Cane Company manufactures two products called Alpha and Beta that sell for $155 and $115, respectively. Each product uses only one type of raw material that costs $6 per pound. The company has the capacity to annually produce 110,000 units of each product. Its average cost per unit for each product at this level of activity are given below: Alpha Beta
Direct materials $24 $12
Direct labor 23 26
Variable manufacturing overhead 22 12
Traceable Fixed manufacturing overhead 23 25
Variable selling expenses 19 15
Common fixed expenses 22 17
Total cost per unit $133 $107

The company considers its traceable fixed manufacturing overhead to be avoidable, whereas its common fixed expenses are unavoidable and have been allocated to products based on sales dollars.

Required:
a. Assume that Cane normally produces and sells 67,000 Betas and 87,000 Alphas per year. If Cane discontinues the Beta product line, its sales representatives could increase sales of Alpha by 11,000 units. What is the financial advantage (disadvantage) of discontinuing the Beta product line?

b. Assume that Cane expects to produce and sell 87,000 Alphas during the current year. A supplier has offered to manufacture and deliver 87,000 Alphas to Cane for a price of $108 per unit. What is the financial advantage (disadvantage) of buying 87,000 units from the supplier instead of making those units?

c. Assume that Cane expects to produce and sell 57,000 Alphas during the current year, A supplier has offered to manufacture and deliver 57,000 Alphas to Cane for a price of $108 per unit. What is the financial advantage (disadvantage) of buying 57,000 units from the supplier instead of making those units?