This paper is concerned with a generalization of classical inventory models (with fixed ordering costs) that exhibit (s, S) policies. In our model, the distribution of demands in successive periods is dependent on a Markov chain. The model includes the case of cyclic or seasonal demand. The...

This paper revisits the classical papers of Iglehart (Ref. 1) and Veinott and Wagner (Ref. 2) devoted to stochastic inventory problems with the criterion of long-run average cost minimization. We indicate some of the assumptions that are used implicitly without verification in their stationary...

We study a drop-shipping supply chain in which the retailer receives a customer's order and the supplier fills it. In such a chain, the supplier keeps inventory and bears inventory risks; the retailer focuses on marketing and customer acquisition, and forwards the orders to the supplier. The...

In a recent paper, Fisher et al. (2001) present a method tomitigate end-effects in lot sizing by including a valuation term for end-of-horizon inventory in the objective function of the short-horizon model. Computational tests show that the proposed method outperforms the Wagner-Whitin algorithm...

We provide a review of the types of equilibria typically found in operations management inventory papers and a discussion on when the commonly used stationary infinite-horizon (open-loop) equilibrium may be sufficient for study. We focus particularly on order-up-to and basestock equilibria in...

Inventory control is among the most important topics in operations research because of large investments in inventory and their effect on the profitability of the firms. A systematic analysis of inventory problems began with the development of the classical EOQ formula of Ford W. Harris in 1913,...

We consider a two-stage serial supply chain with capacity limits, where each installation is operated by managers attempting to minimize their own costs. A multiple-period model is necessitated by the multiple stages, capacity limits, stochastic demand, and the explicit consideration of...

Sustainability has become a major issue in most economies, causing many leading companies to focus on product recovery and reverse logistics. This research is focused on product recovery, and in particular on production control and inventory management in the remanufacturing context. We study a...

This paper considers a three-tier distribution network with one manufacturer, multiple warehouses and multiple retailers. The demand at the retailers is constant and shortages are not allowed. The problem is to determine location of the plant, number and location of warehouses, allocation of...

A supplier provides several lead-time options to its customers in a periodic review inventory system. The replenishment lead time is a multiple of the inventory review cycle. Customers are classified into two groups: short lead-time customers requiring the product immediately and long lead-time...