Problem -
Zhu Manufacturing is considering the introduction of a family of new products. Long-term demand for the product group is somewhat predictable, so the manufacturer must be concerned with the risk of choosing a process that is inappropriate. Faye Zhu is VP of operations. She can choose among batch manufacturing or custom manufacturing, or she can invest in group technology. Faye won't be able to forecast demand accurately until after she makes the process choice. Demand will be classified into four compartments: poor, fair, good, and excellent. The table below indicates the payoffs (profits) associated with each process/demand combination, as well as the probabilities of each long-term demand level:
|
|
Poor
|
Fair
|
Good
|
Excellent
|
|
Probabilities
|
.1
|
.4
|
.3
|
.2
|
|
Batch
|
-$200,000
|
$1,000,000
|
$1,200,000
|
$1,300,000
|
|
Custom
|
$100,000
|
$300,000
|
$700,000
|
$800,000
|
|
Group technology
|
-$1,000,000
|
-$500,000
|
$500,000
|
$2,000,000
|
a) Based on expected value, what choice offers the greatest gain?
b) What would Faye Zhu be willing to pay for a forecast that would accurately determine the level of demand in the future?