Exercises 2
8.1-2 The Childfair Company has three plants producing child push chairs that are to be shipped to
four distribution canters. Plants 1, 2, and 3 produce 12, 17, and 11 shipments per month,
respectively. Each distribution centre needs to receive 10 shipments per month. The distance from
each plant to the respective distributing centres is given below:
Distance
Distribution Centre
1 2 3 4
Plant 1 800 miles 1,300 miles 400 miles 700 miles
2 1,100 miles 1,400 miles 600 miles 1,000 miles
3 600 miles 1,200 miles 800 miles 900 miles
The freight cost for each shipment is $100 plus 50 cents per mile. How much should be shipped from
each plant to each of the distribution centres to minimize the total shipping cost?
1. Formulate this problem as a transportation problem by constructing the appropriate
parameter table. (Exercise 6)
2. Draw the network representation of this problem. (Exercise 6)
3. Use Vogel’s approximation method to obtain an optimal solution. (Exercise 7)
4. Use Russel’s approximation method to obtain optimal solution. (Exercise 8)
5. Use Python pulp to solve this problem. (Exercise 6)
8.1-4 The Versatech Corporation has decided to produce three new products. Five branch plants now
have excess product capacity. The unit manufacturing cost of the first product would be $41, $39,
$42, $38, and $39 in Plants 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. The unit manufacturing cost of the second
product would be $55, $51, $56, $52, and $53 in Plants 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. The unit
manufacturing cost of the third product would be $48, $45, and $50 in Plants 1, 2, and 3,
respectively, whereas Plants 4 and 5 do not have the capability for producing this product. Sales
forecasts indicate that 700, 1,000, and 900 units of products 1, 2, and 3, respectively, should be
produced per day. Plants 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 have the capacity to produce 400, 600, 400, 600, and 1,000
units daily, respectively, regardless of the product or combination of products involved. Assume that
any plant having the capability and capacity to produce them can produce any combination of the
products in any quantity. Management wishes to know how to allocate the new products to the
plants to minimize total manufacturing cost.
1. Formulate this problem as a transportation problem by constructing the appropriate
parameter table.
2. Use Vogel’s approximation method to obtain an optimal solution. (Exercise 7)
3. Use Russel’s approximation method to obtain optimal solution. (Exercise 8)
4. Use Python pulp to solve this problem. (Exercise 6)
8.1-7 The Move-It Company has two plants producing forklift trucks that then are shipped to three
distribution centres. The production costs are the same at the two plants, and the cost of shipping for
each truck is shown for each combination of plant and distribution centre:
Distribution Centre
1 2 3
Plant A $800 $700 $400
B $600 $800 $500
A total of 60 forklift trucks are produced and shipped per week. Each plant can produce and ship any
amount up to a maximum of 50 trucks per week, so there is considerable flexibility on how to divide
the total production between the two plants so as to reduce shipping costs. However, each
distribution centre must receive exactly 20 trucks per week. Management’s objective is to determine
how many forklift trucks should be produced at each plant, and then what the overall shipping
pattern should be to minimize total shipping cost.
1. Formulate this problem as a transportation problem by constructing the appropriate
parameter table.
2. Use Vogel’s approximation method to obtain an optimal solution. (Exercise 7)
3. Use Russel’s approximation method to obtain optimal solution. (Exercise 8)
4. Use Python pulp to solve this problem. (Exercise 6)