Unraveling quantity discounts

We consider the situation in which a buying organization deals with a discrete quantity discount schedule offered by a selling organization. Furthermore, the buying organization can negotiate with the selling organization about the lot size and purchase price, but does not know the underlying function that was used by the selling organization to determine the quantity discount schedule. In this paper, we provide an analytical and empirical basis for one general quantity discount function (QDF) that can be used to describe the underlying function of almost all different quantity discount types. We first develop such a QDF analytically. Among other things, this QDF enables buying organizations to calculate detailed prices for a large number of quantities. We subsequently show that the QDF fits very well with 66 discount schedules found in practice. We discuss that the QDF and related indicators can be a useful tool in supplier selection and negotiation processes. It can also be used for competitive analyses, multiple sourcing decisions, and allocating savings for purchasing groups. Additionally, the QDF can be included in research models incorporating quantity discounts. We conclude the paper with an outlook on further QDF research regarding the characterization of commodity markets from a demand elasticity point of view.     

An evaluation of the tandem configuration automated guided vehicle system

The performance of a tandem automated guided vehicle (AGV) system is compared with that of conventional AGV track systems. In the tandem system the track is divided into non-overlapping, single-vehicle closed loops. Using simulation it is shown that, because of trips requiring delivery across loops, the tandem system has a higher expected travel time per load and thus a greater average time in system. When the loads are delivered within the original loop only, the tandem system has a lower average time in system than in conventional systems, although the difference is modest. Track layout appears to influence the average time in system much more than docs the dispatching rule invoked. The success of the tandem system is highly dependent on approximately even AGV utilization, which may be difficult to obtain in practice.     

The Continuum of Care System

Abstract

The Continuum of Care System is a Decision Support System designed to assist social workers responsible for identifying and selecting alternative living arrangements for children unable to remain in their own families. The Continuum of Care System consists of two software packages called MATCH and PROFILE. MATCH produces a rank-ordered list of prospective placement alternatives by statistically comparing an individual child to groups of children previously admitted into different residential facilities. PROFILE summarizes the characteristics and problems of children at each facility in the system.     

Oiling the wheels? Flexible labour markets and the migration industry

ABSTRACT

The growing commercialisation of migration, often through a multiplicity of labour market intermediaries, is an issue of increasing academic interest. We seek to contribute to an emerging research agenda on the migration industries by exploring how one of the key actors that constitutes it, recruitment agencies, sits at the nexus between flexible labour market structures and migrant labour. Interviews with U.K. labour providers and low-wage employers form the evidence base for an analysis of the strategies developed by recruiters to derive commercial gain from connecting the so-called ‘supply’ and ‘demand’ sides of the flexible international labour market. We seek to contribute to understandings of the analytical categories within migration systems by illustrating how the migration industry interacts with other key stakeholders to structure international migration.     

A Critical Review of Chinese Ethnic Law Studies in 2014

I. Basic Theory of Ethnic Law Studies
As a mature discipline,research on the basic theory of ethnic law studies is no longer the focus of research. Nonetheless,this does not deny that it is a rese...     

碳排放权分配对碳市场成本有效性的影响研究

交易成本和市场势力影响碳市场成本有效性,不同的碳排放权分配方法是否造成不等的碳市场效率损失? 本文构建碳交易机制下企业决策模型,探究交易成本、市场势力存在时,碳排放权分配方法的选择对碳市场成本有效性的影响． 研究发现: 1) 交易成本中交易佣金会导致碳市场效率损失,基准法和祖父法的影响程度小于拍卖法; 2) 碳市场存在市场势力时,祖父法和基准法导致的碳市场效率损失小于拍卖法; 3) 当碳市场同时存在交易成本和市场势力时,市场势力进一步加剧了交易成本导致的碳市场效率损失,祖父法和基准法导致的增加损失小于拍卖法． 本文建议政策制定者采用祖父法或者基准法对市场势力企业进行碳排放权分配,并取消交易佣金．     

竞争市场中生产与碳交易策略

在碳排放约束下,利用动态古诺模型,分析厂商如何优化产量、交易碳排放权的规模、净化节约额以实现利润最大化的问题,得到相应的均衡量和各阶段最优量,并给出竞争市场中的企业减排策略以及政府的行为和碳排放权价格对企业减排策略的影响,阐述在竞争市场中减排和碳排放权交易的运行机制。研究发现: 双寡头竞争市场中存在均衡状态;在减排率较低时,制造上获得最高利润,而企业追求过高的减排率将会导致过分依赖碳减排市场而获得较低的利润;制造商应该适时低价购入过量碳排放权,而在高价时卖出多余的碳排放权,以充分利用碳排放权市场以增加利润降低成本;制造商的利润会随着政府碳排放权分配系数的增加而增加。     

减排约束下中国天然气供需安全评价:2006-2014年

为准确把握中国天然气供需安全状态,以2006-2014年的数据为样本,在模糊隶属度函数量化指标值的基础上,运用层次分析法(AHP)和熵值法确定指标权重,基于线性加权和函数计算均方根进行综合评价。结果表明:(1)中国天然气供需安全指数呈现"N形"波动,2006-2007年天然气供需安全指数上升。2007-2013年天然气供需安全指数年均下降1.7979。2013年以来天然气供需安全指数开始回升,天然气供需安全压力有所缓解。(2)天然气供应安全指数从2006年的17.5914下降到2013年的0.1556,峰谷差17.4359。天然气需求安全指数呈现"W形"波动。天然气市场安全指数相对稳定,2013年以来略有上升,天然气市场风险逐年下降。(3)天然气供需安全很大程度上取决于天然气供应是否安全。因此,建议从确保天然气稳定供应、提高天然气使用效率和降低市场风险方面采取措施,维护天然气供需安全。     

晚清四川鸦片贸易及其相关问题研究

晚清时期,受鸦片暴利的驱使,四川省广种鸦片,川土的销售和消费都很旺盛,烟土税也成为全省重要的财政来源之一.但旺盛的鸦片生产和贸易严重干扰了人们的正常生产和生活秩序,引起了乡村地区生产结构的巨大变动,使经济与社会发展更趋畸形,因而四川也成为了禁烟的重点省份.经过几届政府官吏的努力,四川省的鸦片在清朝覆灭前几乎禁绝,有力地维护了社会正义,但也使当时一些农民的生计受到影响.     

高校实施ISO9000标准的若干问题探讨

ISO9000族标准是国际标准化组织颁布的世界通用的质量管理标准。目前,国内一些高等学校开始按照ISO9000标准建立质量管理体系。电子科技大学中山学院在这种背景下,在全院范围内推行ISO9000质量管理体系。在这一过程中,产生了一些值得探讨的问题,出现了一些实际操作的难点,现提出来与大家共同探讨。