Based on available information, lead time demand for PC jump drives averages 50 units (normally distributed), with a standard deviation of 5 drives. Management wants a 97% service level. a) What value of Z should be applied? b) How many drives should be carried as safety stock? c) What is the appropriate reorder point?

Features Features Normal distribution is characterized by two parameters, mean (µ) and standard deviation (σ). When graphed, the mean represents the center of the bell curve and the graph is perfectly symmetric about the center. The mean, median, and mode are all equal for a normal distribution. The standard deviation measures the data's spread from the center. The higher the standard deviation, the more the data is spread out and the flatter the bell curve looks. Variance is another commonly used measure of the spread of the distribution and is equal to the square of the standard deviation.