Green Valley Mills produces carpet at plants in (1)St. Louis, (2)Richmond, and (3)Nashville. The carpet is then shipped to four outlets, located in (1)Chicago, (2)Atlanta, (3)Dallas, and (4)Pittsburgh. The cost per ton of shipping carpet from each of the three plants to the four outlets, plant capacity, and demand required at each outlet are as follows:   From/To 1 2 3 4 Supply Available St. Louis $500 $750 $300 $450 20 tons Richmond $650 $800 $400 $600 17 tons Nashville $400 $700 $500 $550 18 tons Demand Required 10 tons 11 tons 13 tons 14 tons       Please formulate a linear programming model by defining the decision variables, objective function, and constraints, which will be used to help Green Valley determine the best amount of carpet shipped from each plant to each outlet in order to minimize the total transportation cost.  What is the total transportation cost for the problem? You can address this Linear Programming problem in the following separate steps. Q1. Please clearly define all decision variables.  Q2. Using the variables defined, please give the objective function.   Q3. Please give the constraints for the problem. Q4.  Please solve this linear programming problem using either Excel Solver or QM-for-Windows ]. What would be the optimal transportation plan, and the total transportation cost?

Practical Management Science
6th Edition
ISBN:9781337406659
Author:WINSTON, Wayne L.
Publisher:WINSTON, Wayne L.
Chapter5: Network Models
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 63P
icon
Related questions
icon
Concept explainers
Topic Video
Question

Green Valley Mills produces carpet at plants in (1)St. Louis, (2)Richmond, and (3)Nashville. The carpet is then shipped to four outlets, located in (1)Chicago, (2)Atlanta, (3)Dallas, and (4)Pittsburgh. The cost per ton of shipping carpet from each of the three plants to the four outlets, plant capacity, and demand required at each outlet are as follows:

 

From/To
1
2
3
4
Supply Available
St. Louis
$500
$750
$300
$450
20 tons
Richmond
$650
$800
$400
$600
17 tons
Nashville
$400
$700
$500
$550
18 tons
Demand Required
10 tons
11 tons
13 tons
14 tons
 
 

 
Please formulate a linear programming model by defining the decision variables, objective function, and constraints, which will be used to help Green Valley determine the best amount of carpet shipped from each plant to each outlet in order to minimize the total transportation cost. 

What is the total transportation cost for the problem? You can address this Linear Programming problem in the following separate steps.

Q1. Please clearly define all decision variables

Q2. Using the variables defined, please give the objective function.  

Q3. Please give the constraints for the problem.

Q4.  Please solve this linear programming problem using either Excel Solver or QM-for-Windows ]. What would be the optimal transportation plan, and the total transportation cost?

Expert Solution
steps

Step by step

Solved in 3 steps with 4 images

Blurred answer
Knowledge Booster
Inventory management
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, operations-management and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.
Recommended textbooks for you
Practical Management Science
Practical Management Science
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781337406659
Author:
WINSTON, Wayne L.
Publisher:
Cengage,