The reliability of a single stage production-storage system in meeting a constant known demand is analyzed. This system consists of a production facility subject to stochastic failure and repair processes and a storage facility of fixed capacity. When operable, the production facility is assumed...

A model is formulated for optimizing multi-item inventories for repair of field equipment based on holding costs and the probability of job completion without stockout. This results in a different type of objective function from those found in most inventory problems in that the contributions of...

This paper considers the problem of allocating personnel to provide service that involves travel to demand locations distributed over a geographical area. Assuming that each individual server will be responsible for demand in a certain territory on a first come first served basis, formulas are...

In this paper, we consider multi-item inventory systems that contain repair kits of spare parts and tools and may include an inventory of spare machines as well. Demands occur in the form of field repair jobs, each requiring some collection of parts and tools for completion. If any required part...

This paper considers a retailer inventory system with N first-echelon stores and a single second-echelon distribution center (DC). Customer demands at the stores are assumed to be random. When a stockout occurs, customers are willing to wait for their order to be filled with a known probability....

This note provides the methodology to construct a set of indifference curves that permit the exact determination of the optimal inventory level in a system where items are restocked one at a time and unsatisfied demand is lost. An illustrative set of curves is shown.

Item demands at individual retail stores in a chain often differ significantly, due to local economic conditions, cultural and demographic differences and variations in store format. Accounting for these variations appropriately in inventory management can significantly improve retailers’...

Most communication services have a demand "externality" in that the benefit to a subscriber depends upon how many of his communication partners also subscribe. This article develops an economic model that determines both the required critical mass size for startup and the ultimate expansion...