We analyze the classical inventory model with backordering, where the inventory position is controlled by an order level, order quantity policy. The cost for a backorder contains a fixed and a time-proportional component. Demand can be driven by any discrete process. Order lead times may be...

More and more supply chains emerge that include a return flow of materials. Many original equipment manufacturers are nowadays engaged in the remanufacturing business. In many process industries, production defectives and by-products are reworked. These closed-loop supply chains deserve special...

Price promotions induce consumers to purchase higher-than-usual quantities, resulting in higher stocks that lead to increased consumption. We show for a stylized model with a single shop and a single loyal customer that because of this stockpiling effect, promotions can be profitable even if...

The profitability of remanufacturing depends on the quantity and quality of product returns and on the demand for remanufactured products. The quantity and quality of product returns can be influenced by varying quality dependent acquisition prices, i.e., by using product acquisition management....

We present a stochastic dynamic programming algorithm for determining the optimal disassembly and recovery strategy, given the disassembly tree, the process dependent quality distributions of assemblies, and the quality dependent recovery options and associated profits for assemblies. This...

We study inventory systems with product recovery. Recovered items are as-good-as-new and satisfy the same demands as new items. The demand rate and return fraction are deterministic. The relevant costs are those for ordering recovery lots, for ordering production lots, for holding recoverable...

This paper presents the results of a case study in a batch production facility for biological vaccines. The problem considered is that of finding the best bottling strategy for produced batches. A batch can be bottled directly after production, after positive intermediate test results, or after...

We analyze a newsboy problem with resalable returns. A single order is placed before the selling season starts. Purchased products may be returned by the customer for a full refund within a certain time interval. Returned products are resalable, provided they arrive back before the end of the...

Valuation of inventories has different purposes, in particular accounting and decision making, and it is not necessary for a firm to use the same valuation method for both purposes. In fact, it is not uncommon to use accounting books as well as management books. In this chapter, we will only...

The repair kit problem is that of finding the optimal set of parts in the kit of a repairman. An important aspect of this problem, in many real-life situations, is that several job-sites are visited before a kit is restocked. In this paper, we present two heuristics for solving the multiple-job...