A supply manager for JKL, Inc. finds a potential new supplier for an item included In a finished product.
Quality and service are comparable to those of the current supplier, and the new supplier's cost per unit is $.03 lower than that of the current supplier. Making the transition to the new supplier will require changes to operations costing approximately $12,000. How many units would JKL need to buy in order to justify changing suppliers?
Correct Answer: A
To determine how many units JKL, Inc. needs to buy to justify changing suppliers, the following steps are taken:
* Calculate the Cost Savings per Unit:
* Current supplier cost per unit: X
* New supplier cost per unit: X - $0.03
* Savings per unit: $0.03
* Determine the Transition Cost:
* Transition cost to the new supplier: $12,000
* Calculate the Break-Even Point:
* The break-even point is when the total savings equal the transition cost.
* Savings per unit × Number of units = Transition cost
* $0.03 × Number of units = $12,000
* Number of units = $12,000 / $0.03
* Number of units = 400,000
Therefore, JKL, Inc. needs to buy 400,001 units to justify changing suppliers, as the 400,000 units would only cover the transition cost, and any additional units would result in actual savings.
References:
* Cost-benefit analysis in supply chain management.
* Break-even analysis principles in procurement decisions.