Economic Order Quantity (EOQ): Practical Problems and Solutions

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Written by True Tamplin, BSc, CEPF®

Reviewed by Subject Matter Experts

Updated on March 03, 2023

Problem 1

The John Equipment Company estimates its carrying cost at 15% and its ordering cost at $9 per order. The estimated annual requirement is 48,000 units at a price of $4 per unit.

Required:

  • What is the most economical number of units to order?
  • How many orders should be placed in a year?
  • How often should an order be placed?

Solution

1. What is the most economical number of units to order?

Annual requirement = 48,000 units

Ordering cost = $9 per order

Carrying cost = 15% of per-unit cost

Per unit cost = $4 per unit

Calculations for Problem 1.1

2. How many orders should be placed in a year?

= Annual requirement / EOQ

= 48,000 units / 1,200 units

= 40 orders

3. How often should an order be placed?

Frequency of orders = No. of days in one year / No. of orders

= 360 days / 40 orders

= 9 days

Problem 2

To date, Raymond Bro. has been purchasing an item in lots of 900 units. This equates to a three-month supply. The cost per unit is $12, the order cost is $16 per order, and the carrying cost is 25%.

Required: How much can Raymond Bro. save per year by purchasing the item in the most economical quantities?

Solution

Working for Solution to Problem 2

The first stage in our working is to compute the annual requirement.

Given that 900 units amounts to a three-month supply, the monthly requirement is 900 units / 3 months = 300 units.

Therefore, the annual requirement is 300 units x 12 months = 3,600 units.

In turn, the EOQ can be computed as follows:

Calculations for Solution to Problem 2

No. of Orders = 3,600 units / 900 units

= 4 orders

= 3,600 units / 196 units

= 18 orders approx.

Ordering Cost = 4 orders x $16 per order

= $64

Also, in the case of EOQ:

= 18 orders x $16 per order

= $288

Average Inventory = 900 units / 2

= 450 units

In the case of EOQ:

= 196 units / 2

= 98 units

Carrying cost = $3 x 450 units

= $1,350

In the case of EOQ:

= $3 x 98 units

= $294

Total cost = $64 + $1,350

$1,414

In the case of EOQ:

=$288 + $294

= $582

Saving = $1,414 - $582

= $832

Problem 3

A manufacturing company places a semi-annual order of 24,000 units at a price of $20 per unit. Its carrying cost is 15% and the order cost is $12 per order.

Required:

  • What is the most economical order quantity?
  • How many orders need to be placed?

Solution

EOQ Practical Problems and Solutions 3

No. of orders per year = Annual Requirement / EOQ

= 48,000 units / 620 units

= 77 orders approximately

To compute the annual requirement:

24,000 units are ordered semiannually, therefore:

Annual requirement = 24,000 units x 2 = 48,000 units.

Economic Order Quantity (EOQ): Practical Problems and Solutions FAQs

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About the Author

True Tamplin, BSc, CEPF®

True Tamplin is a published author, public speaker, CEO of UpDigital, and founder of Finance Strategists.

True is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF®), author of The Handy Financial Ratios Guide, a member of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing, contributes to his financial education site, Finance Strategists, and has spoken to various financial communities such as the CFA Institute, as well as university students like his Alma mater, Biola University, where he received a bachelor of science in business and data analytics.

To learn more about True, visit his personal website or view his author profiles on Amazon, Nasdaq and Forbes.