We consider an inventory model in which a supplier makes deal offers with random discount prices at random points in time. Assuming that discount offerings follow a Poisson process and discount price is a discrete random variable with a known distribution, we propose a continuous-review control...

We consider a coordinated location-inventory model where distribution centers (DCs) follow a periodic-review (R,S) inventory policy and system coordination is achieved by choosing review intervals at the DCs from a menu of permissible choices. We introduce two types of coordination: partial...

A unique technique based on chaos theory and artificial neural networks (ANN) is developed to analyse and forecast chaotic time series. An embedding theorem is used to determine the embedding parameters. Accordingly the chaotic time series is reconstructed into phase space points. Based on chaos...

This paper presents a methodology for job rotation in manufacturing systems that aims to ease employee's boredom and exploit the effect of rotation intervals on worker's skill learning and forgetting. To this end, a series of formulations are proposed to measure employee's boredom and skill...

We propose a new approach to accelerate the convergence of the modified policy iteration method for Markov decision processes with the total expected discounted reward. In the new policy iteration an additional operator is applied to the iterate generated by Markov operator, resulting in a...

We propose a new approach to accelerate the convergence of the modified policy iteration method for Markov decision processes with the total expected discounted reward. In the new policy iteration an additional operator is applied to the iterate generated by Markov operator, resulting in a...

This paper addresses a hub-and-spoke network problem for railroad freight, where a central planner is to find transport routes, frequency of service, length of trains to be used, and transportation volume. Hub-and-spoke networks, often found in air freight, have not been favoured by railways in...