What can this plant build and test by Friday?
Turn firm materials and test slots into a production commitment.
The question
You plan one week of production at an electrical equipment plant. Products A and B both need one test slot before shipment. The allocation rule gives A first claim on materials and test slots.
| Units due | Standard modules per unit | Test slots per unit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product A | 60 | 2 | 1 |
| Product B | 70 | 1 | 1 |
Modules and test slots cannot be counted after the Friday shipping deadline.
| Quantity | |
|---|---|
| Standard modules | 180 |
| Test slots | 120 |
The plant can use any standard module on either product.
“Commit a feasible mix and give the production team the recovery requirements.”
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A strong answer, step by step
Open each step in turn. This is one strong answer, not the only one.
Step 1: Translate the demand
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Check the modules and test slots needed for all orders.
The strong move. Calculate each resource from the mix before you promise finished units.
Use 180 available modules to promise all 130 units.
Tempting, but it misses something. Product A needs two modules per unit. Full demand also needs more test slots than the plant has.
See how a strong candidate says it
“Full demand needs 190 standard modules and 130 test slots. We have 180 modules and 120 slots, so both limits matter.”
Why it works: Calculate each resource from the mix before you promise finished units.
Step 2: Commit the first mix
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Commit 60 A and 60 B.
The strong move. Reserve the resources for A first, then apply both limits to B.
Commit 60 A and all 70 B because B uses only one module.
Tempting, but it misses something. After A, only 60 modules and 60 test slots remain.
See how a strong candidate says it
“Sixty A units use 120 modules and 60 slots. The remaining 60 modules and 60 slots let me finish 60 B units. I can ship 120 and will be 10 B units short.”
Why it works: Reserve the resources for A first, then apply both limits to B.
Step 3: Use the new parts plan
A 30-module supplier batch will miss the production cutoff. A qualified supplier can deliver 20 substitute modules in time. They are approved for B only.
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Commit 60 A and 50 B with the qualified substitutes.
The strong move. Only B can use the substitute modules.
Assign the 20 substitutes to A and shift standard modules to B.
Tempting, but it misses something. The substitute is approved for B only. A must use its 120 standard modules.
See how a strong candidate says it
“The 150 standard modules cover 60 A and leave 30 for B. The 20 qualified substitutes lift B to 50. We can finish 110 units, with 20 B short and 10 slots unused.”
Why it works: Only B can use the substitute modules.
Step 4: Ask for the recovery
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Ask for the eligible modules and enough extra test slots to finish all B.
The strong move. The first ten units are limited by material. The final ten need both resources.
Open ten more test slots and promise all 20 outstanding B units.
Tempting, but it misses something. The revised plan still lacks 20 eligible modules. Extra testing time cannot cover that gap.
See how a strong candidate says it
“Ten more eligible modules would fill the ten open slots for B. To recover all 20, I need 20 eligible modules and ten extra test slots in time.”
Why it works: The first ten units are limited by material. The final ten need both resources.
The answer, in short
- Decision
- Commit 60 A and 50 B and report 20 B units short.
- Because
- The substitute lot is approved for B, and the supply of eligible parts now limits the build.
- What would change it
- Twenty eligible modules and ten additional test slots in time would recover the full order.
Common traps
- Using a count of modules as a count of finished units.
- Using a substitute outside its approval.
Check your answer
- I converted orders to both resources.
- I protected the priority order.
- I used only approved substitutions.
- I named both recovery limits.
Last reviewed Nov 11, 2026