Showing posts with label Linear Programming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Linear Programming. Show all posts

Monday, February 27, 2012

Mathematical Problem (Linear Programming)

Problem:
Zenith Inc. manufactures two types of kitchen utensils:
1.      Knives.
2.      Forks.
Both must be pressed and polished. The shop manager estimates that there will be a maximum 70 hours available next week in pressing machine center and 100 hours in polishing machine center. However each case of knives requires an estimated 12 minutes (.20 hour) of pressing and 30 minutes (.50 hour) of polishing while in case of forks requires 24 minutes (.40hour) of pressing and 15 minutes (.25 hour) of polishing. The company can sell as many knives as it produces at the prevailing market price of Tk 12 per case. Forks can be sold for Tk 9 per case. Cost of production per case knives is Tk 4 and forks Tk 3.
Zenith wants to determine how many cases of knives and forks the company should produce to maximize profit.


Solution (Equation type expression):
Zenith’s problem is to determine the quantity of knives and forks that will maximize profit and selected quantities cannot be used more than available pressing and polishing time.

Objective: To maximize profit.

Zenith’s total profit = The contribution from knives + the contribution from forks.
Since,
Each case of knives can be sold @ Tk 12
Each case of knives’ production cost@ Tk 4
So, contribution from each case of knives = Tk (12-4) = Tk 8

Since,
Each case of forks can be sold @ Tk 9
Each case of fork’s production cost@ Tk 3
So, contribution from each case of forks = Tk (9-3) = Tk 6

This Tk 8 and Tk 6 per case knives and per case forks contribution multiplied by number of cases gives total profit from knives and forks respectively.

By letting,
X= Number of knives zenith will produce in next week.
Y= Number of forks zenith will produce in next week.
Z= Zenith’s want of total profit.
Now we can represent Zenith’s total profit, 
                     Z= 8X + 6Y ------------- (I)

The company wants to choose the level of decision variables (X and Y) that maximizes total profit (Z). The objective can be expressed as,
                       Maximize Z = 8X + 6Y ---------(II)


Restrictions:

Available pressing and polishing capacity will limit knives and forks Zenith can produce. Since each case of knives uses .20 hour of pressing time i.e., .20X is the total time required to press X cases knives, similarly .40Y is the total time required to press Y cases of forks.
Consequently, .20X + .40Y gives the total time required to press X cases of knives and Y cases of forks.
Zenith can select any product combination doesn’t require more than 70 hours available pressing time. The mathematical representation of this condition will be-
                     .20X + .40Y ≤ 70 (hour) ----------- (III)

Another system constraint deals with polishing operation management of the business/ company knows that each case of knives uses .50 hour and each case of forks uses .25 hour polishing hour.

Since, there are only 100 hours of polishing time. So we can represent the above description as following:
                           .50X + .20Y ≤ 100 (hour) ------------ (IV)

It is physically impossible for zenith to produce negative number of knives and forks. Therefore, management must ensure that decision variables X and Y have values greater than or equal to 0 (zero).

                           Symbolically, X ≥ 0 and Y ≥ 0
                           In abbreviated form X, Y ≥ 0 ------------ (V)

Complete Formulation:

By collecting objective function (II), system constraints (III) and (IV) and non-negativity condition (V), zenith’s management can be represented the machine shop problem with the following mathematical equation/ function:
Maximize, Z = 8X + 6Y
Subject to,
.20X + .40Y ≤ 70 (System Constraints)
.50X + .25Y ≤ 100 (System Constraints)
 X, Y ≥ 0 (Non-negative function)

Solution (Numerical Expression):

Let us, first consider the inequality into equation we have, 
.20X + .40Y = 70 --------- (I)
And .50X + .25Y = 100 -------- (II)

For the equation number (I), when X=0 then
.20 x 0 + .40Y = 70
Or, Y = 175             [X, Y= 0, 175]

When Y=0 then
.20X   + .40 x 0 = 70
Or, X = 350            [X, Y= 350, 0]


For the equation number (II), when X=0 then
.50 x 0 + .25Y = 100
Or, Y = 400             [X, Y= 0, 400]

When Y=0 then
.50X   + .25 x 0 = 70
Or, X = 200            [X, Y= 200, 0]

Now equation number (I) multiplied by 5 and equation number (II) multiplied by 2. Then deduct (II) from (I), we get-
X + 2Y = 350
X + .50Y = 200
-------------------
1.50Y = 150
So, Y = 100

Putting the value of Y, in equation (I) we get,
.20X + .40 x 100= 70
Or, X = 150

So, X, Y = 150, 100

Now all the values of X and y are ---

For equation Number (I)
When X = 0,   then    X, Y = 0, 175
When Y = 0    then X, Y = 350, 0

For equation Number (II)
When X = 0,   then    X, Y = 0, 400
When Y = 0    then X, Y = 200, 0

And X, Y = 150, 100

 
Putting the above values on graph, we get---
Click on the picture to see the original size.
 
By putting values of variables on X and Y axis and using shadow, we get the crossing point of two lines at (150, 100). So it would be the target point where zenith may get highest profit or lowest profit.

Now, Z = 8X + 6Y
 = 8 x 1500 + 6x 100
 = 1800
Competitive analysis:

Corner point
Total profit
0, 175
Z = (8 x 0) + (6 x 175)= 1050
0, 0
Z = (8 x 0) + (6 x 0)= 0
200, 0
Z = (8 x 200) + (6 x 0)= 1600
150, 100
Z = (8 x 150) + (6 x 100)= 1800


Comment:
Under the above solution, we suggest the production manager to produce 150 cases of knives and 100 cases of forks to maximize profit or minimize costs.

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Operation Research


Operation Research



Operation Research  is also known as-

i.                   Quantitative techniques for decision making.
ii.                  Management Science.
iii.                Quantitative techniques.
iv.                Operation management.

Meaning of Operation Research:

Before coming to the answer, we should know – what is Operation? And what is Research?



Operation:An operation is a set of acts required for the accomplishment of some desired outcomes or objectives. 

Research: Research is a systematic quest to discover the hidden truth.

Operation Research is a systematic and scientific method of providing executive departments with a quantitative basis for decision regarding the operation under their control.
  --Morse and Kimball.

Operation research is a scientific approach to problem solving for executive management.
  --H. M. Wagner

On the other hand, Operation research is the application of scientific method by interdisciplinary teams to problem involving the control of organized systems so as to provide solutions which best to serve the purpose of the organization as a whole.

So we can say that operation research or quantitative technique may be defined as those techniques which provide the decision makers with a systematic and powerful means of analysis and help based on quantitative data in exploring policies for achieving predetermined goals.




Important Operation Research Techniques
(Tools of Operation Research)

1.      Linear Programming:
These techniques are used in finding a solution for optimizing a given objective, such as profit maximization or cost minimization under certain constraints. Linear Programming techniques solve product mix and distribution problems of business and industry. It is a technique used to allocate scare resources in an optimum manner in problems of scheduling product mix and so on.

2.      Queuing Theory:
Waiting line or queuing line deals with mathematical study of queues. The queues are formed whenever the current demand for service exceeds the current capacity to provide that service. Waiting line technique concerned itself with the random arrival of customers at a service station where the facility is limited. Mainly with the help of it we can find the optimum capacity to be installed which will lead to a short of economic balance between cost of service and cost of waiting.

3.      Game Theory:
Game theory is used to determine the optimum strategy in competitive situation. Simply as possible competitive situation is that of two persons are involved, one person wins exactly and other person losses.

4.      Inventory Control Planning:
Inventory control planning aims at optimizing inventory levels. Inventory may be defined as the useful idle resource which has economic value, such as- raw material, spare parts, finished products etc. Mainly it helps to get answer of two questions- How much to buy? And when to buy?

5.      Decision Theory:
Decision theory concerned with making sound decision under conditions of certainty, risk and uncertainty. From the various alternatives decision theory helps to select the best one.

6.     Network Analysis:
Network analysis involves the determination of an optimum sequence of performing certain operations concerning some jobs. In order to minimize the overall time and/ or cost, it uses various models-

  • Programming evaluation and review techniques (PERT);
  • Critical path method (CPM);
  • Gantt Chart etc.