There is a growing consensus that a portfolio of customers with different demand lead times can lead to higher, more regular revenues and better capacity utilization. Customers with positive demand lead times place orders in advance of their needs, resulting in advance demand information. This...

Customers and downstream supply chain partners often place, or can be induced to place, orders in advance of future requirements. We show how to optimally incorporate advance demand information into periodic-review, multiechelon, inventory systems in series. While the state space for series...