Final answer:
To minimize total annual ordering plus holding costs, the farmer should use the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) formula to determine the optimal order quantity. The value of P should correspond to the EOQ. If the farmer switches to a lower-cost feed, they should order more often than the EOQ to take advantage of the lower cost.
Step-by-step explanation:
The farmer is considering switching to an inventory control system where they review every P days and place an order each time. The objective is to minimize total annual ordering plus holding costs. To determine the value of P, the farmer needs to consider the Tradeoff model, which balances the costs of ordering and holding inventory.
In this model, the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) formula is used to find the optimal order quantity. The formula for EOQ is:
- EOQ = sqrt((2DS)/H)
- Where D is the annual demand, S is the setup or ordering cost, and H is the holding or carrying cost per unit per year.
- To minimize total costs, the farmer should select the value of P that corresponds to the EOQ.
If the farmer were to switch to a lower-cost feed, they should order more often than the calculated EOQ to take advantage of the lower cost and minimize holding costs.