1. Stix Furniture Company
Yesterday, the employees at Stix produced 46 chairs. Of the 46 chairs produced, 12 were damaged due to a problem with a new sanding machine. The damaged chairs can be discounted and sold for $25 each. The undamaged chairs are sold to a retail chain for $70 each. Labor costs were $720, material costs were $460, and overhead costs were $500. What was the multi-factor productivity?
2. Max's Performance Auto
Max's Performance Auto modifies 375 autos per year. The owner, Max Magee, is interested in obtaining a measure of overall performance. He has asked you to provide him with a multi-factor measurement of last year's performance as a benchmark for future comparison. You have assembled the following data. Resource inputs were: labor, 10,000 hours; 300 engine modification kits; 200 suspension kits; and energy, 100,000 Kilowatt-hours. Average labor cost last year was $20 per hour, engine kits cost $1,500 each, suspension kits cost $1,000 each, and energy costs were $3 per Kilowatt-hour. What do you tell Max?
3. Big Black Bird Company
The Big Black Bird Company (BBBC) has a large order for special plastic-lined military uniforms to be used in an urgent Middle East operation. Working the normal two shifts of 40 hours, BBBC usually produces 2,500 uniforms per week at a total cost (labor + material + overhead) of $120 each. The contract price is $200 per uniform. Because of the urgent need, BBBC has authorized around-the-clock production, six days a week. When each of the two shifts works 72 hours per week, production increases to 4000 uniforms per week, but at a total cost of $144 each.
a. Did the labor productivity ratio increase, decrease, or remain the same? If it changed, by what percent did it change?
b. Did the multi-factor productivity ratio increase, decrease, or remain the same? If it changed, by what percent did it change?
c. Did the weekly profits increase, decrease, or remain the same?
d. Is it worth it?