Brant Case Analysis
CASE: BRANT FREEZER COMPANY
Question 1: When comparing performance during the first five months of 2004 with performance in 2003, which warehouse shows the most improvement?
St. Louis is the only one showing any improvement, using cost per unit shipped as the performance criterion. The cost for the first five months of 2003 was $9.97 and for the first five months of 2004, it fell to $9.07.
Question 2: When comparing performance during the first five months of 2004 with performance in 2003, which warehouse shows the poorest change in performance?
The worst change is the company’s own warehouse (located in Fargo), where costs per unit shipped increased 31%. Among the public warehouses used, Denver was the worst in terms of cost per unit handled. It is also the most expensive public warehouse that Brant uses.
Question 3: When comparisons are made among all eight warehouses, which one do you think does the best job for the Brant Company? What criteria did you use? Why?
Using the cost per unit handled criterion, St. Louis does the best job, closely followed by Chicago.
Question 4: J.Q. is aggressive and is going to recommend that his father cancel the contract with one of the warehouses and give that business to a competing warehouse in the same city. J.Q. feels that when word of this gets around, the other warehouses they use will “shape up.” Which of the seven should J.Q. recommend be dropped? Why?
Denver has the lowest volume and highest unit costs among all the public warehouses used. In addition, it had been closed by a strike which must have inconvenienced the Brant Company. It may be that the warehouse workers’ unions are strong in the Denver area. J.Q. should probably check out rates and productivity measures of other Denver warehouses before deciding to drop its current warehouse there.
Question 5: The year 2004 is nearly half over. J.Q. is told to determine how much the firm is likely to spend for warehousing at each of the eight warehouses for the
Question 1: When comparing performance during the first five months of 2004 with performance in 2003, which warehouse shows the most improvement?
St. Louis is the only one showing any improvement, using cost per unit shipped as the performance criterion. The cost for the first five months of 2003 was $9.97 and for the first five months of 2004, it fell to $9.07.
Question 2: When comparing performance during the first five months of 2004 with performance in 2003, which warehouse shows the poorest change in performance?
The worst change is the company’s own warehouse (located in Fargo), where costs per unit shipped increased 31%. Among the public warehouses used, Denver was the worst in terms of cost per unit handled. It is also the most expensive public warehouse that Brant uses.
Question 3: When comparisons are made among all eight warehouses, which one do you think does the best job for the Brant Company? What criteria did you use? Why?
Using the cost per unit handled criterion, St. Louis does the best job, closely followed by Chicago.
Question 4: J.Q. is aggressive and is going to recommend that his father cancel the contract with one of the warehouses and give that business to a competing warehouse in the same city. J.Q. feels that when word of this gets around, the other warehouses they use will “shape up.” Which of the seven should J.Q. recommend be dropped? Why?
Denver has the lowest volume and highest unit costs among all the public warehouses used. In addition, it had been closed by a strike which must have inconvenienced the Brant Company. It may be that the warehouse workers’ unions are strong in the Denver area. J.Q. should probably check out rates and productivity measures of other Denver warehouses before deciding to drop its current warehouse there.
Question 5: The year 2004 is nearly half over. J.Q. is told to determine how much the firm is likely to spend for warehousing at each of the eight warehouses for the