Designing Distribution Systems to Support Vendor Strategies in Supply Chain Management*

The interactions among a firm's distribution strategy, market share, and distribution costs are an important consideration in the design of supply chain networks. However, these interactions are largely ignored by existing distribution system design methodologies, which assume demand is constant regardless of the firm's distribution strategy. This paper describes a multidisciplinary framework that considers these interactions in the design of “profit maximizing” distribution networks. The framework employs two major decision support methodologies: (1) binary logit models for estimating market share considering various demand-influencing parameters such as product price and distribution service, and (2) a mixed-integer programming (MIP) model for finding optimal distribution network designs. We applied the framework to an actual design problem facing a national distributor of industrial chemical products. The test results verify the framework's large-scale capability and the potential benefit of the integrated solution methodology.     

政府距离和企业生产率的区际边界效应

我国“城区-开发区-乡镇区”三位模式下的企业-市场距离、政企距离以及政策差距均存在区位相对落差,综合因素形成了企业生产率的区际边界效应。本文通过Blinder-Oaxaca 样本分层法识别出边界效应中的市场租、关系租和政策租,实证发现：城区-乡镇企业生产率边界效应（区位差）包含市场租和关系租,而开发区比乡镇区具有政府支持的关系租和政策租双重优势;随着制度规范企业的有章可循而减少了对关系租的需求,同时政策租对企业生产率的影响具有衰减趋势;三位模式下中西部城市辖区间的相对疏远使得区位市场租和关系租更为突兀;政策启示在于：在合理布局和科学规划下良性发展的开发区模式不仅仅是营造“政策洼地”,更应创造高效服务企业的“体制高地”,从而克服中西部地区因疏远距离导致的额外公务成本。     

Dimensions of Market Attractiveness: Competitively Interactive Spatial Models*

This paper presents a normative, multidisciplinary approach for evaluating market entry strategies with concern for the effects of spatial assumptions on performance expectations. An assessment framework is linked to a series of models that show the value of adding spatial and competitive perspectives to typical baseline conceptualizations of market opportunity. Criteria for assessing market attractiveness are discussed with special concern for the problems of field service firms whose market boundaries are not limited by fixed facility locations. The problem is conceptualized as the managerial decision to locate a new brokerage office in a highly competitive regional market area. Realistic constraints are established by focusing the market entry decision through aggregate data from secondary sources that are readily available to an outsider who had not been active in the geographic markets considered. A simple model based on market potential is progressively enhanced with spatially adjusted measures of market attractiveness and competitive resistance. Empirical tests highlight the impact of alternative model formulations and choice criteria on the decision-making process.     

Transportation Approach to Locating Plants in Relation to Potential Markets and Raw Material Sources

Proximity to the market place has been considered the most important locational factor in the literature so far. However, the growing need for frequent deliveries of materials in smaller lot sizes for just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing prefers plants closer to the raw materials sources. Locating plants for JIT manufacturing is, therefore, a problem of finding the right balance between the requirements of procurement and distribution. A comprehensive model is proposed in this paper to solve this problem. The model is solved by using the transportation algorithm and produces simultaneous decisions on procurement, production, and distribution. The model does not require plant sizes to be known a priori, but it allows upper limits to be placed on the size of each plant and raw material source. As such, optimal plant capacities along with the corresponding procurement and distribution quantities are all determined by the model solution.     

STRATEGIC FACILITY PLANNING: THE ANALYSIS OF OPTIONS

This paper addresses the issue of uncertainty in planning the long-term development of facility systems. In certain instances, the high variance of a single future forecast can be reduced by using a set of alternative future scenarios. By carefully selecting facility configurations, the planner can delay the selection of a future set of facility sites at little or no sacrifice while additional information is gathered and uncertainty reduced. This allows the planner to maintain flexibility in adapting to a complex and dynamic environment. Several models are presented for different planning contexts. Examples for each, as well as a robust bicriterion solution heuristic, are also provided.     

利润最大化区位理论与广州高房价的根源

本文利用利润最大化区位理论,建立房价模型,实证研究广州房价持续上涨的根源。发现影响房价的主要因素是住房供给的短缺,次要原因是高成本以及严重的贫富分化。其体制根源在于自由竞争的地产需求市场与计划经济的地产供给市场之间的矛盾,政策根源在于政府变为“经济人”,一味经营城市,经济根源在于因竞争和权力垄断所导致的产业分化,社会根源在于广州市民不合理的住房消费习惯。因而,近期来讲,加大土地供给、改革土地出让方式、实行房地产累进累退税是抑制房价的关键,从长远来讲,要建立自由竞争的地产供给市场,变“经济人”政府为服务性政府,优化产业结构,取消“国字头”行业特权。     

试论西部女性在西部大开发中的应然状态

以西部大开发为背景 ,对西部女性的应然状态与实然状态作了比较分析 ,西部女性的实然状态与西部大开发的客观需求极不适应。转变观念、提高素质、找准位置、以新的时代理念和精神风貌投身于西部大开发是西部女性的应然状态。     

Sequential estimation of a location parameter from delayed observations

The problem of sequentially estimating a location parameter is considered in the special case when the data arrive at random times. Certain classes of sequential estimation procedures are derived under a location invariant loss function and with the observation cost determined by a function of the moment of stopping and the number of observations up to this moment.     

Establishing Concurrent Mands for Items and Mands for Information about Location in Children with Autism

This study replicated and extended the methodology used in Howlett et al. (Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44, 943–947 2011) to bring the mands “Where’s (item)?” and “I want (item)” under appropriate antecedent control in two boys diagnosed with autism. Trials were alternated in which items were present, missing, and within view (but inaccessible) and missing and out of view. To program for generalization, fifteen items, multiple trainers, and multiple settings were used during teaching. For both participants, manding generalized to novel items, instructors, settings, and situations and maintained after 2 weeks following teaching. Results of the social validity assessment indicated that school staff found the procedures highly acceptable.     

日本跨国公司对华直接投资的动机与区位因素分析

基于一项对230家日本在华投资母公司的问卷调查,本文对日本跨国公司对华直接投资的动机和区位因素进行了实证分析。根据因子分析,日本跨国公司对华直接投资的动机可以归纳为市场寻求动机、资源转移动机和竞争压力动机;影响日本跨国公司对华直接投资的区位因素可以归纳为宏观环境因素、政府效率因素、法律法规因素、激励因素、服务因素和投入成本因素。