the EOQ is: A)It doubles. B)It is four times its previous amount. C)It is half its previous amount. D)It is about 70 percent of its previous amount. E)It increases by about 40 percent.

In the basic EOQ model, if lead time increases from five to 10 days, the EOQ will: A)double B)increase, but not double C)decrease by a factor of two D)remain the same E)none of the above

In the basic EOQ model, an annual demand of 40 units, an ordering cost of $5, and a holding cost of $1 per unit per year will result in an EOQ of: A)20 B)square root of 200 C)200 D)400 E)none of these

In the basic EOQ model, if D = 60 per month, S = $12, and H = $10 per unit per month, EOQ is: A)10 B)12 C)24 D)72 E)144

In the basic EOQ model, if annual demand is 50, carrying cost is $2, and ordering cost is $15, EOQ is approximately: A)11 B)20 C)24 D)28 E)375

Which of the following is not true for Economic Production Quantity model? A)Usage rate is constant. B)Production rate exceeds usage rate. C)Run size exceeds maximum inventory. D)There are no ordering or setup costs. E)Average inventory is one-half maximum inventory.

Given the same demand, setup/ordering costs, and carrying costs, the EOQ calculated using incremental replenishment will be ____________ if instantaneous replenishment was assumed: A)greater than the EOQ B)equal to the EOQ C)smaller than the EOQ D)greater than or equal to the EOQ E)smaller than or equal to the EOQ

The introduction of quantity discounts will cause the optimum order quantity to be: A)smaller B)unchanged C)greater D)smaller or unchanged E)unchanged or greater

A fill rate is the percentage of _____ filled by stock on hand. A)Shipments B)Demand C)Inventory D)Safety stock E)Lead time

In the quantity discount model, with carrying cost stated as a percentage of unit purchase price, in order for the EOQ of the lowest curve to be optimum, it must: A)have the lowest total cost B)be in a feasible range C)be to the left of the price break quantity for that price D)have the largest quantity compared to other EOQ's E)none of the above

Which one of the following is not generally a determinant of the reorder point? A)rate of demand B)length of lead time C)lead time variability D)stockout risk E)purchase cost

If no variations in demand or lead time exist, the ROP will equal: A)the EOQ B)expected usage during lead time C)safety stock D)the service level E)the EOQ plus safety stock

If average demand for an inventory item is 200 units per day, lead time is three days, and safety stock is 100 units, the reorder point is: A)100 units B)200 units C)300 units D)600 units E)700 units

Which one of the following is implied by a "lead time" service level of 95 percent? A)Approximately 95 percent of demand during lead time will be satisfied. B)Approximately 95 percent of inventory will be used during lead time. C)The probability is 95 percent that demand during lead time will exactly equal the amount on hand at the beginning of lead time. D)The probability is 95 percent that demand during lead time will not exceed the amount on hand at the beginning of lead time. E)none of the above

Which one of the following is implied by an "annual" service level of 95 percent? A)Approximately 95 percent of demand during lead time will be satisfied. B)The probability is 95 percent that demand will exceed supply during lead time. C)The probability is 95 percent that demand will equal supply during lead time. D)The probability is 95 percent that demand will not exceed supply during lead time. E)None of the above.

Daily usage is exactly 60 gallons per day.Lead time is normally distributed with a mean of 10 days and a standard deviation of 2 days.What is the standard deviation of demand during lead time? A)60 x 2 B)60 times the square root of 2 C)60 times the square root of 10 D)60 x 10 E)none of the above

Lead time is exactly 20 days long.Daily demand is normally distributed with a mean of 10 gallons per day and a standard deviation of 2 gallons.What is the standard deviation of demand during lead time? A)20 x 2 B)20 x 10 C)2 times the square root of 20 D)2 times the square root of 10 E)none of the above

All of the following are possible reasons for using the fixed order interval model except: A)Supplier policy encourages use. B)Grouping orders can save in shipping costs. C)The required safety stock is lower than with an EOQ/ROP model. D)It is suited to periodic checks of inventory levels rather than continuous monitoring. E)Continuous monitoring is not practical.

Which of these products would be most apt to involve the use of a single-period model? A)gold coins B)hammers C)fresh fish D)calculators E)frozen corn

In a single-period model, if shortage and excess costs are equal, then the optimum service level is: A)0 B).33 C).50 D).67 E)none of these

In a single-period model, if shortage cost is four times excess cost, then the optimum service level is ___ percent. A)100 B)80 C)60 D)40 E)20

In the single-period model, if excess cost is double shortage cost, the approximate stockout risk, assuming an optimum service level, is ___ percent. A)100 B)67 C)50 D)33 E)5

If, in a single-period inventory situation, the probabilities of demand being 1, 2, 3, or 4 units are .3, .3, .2, and .2, respectively.If two units are stocked, what is the probability of selling both of them? A).5 B).6 C).7 D).8 E)none of these

The management of supply chain inventories focuses on: A)internal inventories B)external inventories C)both internal and external inventories D)safety stock elimination E)optimizing reorder points

An operations strategy for inventory management should work towards: A)increasing lot sizes B)decreasing lot sizes C)increasing safety stocks D)decreasing service levels E)increasing order quantities

Cycle stock inventory is intended to deal with ________. A)excess costs B)shortage costs C)stockouts D)expected demand E)quantity discounts

An operations strategy which recognizes high carrying costs and reduces ordering costs will result in: A)unchanged order quantities B)slightly decreased order quantities C)greatly decreased order quantities D)slightly increased order quantities E)greatly increased order quantities

The need for safety stocks can be reduced by an operations strategy which: A)increases lead time B)increases lead time variability C)increases lot sizes D)decreases ordering costs E)decreases lead time variability

If average demand for an item is 20 units per day, safety stock is 50 units, and lead time is four days, the ROP will be: A)20 B)50 C)70 D)80 E)130

With an A-B-C system, an item that had a high demand but a low annual dollar volume would probably be classified as: A)A B)B C)C D)none of these

The fixed order interval model would be most likely to be used for this situation: A)A company has switched from mass production to lean production. B)Production is done in batches. C)Spare parts are ordered when a new machine is purchased. D)Grouping orders can save shipping costs. E)none of these

Which item would be least likely to be ordered under a fixed order interval system? A)textbooks at a college bookstore B)auto parts at an assembly plant C)cards at a gift shop D)canned peas at a supermarket E)none of these

Which one of these would not be a factor in determining the reorder point? A)the EOQ B)the lead time C)the variability of demand D)the demand or usage rate E)all are factors

A car rental agency uses 96 boxes of staples a year.The boxes cost $4 each.It costs $10 to order staples, and carrying costs are $0.80 per box on an annual basis. Determine: (A) the order quantity that will minimize the sum of ordering and holding boxes of staples (B) the annual cost of ordering and carrying the boxes of staples

A service garage uses 120 boxes of cleaning cloths a year.The boxes cost $6 each.Ordering cost is $3 and holding cost is 10 percent of purchase cost per unit on an annual basis. Determine: (A) The economic order quantity (B) The total cost of carrying the cloths (excluding purchase price) (C) The average inventory

A shop that makes candles offers a scented candle, which has a monthly demand of 360 boxes.Candles can be produced at a rate of 36 boxes per day.The shop operates 20 days a month.Assume that demand is uniform throughout the month.Setup cost is $60 for a run, and holding cost is $2 per box on a monthly basis. Determine the following: (A) the economic run size (B) the maximum inventory (C) the number of days in a run

Estimated demand for gold-filled lockets at Sam's Bargain Jewelry and Housewares is 2,420 lockets a year.Manager Veronica Winters has indicated that ordering cost is $45, and that the following price schedule applies: 1 to 599 lockets, $.90 each; 600 to 1,199 lockets, $.80 each; and 1,200 or more, $.75 each.What order size will minimize total cost if carrying cost is $.18 per locket on an annual basis?

Suppose that you are the manager of a production department that uses 400 boxes of rivets per year.The supplier quotes you a price of $8.50 per box for an order size of 199 boxes or less, a price of $8.00 per box for orders of 200 to 999 boxes, and a price of $7.50 per box for an order of 1,000 or more boxes.You assign a holding cost of 20 percent of the price to this inventory.What order quantity would you use if the objective is to minimize total annual costs of holding, purchasing, and ordering? Assume ordering cost is $80/order.

The operator of a concession at a downtown location estimates that he will sell 400 bags of circus peanuts during a month.Carrying costs are 17 percent of unit price and ordering cost is $22.The price schedule for bags of peanuts is: 1 to 199, $1.00 each; 200 to 499, $.94 each; and 500 or more $.87 each.What order size would be most economical?

A dry cleaning firm uses an average of 20 gallons of cleaning fluid a day.Usage tends to be normally distributed with a standard deviation of two gallons per day.Lead time is four days, and the desired service level is 92 percent.What amount of safety stock is appropriate if a fixed order size of 600 gallons is used?

Suppose that usage of cooking oil at Harry's Fish Fry is normally distributed with an average of 15 gallons/day and a standard deviation of two gallons/day.Harry has just fired the manager and taken over operating the restaurant himself.Harry has asked you to help him decide how to reorder cooking oil in order to achieve a service level which is seven times the risk of stockout (7/8).Lead time is eight days.Assume that cooking oil can be ordered as needed.

A bakery's use of corn sweetener is normally distributed with a mean of 80 gallons per day and a standard deviation of four gallons per day.Lead time for delivery of the corn sweetener is normal with a mean of six days and a standard deviation of two days.If the manager wants a service level of 99 percent, what reorder point should be used?

A manager reorders lubricant when the amount on-hand reaches 422 pounds.Average daily usage is 45 pounds, which is normally distributed with a standard deviation of three pounds per day.Lead time is nine days.What is the risk of a stockout?

Given the following information: Order quantity = 300;

A company can produce a part it uses in an assembly operation at the rate of 50 an hour.The company operates eight hours a day, 300 days a year.Daily usage of the part is 300 parts.The company uses the part every day.The run size is 6,000 parts.The annual holding cost is $2 per unit, and setup cost is $100. (A) How many runs per year will there be? (B) While production is occurring, how many parts per day are being added to inventory? (C) Assuming that production begins when there are no parts on hand, what is the maximum number of parts in inventory? (D) The machine is dedicated to this product.Every so often, preventive maintenance, which requires six working days, must be performed on it.Does this interrupt production cycles, or is there enough time between cycles to perform the maintenance? Explain.

The injection molding department of a company uses 40 pounds of a powder a day.Inventory is reordered when the amount on hand is 240 pounds.Lead time averages five days.It is normally distributed and has a standard deviation of two days.What is the probability of a stockout during lead time?

A shop owner uses a reorder point approach to restocking a certain raw material.Lead time is six days.Usage of the material during lead time is normally distributed with a mean of 42 pounds and a standard deviation of 4 pounds.When should the raw material be reordered if the acceptable risk of a stockout is 3%?

The manager of a bakery orders three 'cake-to-go' wedding cakes every Saturday to accommodate last minute purchases.Demand for the cakes can be described by a Poisson distribution that has a mean of 2.The cakes cost $10 each to prepare, and they sell for $26 each.Any cakes that haven't been sold by the end of the day are sold for half price the next day.Usually, half of those are sold and the rest are tossed.What stocking level would be appropriate?

A manager has just received a revised price schedule from a vendor.What order quantity should the manager use in order to minimize total costs? Annual Demand is 120 units, ordering cost is $8, and annual carrying cost is $1 per unit.

Compared to the EOQ, the economic production quantity would be approximately: A)the same B)20 percent larger C)40 percent larger D)20 percent smaller E)40 percent smaller

Compared to the EOQ, the maximum inventory would be approximately: A)70 percent higher B)30 percent higher C)the same D)30 percent lower E)70 percent lower

At what point should he reorder Stein beer? A)0 cases remaining B)4 cases remaining C)12 cases remaining D)16 cases remaining E)20 cases remaining

If he were to order 16 cases of Stein beer at a time, what would be the length of an order cycle? A)0.25 days B)3 days C)1 day D)4 days E)20 days

If he were to order 16 cases of Stein beer at a time, what would be the average inventory level? A)4 cases B)12 cases C)8 cases D)20 cases E)16 cases

If he were to order 16 cases of Stein beer at a time, what would be the daily total inventory costs, EXCLUDING the cost of the beer? A)$2.00 B)$4.00 C)$1.28 D)$3.28 E)$2.56

What is the economic order quantity for Stein beer? A)8 cases B)11 cases C)14 cases D)20 cases E)32 cases

At what point should she reorder pepperoni? A)20 pounds remaining B)40 pounds remaining C)60 pounds remaining D)80 pounds remaining E)100 pounds remaining

If she were to order 80 pounds of pepperoni at a time, what would be the length of an order cycle? A)0 days B)0.25 days C)3 days D)4 days E)5 days

If she were to order 80 pounds of pepperoni at a time, what would be the average inventory level? A)20 pounds B)40 pounds C)60 pounds D)80 pounds E)100 pounds

If she were to order 80 pounds of pepperoni at a time, what would be the total daily costs, including the cost of the pepperoni? A)$60.00 B)$63.20 C)$64.00 D)$64.10 E)$65.00

What is the economic order quantity for pepperoni? A)20 pounds B)40 pounds C)60 pounds D)80 pounds E)100 pounds

Assuming a thirty-day month, at what point should bills be reordered? A)0 bills remaining B)417 bills remaining C)2,500 bills remaining D)10,000 bills remaining E)12,500 bills remaining

Assuming a thirty-day month, if she were to order 6,000 bills at a time, what would be the length of an order cycle? A)0.48 days B)2.08 days C)6 days D)8.4 days E)14.4 days

If she were to order 6,000 bills at a time, what would be the dollar value of the average inventory level? A)$3,000 B)$6,000 C)$12,500 D)$300,000 E)$600,000

If she were to order 6,000 bills at a time, what would be the average monthly total costs, EXCLUDING the value of the bills? A)$625 B)$1,250 C)$2,500 D)$3,125 E)$37,500

What is the economic order quantity? A)600 bills B)3,000 bills C)949 bills D)6,215 bills E)12,500 bills

What is the economic order quantity for this item?

For the economic order quantity, what is the length of an order cycle?

For the economic order quantity, what is the reorder point?

For the economic order quantity, what is the average inventory level?

For the economic order quantity, what are average weekly ordering costs?

For the economic order quantity, what are average weekly carrying costs?

For the economic order quantity, what are average weekly total costs, including the cost of the inventory item?

At what point should resin be reordered? A)0 kilograms remaining B)50 kilograms remaining C)200 kilograms remaining D)400 kilograms remaining E)500 kilograms remaining

If order size was 1,000 kilograms of resin, what would be the length of an order cycle? A)0.05 days B)4 days C)16 days D)20 days E)50 days

If the order size was 1,000 kilograms of resin, what would be the average inventory level? A)50 kilograms B)200 kilograms C)500 kilograms D)800 kilograms E)1,000 kilograms

If the order size was 1,000 kilograms of resin, what would be the daily total inventory costs, EXCLUDING the cost of the resin? A)$5 B)$10 C)$20 D)$25 E)$40

What is the economic order quantity for resin? A)50 kilograms B)100 kilograms C)250 kilograms D)500 kilograms E)1,000 kilograms

A firm stocks a seasonal item that it buys for $22/unit and sells for $29 unit.During the season, daily demand can be described using a Poisson distribution with a mean of 2.4.Because of the nature of the item, units remaining at the close of business each day must be removed at a cost of $2 each.What is the optimum stocking level, and what is the effective service level?

Joe's Coffee Shoppe has fresh doughnuts delivered each morning.Daily demand for plain doughnuts is approximately normal with a mean of 200 and a standard deviation of 15.Joe pays $1.20 per dozen and has a standing order for 16 dozen.Joe and the staff eat any leftovers.What is the implied shortage cost?

A restaurant prepares Peking Duck daily at a cost of $18 per duck.Each duck generates revenue of $47 if sold.Demand for Peking Duck can be described by a Poisson distribution with a mean of 4.2 ducks per day.Unsold ducks at the end of each day are converted to duck soup at an additional cost of $5 over and above the resulting value as soup.How many ducks should be prepared each day?

A machine is expected to use approximately three spare parts during its useful life.The spares cost $200 each and have no salvage value or other use.The manager has ordered five spares.Assuming a Poisson usage rate, what range of shortage cost is implied? Ce = $200 Mean = 3 (Poisson) Cs = ? Assuming a Poisson-distributed variable with a mean of 3, if stocking 5 units is optimal, this implies that the optimal service level must be between .815 and .916 Thus,

A manager intends to order a new machine and must now decide on the number of spare parts to order along with the machine.The parts cost $400 each and have no salvage value.The manager has compiled a frequency distribution for the probable usage of spare parts, as shown.For what range of shortage costs would stocking one spare part constitute an optimal decision? Number of

If unsold copies can be returned for half credit and the owner stocks ten copies, what is the implied range of shortage cost?

If unsold copies must be destroyed and copies sell for $4.00 each, find the optimum stocking level.

If unsold copies can be returned for half credit and copies sell for $4.25 each, find the optimal stocking level.

Demand for a component averages 80 units per week, with a weekly standard deviation of demand of 14 units.The current supplier of this component offers a four-week lead time.Stockout risk is to be kept at 8%.Assume that it costs $50 to hold one unit in inventory for a year.Suppose the annual cost for the items would be $500 higher if they were purchased from another vendor, but that vendor would offer a two-week lead time.Would it be better to go with the more-expensive but more-responsive vendor?