基于新鲜度的冷链一体化库存与定价联合决策

为了揭示生鲜农产品在流通中质量与数量损耗的变化规律,分析"双重损耗"对冷链库存的影响,针对配送中心与零售商组成的两级冷链系统,引入保鲜努力与时间因素对生鲜农产品的数量与质量损耗进行刻画,尤其突显了二者间的关联性及其合理性,需求上综合考虑了价格与新鲜度的影响,以供应链总平均利润最大化为目标函数,建立了二级冷链一体化库存模型,并对系统最佳的保鲜投入、库存及定价进行了规划求解。随后,以某连锁超市销售的鲜切果蔬为例进行仿真,验证了模型的有效性。最后,灵敏度分析发现,一方面,系统利润会随着新鲜度时间敏感性的降低与保鲜努力敏感性的增加而增加,且时间敏感因子更容易左右系统利润的变化。另一方面,并非所有的生鲜农产品都适用打折促销。考虑商品"双重损耗"所做的库存与定价的优化分析不仅为生鲜农产品冷链的理论研究提供了新思路,也为冷链运作实践提供了更为可靠、更为有效的决策参考。     

Coordinating a supply chain for deteriorating items with a revenue sharing and cooperative investment contract

In this study, a one-manufacturer–one-retailer supply chain model for deteriorating items with controllable deterioration rate and price-dependent demand is developed, in which both players cooperatively invest in preservation technology to reduce deterioration. Algorithms are designed to obtain the pricing and preservation technology investment strategies in both integrated and decentralized scenarios. It is shown that cooperative investment strategy benefits the manufacturer but damages the profits of the retailer and the whole supply chain. A revenue sharing and cooperative investment contract, which combines revenue sharing and cost sharing mechanisms, is thus designed to coordinate the supply chain. Numerical simulations and sensitivity analysis of the equilibrium strategies and coordinating results on key system parameters are given to verify the effectiveness of the contract, and meanwhile get some managerial insights. The results show that only when the revenue sharing rate lies roughly between 1/2 and 3/4 can the contract perfectly coordinate the supply chain in most cases, which has an important guiding significance for the supply chain coordination of deteriorating items when considering preservation technology investment.     

Sensing Abnormal Resource Flow Using Adaptive Limit Process Charts in a Complex Supply Network*

Supply networks are becoming increasingly complex with multiple overlapping relationships between firms that may span across industries. Consequently, inventory management is becoming more difficult as managers have to cope with variability in the supply flows that originate from different parts of the network. Managers that quickly sense abnormal flows may intervene and adapt their inventory policies in response to system changes. In this article, we present a framework for sensing abnormal flows originating within the upstream supply network of a focal organization. Our framework combines time series modeling with process charts to identify abnormal flow patterns in the incoming supply streams. It is a flexible framework that uses off‐the‐shelf technology to provide managers with a process that can be employed for monitoring multiple individual or aggregated data streams originating within any complex system such as complex adaptive supply networks. We illustrate our framework on four years of longitudinal supply data from the second largest food bank in the United States. We identify multiple instances of abnormal supply flows and validate our results through rigorous inventory analysis as well as field‐based expert interviews. We discuss the implications of our findings for inventory management in complex supply networks, both from academic and practitioner points of view.     

Inventory Record Inaccuracy,Double Marginalization,and RFID Adoption

Most retailers suffer from substantial discrepancies between inventory quantities recorded in the system and stocks truly available to customers. Promising full inventory transparency, radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has often been suggested as a remedy to the problem. We consider inventory record inaccuracy in a supply chain model, where a Stackelberg manufacturer sets the wholesale price and a retailer determines how much to stock for sale to customers. We first analyze the impact of inventory record inaccuracy on optimal stocking decisions and profits. By contrasting optimal decisions in a decentralized supply chain with those in an integrated supply chain, we find that inventory record inaccuracy exacerbates the inefficiencies resulting from double marginalization in decentralized supply chains. Assuming RFID technology can eliminate the problem of inventory record inaccuracy, we determine the cost thresholds at which RFID adoption becomes profitable. We show that a decentralized supply chain benefits more from RFID technology, such that RFID adoption improves supply chain coordination.     

Integrality in Stochastic Inventory Models

We study several finite‐horizon, discrete‐time, dynamic, stochastic inventory control models with integer demands: the newsvendor model, its multi‐period extension, and a single‐product, multi‐echelon assembly model. Equivalent linear programs are formulated for the corresponding stochastic dynamic programs, and integrality results are derived based on the total unimodularity of the constraint matrices. Specifically, for all these models, starting with integer inventory levels, we show that there exist optimal policies that are integral. For the most general single‐product, multi‐echelon assembly system model, integrality results are also derived for a practical alternative to stochastic dynamic programming, namely, rolling‐horizon optimization by a similar argument. We also present a different approach to prove integrality results for stochastic inventory models. This new approach is based on a generalization we propose for the one‐dimensional notion of piecewise linearity with integer breakpoints to higher dimensions. The usefulness of this new approach is illustrated by establishing the integrality of both the dynamic programming and rolling‐horizon optimization models of a two‐product capacitated stochastic inventory control system.     

面向批量订货和多需求类的生产与库存配给

针对一个面向两个需求类的生产企业,根据客户每次订货是否可分批交货,提出了当客户订货可分割和不可分割时供应商的最优生产和库存配给策略.分析表明,供应商的最优生产控制策略可用一个取决于系统状态的基准库存水平表示,最优的库存配给策略则用一个多层的取决于状态的配给水平向量表示.随后,该结论被推广至包含任意多个需求类的生产系统.数值分析验证了文中最优策略的有效性.     

决策者过度自信视角下考虑质量控制的供应链库存策略

研究了由单个供应商和零售商组成的供应链中,零售商进行质量控制的条件下,供应链成员对市场需求的过度自信如何影响其库存管理决策和供应商的质量投资。分析了零售商管理库存、供应商管理库存和集中决策三种供应链库存管理模式下供应链成员库存和质量投资决策的博弈均衡,并通过与完全理性下均衡结果的比较探讨了过度自信对供应链成员库存决策、质量投资和利润等的冲击。研究表明,在零售商管理库存模式下,过度自信的决策者对库存量的决策受其心理预期市场需求的正向影响,而在供应商管理库存和集中决策模式下则相反。     

考虑策略型消费者的在线零售商库存信息披露及联合定价、库存决策模型

在两期销售环境下,研究了面向策略型消费者的在线零售商库存信息披露及联合定价、库存决策问题。考虑在线零售商库存信息共享和隐藏两种库存披露策略,构建了在线零售商两期销售利润模型。通过分析消费者的购买行为,讨论了在具有策略型消费者的市场中,在线零售商应如何选择库存信息披露策略,以及如何制定最优定价和库存决策。在此基础上,分析了相关参数对在线零售商决策及利润的影响。研究结果表明,在线零售商的最优定价及库存决策受消费者估值折扣系数和第二期定价策略的影响。特别地,当在线零售商选择第一期缺货时,更倾向于共享其库存水平信息;当在线零售商选择第二期缺货或者两期均不缺货时,消费者估值折扣系数存在一个阈值,当低于该阈值时,在线零售商会选择隐藏库存水平信息,当高于该阈值时,在线零售商会选择共享库存水平信息。     

Contracting Under Vendor Managed Inventory Systems Using Holding Cost Subsidies

Vendor managed inventory systems are becoming increasingly popular. An important issue in implementing a vendor managed inventory scheme is the contracting terms that dictate the ownership of the inventory and the responsibility of inventory replenishment decisions. Thus the performance of a vendor managed system crucially depends on these terms and on how inventory‐related costs are shared in a supply chain. We consider a system where a manufacturer supplies a single product to a retailer who faces random demand in a competitive market. The retailer incurs a fixed cost per order, inventory holding cost, and a penalty cost for a stockout (unsatisfied demand is back‐ordered). Further, the manufacturer incurs a penalty cost when there is a stockout at the retailer and a fixed replenishment cost. We assume that the players are rational and act noncooperatively. We compare the performance of retailer managed inventory systems, where the retailer places orders and makes replenishment decisions, with vendor managed inventory systems, wherein the vendor or manufacturer makes inventory and replenishment decisions. Specifically, in the vendor managed inventory system, we propose and evaluate holding cost subsidy‐type contracts on inventories offered by the retailer to improve system performance. We evaluate this contract in the context of three widely used inventory systems—deterministic economic order quantity, continuous review (Q, r) policies, and periodic review policies—and show when such contracts may improve channel performance.     

部分短缺量拖后下基于顾客敏感度的补货策略适用范围研究

顾客对缺货数量和等待时间的敏感度影响着部分短缺量拖后率。基于此,根据顾客对缺货数量和等待时间的敏感度以及成本结构,对部分短缺量拖后下不同补货策略的适用范围进行了研究,得出以下结论:(s,S)连续性检查策略适用于单位缺货和丢单成本较高的库存系统;(t,S)周期性检查策略和(t,s,S)混合策略适用于单位缺货和丢单成本较低的库存系统;在单位缺货和丢单成本较低的库存系统中,当顾客对缺货数量较敏感时,(t,s,S)混合策略的运作成本更低,否则(t,S)周期性检查策略更适用,而顾客对等待时间的敏感度对补货策略适用范围的影响不明显。     

An echelon inventory-based single-stage cost function for a two-station tandem system

We propose an alternative cost-accounting function for inventory control problems on a make-to-stock setting. Our proposal is based on observing that the traditional holding and backlog parameters introduce some odd short term distortions on the inventory state space. Our single-stage cost function accounts for echelon inventories and possesses a pair of cost parameters for each echelon inventory variable, depending on whether it is positive or negative. With the modified cost-accounting function, we study a twostation tandem system producing a single product, and investigate how it compares with the performances obtained with the usual single-stage cost function. The results available so far show that the optimal policies approach a multi-echelon base stock structure for each machine. Also, the service levels achieved are better under the modified function without increasing the levels of finished goods inventory.     

Supply Performance in Multi‐Echelon Inventory Systems with Intermediate Product Demand: A Perspective on Allocation

In this article, we study the performance of multi‐echelon inventory systems with intermediate, external product demand in one or more upper echelons. This type of problem is of general interest in inventory theory and of particular importance in supply chain systems with both end‐product demand and spare parts (subassemblies) demand. The multi‐echelon inventory system considered here is a combination of assembly and serial stages with direct demand from more than one node. The aspect of multiple sources of demands leads to interesting inventory allocation problems. The demand and capacity at each node are considered stochastic in nature. A fixed supply and manufacturing lead time is used between the stages. We develop mathematical models for these multi‐echelon systems, which describe the inventory dynamics and allow simulation of the system. A simulation‐based inventory optimization approach is developed to search for the best base‐stock levels for these systems. The gradient estimation technique of perturbation analysis is used to derive sample‐path estimators. We consider four allocation schemes: lexicographic with priority to intermediate demand, lexiographic with priority to downstream demand, predetermined proportional allocation, and proportional allocation. Based on the numerical results we find that no single allocation policy is appropriate under all conditions. Depending on the combinations of variability and utilization we identify conditions under which use of certain allocation polices across the supply chain result in lower costs. Further, we determine how selection of an inappropriate allocation policy in the presence of scarce on‐hand inventory could result in downstream nodes facing acute shortages. Consequently we provide insight on why good allocation policies work well under differing sets of operating conditions.     

航空公司机上周转品多基地库存优化模型

在民航业日益激烈的市场竞争环境下，航空公司对成本控制的精细化管理显得尤为重要。本文基于航空公司的实际背景，针对为旅客提供的机上周转品，建立了一个多基地库存系统的库存优化模型。该模型以系统的总库存成本最小为目标，在考虑需求、回收、调运、安全库存等因素下，决策一个订货周期内的订货及调运方案。基于最优解的分析，在成本参数满足一定条件下，可以得到系统最优的期初订货量；在此基础上，可以将该模型转化为一个网络流模型，参考最小费用最大流算法，设计了一个多项式求解算法来求解该网络流模型，进而得到各基地之间的最优调运量，并证明该算法的最优性；此外，根据期初订货量可行解的范围，设计了一个求解原库存模型的启发式算法。通过实例分析，验证了该模型与两种算法的有效性。     

区分仓库与货架库存需求影响效应的零售商库存决策

既往有关库存水平影响需求条件下的库存问题研究中,通常对终端库存水平是否存在货架与零售商仓库库存水平的区别未作深入探讨。本文的研究认为,现实中许多零售商拥有仓库,其现有库存水平包括仓库库存和货架库存两部分,而影响需求的仅为与货架展示能力相关的库存,因此有必要对二者的需求影响效应进行区分。在明确这一区别的前提下,本文首先建立了供应商管理库存情况下库存水平影响需求问题的一般库存模型,给出零售商的最优订货策略;并考虑货架的容量限制,给出零售商启用仓库的判断条件。由于仓库库存仅在能够影响货架展示能力的条件下才能够影响消费需求,本文还进一步讨论了在零售商拥有仓库时,区分货架与仓库的库存水平影响需求条件下的最优库存与订货决策。这对于经营不同特征商品的零售商在进行是否需要拥有仓库,以及拥有仓库条件下的库存决策具有很好的参考价值。     

物流联合外包下库存管理模式对供应链运作的影响

针对由供应商、第三方物流服务商和零售商组成的供应链,考虑供需双方将物流服务联合外包给第三方物流服务商、共同承担运费的情形,探究供应商管理库存和寄售库存两类库存管理模式的引入对供应链运作及合同设计的影响。分别在传统的零售商管理库存、仅引入寄售库存的零售商管理寄售库存以及同时引入供应商管理库存和寄售库存的供应商管理寄售库存三种模式下,构建了第三方物流服务商主导、供应商和零售商跟随的序贯非合作博弈模型,证明了所有模式下均衡的订购量/寄售量均存在且唯一,并探讨了均衡结果随零售商运费分摊比例、转移支付价格两个关键参数的变化。横向对比三种模式下的均衡结果和集中决策下的最优结果,发现：零售商管理库存模式下的均衡订购量总是低于零售商管理寄售库存模式以及集中决策下的结果,而其他库存管理模式下的订购量并非一定低于集中决策下的结果;不同库存管理模式下,均衡状态下的订购量/寄售量及供应链总的期望收益大小关系取决于供应商和零售商的类边际(毛利)贡献率,从而表明,供应链环境下,上下游成员企业的收益结构、盈利水平等对于库存决策及库存模式的选取有重要影响。此外,在绝大多数情形下,不同库存管理模式下的均衡订购量与集中决...     

Coordinating a Supply Chain System with Retailers Under Both Price and Inventory Competition

We investigate a supply chain system with a common supplier selling to downstream retailers who are engaged in both price and inventory competition. We establish the existence and uniqueness of the pure‐strategy Nash equilibrium for the retailer game and study how a supplier can coordinate the system to achieve the best performance. Our main conclusions are as follows: First, a buyback contract can be used to coordinate retailers competing on both price and inventory in a sense that optimal retail prices and inventory levels arise as the Pareto‐dominant equilibrium. With symmetric retailers, the system optimum arises as the unique symmetric equilibrium. Second, the particular type of competition experienced by retailers (price versus inventory competition) affects the characteristics of the contract. Specifically, strong price competition leads to a coordination mechanism with a positive buyback rate, where the supplier subsidizes retailers for leftover inventories; however, strong inventory competition leads to a negative buyback rate, where retailers are punished for overstocking. Using a linear expected demand function, we further explore the impact of system parameters on the coordination contract and the competitive equilibrium. We also find that the performance of the supplier's optimal contract is asymptotic to the system optimal coordination contract as competition becomes fierce.     

有限耐烦期随机库存系统的最优控制

对供应链内部库存系统进行优化控制是提高供应链协调性的一种重要手段。本文针对实际库存活动中普遍存在的有限耐烦期这种现象,综合考虑顾客退货、库存损失等随机因素对最优库存策略的影响,构造出一种更加贴近实际的随机库存系统最优控制模型,并借助于动态规划原理给出了最优控制律的表达式,然后给出了算例及说明。其结果可为随机库存系统的管理决策提供了理论依据,也可为进一步提高供应链的协调性提供了借鉴。     

Optimal investment in setup reduction for finite horizon periodic review inventory system under deterministic time varying demand

This paper examines the impact of setup reduction on a finite horizon, periodic review inventory system, under deterministic time varying demand. A total relevant cost function is developed for such systems. Using this, the impact of setup reduction is examined under various forms of setup reduction cost functions that have been suggested in the literature. The operating characteristics and optimization of the various scenarios are discussed. Our analysis shows that the effects of setup reduction in a periodic review system are similar to those in a reorder point system. Our results are likely to help practitioners who use similar periodic review systems towards decreasing total inventory related costs by investing in setup reduction.     

基于临期回收和响应供给策略的易逝性应急物资库存决策研究

基于降低由于需求时间和需求数量的不确定性会引致较高的过期损失和缺货损失,将临期回收策略和响应供给策略引入易逝性应急物资库存系统,同时考虑应急系统中需求时间不确定性的这一突出特性,建立临期回收策略和应急供给策略的随机规划模型,决策临期回收策略和响应供给策略下的最佳存储水平,并分析各策略带来的风险降低和价值增加。回收策略和应急供给策略并不都是有利的,存在着降低风险和增加价值的有利条件域;库存决策需要权衡风险的降低与价值的增加,给定一个判断标准;需求时间和需求数量的不同随机分布对策略的价值增加作用有不同的影响,且分布的不确定性程度对价值增加的影响不具有一致性和单调性。     

Assessing Service Level Targets in Production and Inventory Planning*

In production and stock planning, the relationship between customer service, defined as the ability to meet demand for finished goods from in-stock inventory, and expected profits or expected costs can be represented by a simple reliability curve. The shape of this curve depends upon the parameters of the demand process, specifically the expected level of demand, standard deviation and correlation structure, as well as upon the capacities and initial state of the production and inventory system. A model is presented which explicitly determines this trade-off curve for a firm. The model is intended both as an operational model to aid managers in setting revenue and service targets which are compatible with the capacities and resources of the firm, and as a tool for exploring relationships between the parameters of the demand process and the constraints of the physical production and inventory system. The results illustrate that the level of risk depends strongly on the variability of the demand process, the cost structure, the capacities and initial state of the system and, to a lesser extent, the correlation in demand between succeeding periods. Results suggest that establishing service level targets consistent with the firm's strategic orientation must be done in consideration of both the characteristics of the demand process and the capacities of the production and inventory system. The model provides a tool for estimating the premium above unit cost which must be paid to provide a designated service level.