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An online retailer must decide if it should insource or outsource its Web site m

ID: 427527 • Letter: A

Question

An online retailer must decide if it should insource or outsource its Web site maintenance. The company estimates that 4,000 hours per year will be needed to maintain its Web site. To insource maintenance requires $25,000 in fixed costs per year and $27/hour in variable costs. Quotes from suppliers show that Web site maintenance can be outsourced for $35 per hour.

a. Compute the total annual cost for insourcing and outsourcing the maintenance.


b. Which option would you prefer?

Insource Outsource

Explanation / Answer

Insource cost:

= 27*4000 + 25000

= 108000 + 25000

= 133000

Outsource cost:

= 35*4000

= 140000

b. Insource is preferred because of the low cost.