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Using Solver in Excel for Analysis: Tallink Case Analysis

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Tallink is a ferry operator based out of Tallinn, Estonia. The company started its business sailing between Tallinn and Helsinki, Finland in the years after Estonia left the USSR to become independent once again. Over its history, Tallink has grown and now has a fleet of eight ferries linking Estonia with other cities in the region including Stockholm and St. Petersburg. The company is considering the purchase of a new ferry with a capacity of 2500 passengers, matching the size of the Romantika, its biggest ferry. Tallink needs to decide if it wants to purchase the ferry and if so, should it use the ferry to launch new service to St. Petersburg to take advantage of the growing Russian tourist market and hopefully relaxed Russian visa rules that are scheduled to start with the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

The spreadsheet shows that the new ship would be best utilized on the Tallinn-Helsinki run, where it replace the capacity of three older ships, the Regina Baltica, the Fantaasia and the Vana-Tallinn. The spreadsheet does not factor in the fixed costs associated with each boat, but it is a reasonable assumption that the fixed costs of the three boats that would be sold are going to be higher than the fixed costs associated with the one new boat. It is recommended, therefore to purchase the new ferry as the solver illustrates that the new ferry would deliver greater contribution margin to Tallink than the three older ferries that it would replace.

Another option for Tallink is

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