To determine how many units JKL, Inc. needs to buy to justify changing suppliers, the following steps are taken:

Calculate the Cost Savings per Unit:

Current supplier cost per unit: X

New supplier cost per unit: X - $0.03

Savings per unit: $0.03

Determine the Transition Cost:

Transition cost to the new supplier: $12,000

Calculate the Break-Even Point:

The break-even point is when the total savings equal the transition cost.

Savings per unit × Number of units = Transition cost

$0.03 × Number of units = $12,000

Number of units = $12,000 / $0.03

Number of units = 400,000

Therefore, JKL, Inc. needs to buy 400,001 units to justify changing suppliers, as the 400,000 units would only cover the transition cost, and any additional units would result in actual savings.

References:

Cost-benefit analysis in supply chain management.

Break-even analysis principles in procurement decisions.