A company is considering three major projects labeled A, B and C. Each of the projects can be selected for completion in any of the next 3 years or may be omitted from the portfolio entirely. The total return for each project based on the year it is selected is given in Table. This return captures all relevant cash flows, including investments. It also includes the effects of the time value of money
The investment required for each project occurs entirely within the year for which it is selected. The goal is to maximize the total return. This problem has the following constraints. No more than two projects can be selected in any year. Total investment in any year cannot exceed 9. Project B cannot be selected if project A is not selected, but project A can still be selected without project B (think, for example, in A being the development of some technology and B being the utilization of it). Project A and B cannot be selected in the same year. A project can be selected at most once. Formulate and solve the problem as an IP.
Return for project (thousand $)
Year A B C
1 7 6 4
2 5 4 4
3 8 7 5
Investment (thousand $) 5 3 5