Supplier Selection for Framework Agreements in Humanitarian Relief

In this study, we consider the supplier selection problem of a relief organization that wants to establish framework agreements (FAs) with a number of suppliers to ensure quick and cost‐effective procurement of relief supplies in responding to sudden‐onset disasters. Motivated by the FAs in relief practice, we focus on a quantity flexibility contract in which the relief organization commits to purchase a minimum total quantity from each framework supplier over a fixed agreement horizon, and, in return, the suppliers reserve capacity for the organization and promise to deliver items according to pre‐specified agreement terms. Due to the uncertainties in demand locations and amounts, it may be challenging for relief organizations to assess candidate suppliers and the offered agreement terms. We use a scenario‐based approach to represent demand uncertainty and develop a stochastic programming model that selects framework suppliers to minimize expected procurement and agreement costs while meeting service requirements. We perform numerical experiments to understand the implications of agreement terms in different settings. The results show that supplier selection decisions and costs are generally more sensitive to the changes in agreement terms in settings with high‐impact disasters. Finally, we illustrate the applicability of our model on a case study.     

Dynamics of age- and size-structured populations in fluctuating environments: Applications of stochastic matrix models to natural populations

Recent developments of the theory of stochastic matrix modeling have made it possible to estimate general properties of age- and size-structured populations in fluctuating environments. However, applications of the theory to natural populations are still few. The empirical studies which have used stochastic matrix models are reviewed here to examine whether predictions made by the theory can be generally found in wild populations. The organisms studied include terrestrial grasses and herbs, a seaweed, a fish, a reptile, a deer and some marine invertebrates. In all the studies, the stochastic population growth rate (ln λ _s ) was no greater than the deterministic population growth rate determined using average vital rates, suggesting that the model based only on average vital rates may overestimate growth rates of populations in fluctuating environments. Factors affecting ln λ _s include the magnitude of variation in vital rates, probability distribution of random environments, fluctuation in different types of vital rates, covariances between vital rates, and autocorrelation between successive environments. However, comprehensive rules were hardly found through the comparisons of the empirical studies. Based on shortcomings of previous studies, I address some important subjects which should be examined in future studies.     

Dynamic Mechanism Design: A Myersonian Approach

We study mechanism design in dynamic quasilinear environments where private information arrives over time and decisions are made over multiple periods. We make three contributions. First, we provide a necessary condition for incentive compatibility that takes the form of an envelope formula for the derivative of an agent's equilibrium expected payoff with respect to his current type. It combines the familiar marginal effect of types on payoffs with novel marginal effects of the current type on future ones that are captured by “impulse response functions.” The formula yields an expression for dynamic virtual surplus that is instrumental to the design of optimal mechanisms and to the study of distortions under such mechanisms. Second, we characterize the transfers that satisfy the envelope formula and establish a sense in which they are pinned down by the allocation rule (“revenue equivalence”). Third, we characterize perfect Bayesian equilibrium‐implementable allocation rules in Markov environments, which yields tractable sufficient conditions that facilitate novel applications. We illustrate the results by applying them to the design of optimal mechanisms for the sale of experience goods (“bandit auctions”).     

资产负债管理多阶段模型及应用

本文根据我国实际情况,考虑未来各种经济因素的不确定性,建立了资产负债管理问题多阶段随机优化模型.对基金公司的多阶段资产配置问题、个人财务计划问题、银行资产负债管理问题以及养老金问题进行研究,针对每一个具体问题对目标函数和约束条件进行了调整和改进.对未来不确定的经济因素采用向量自回归方法进行预测,得到了最优资产配置,使得与负债选择和投资者财富相联系的资产投资决策通过多期随机规划达到最优.     

Quantifying the effectiveness of VMI and integrated inventory management in a supply chain with uncertain lead-times and uncertain demands

This article considers the inventory management problem in a supply chain with uncertain replenishment lead-times and uncertain demands. The optimal integrated inventory management (IIM) policy is developed using stochastic dynamic programming theory. The IIM policy is contrasted with two pull-type vendor-managed inventory policies (VMI-1 and VMI-2) and a traditional retailer-managed inventory policy (RMI). Computational results show that in such stochastic supply chains, IIM performs about 23, 15, and 3% better than the optimised RMI, VMI-1 and VMI-2 policies, respectively, while two VMI policies are about 8 and 20% better than the best RMI. The basestock-based VMI-2 is a very good form of VMI. The ANOVA analysis reveals that the replenishment lead-times have the largest effect on the relative performance between IIM and other policies. Numerical examples demonstrated that the IIM policy has good structural properties and can be characterised by a set of switching curves.     

基于模糊权重的多目标订单分配模型

随着竞争的日益加剧,采购成了影响企业生存和发展的关键因素。在这种情况下,正确的订单分配是成功实行采购的关键。实际上,影响订单分配的许多信息并不是确定的已知条件,例如目标、约束条件和影响权重等。本文通过考虑上述信息的不确定性和模糊性,构建一个包含模糊目标、模糊权重和随机约束的订单分配模型。然后,利用数值算例证明了模型的可解性。最后,指出了未来可能的几个研究方向。     

基于随机前沿函数的辽宁省区域技术效率研究

针对辽宁省经济增长数量很大但经济增长质量不高的现状,采用随机前沿方法,分析了辽宁省14个城市13年的技术效率。结果表明,辽宁省各城市的技术效率普遍不高,但都呈现稳步上升的趋势。在要素投入不变的情况下,改变经济增长方式,提高技术效率水平,将成为辽宁省今后经济发展的一个重要方向。     

SV模型下中国股票型开放式基金杠杆效应分析

针对中国股票型开放式基金收益波动中是否存在杠杆效应的问题,在对该类基金整体及所选取的三支具有代表性的单个基金分析的基础上,运用一个带杠杆效应的SV模型对其收益的波动性建模,并利用MCMC方法对模型进行参数估计。结果显示：不同于一般对股票市场的研究结论,无论股票型开放式基金整体还是单个基金,其收益率序列的波动中均不存在显著的杠杆效应。     

Markov Chains and De-initializing Processes

We define a notion of de-initializing Markov chains. We prove that to analyse convergence of Markov chains to stationarity, it suffices to analyse convergence of a de-initializing chain. Applications are given to Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms and to convergence diagnostics.     

作业成本制下动态随机成本函数模型的初步构造

随着现代制造技术的发展,生产制造环境有了很大变化。同时,市场信息瞬息万变,企业要在这样的环境中生存发展,必须保证成本信息的准确性。基于此目的,本文从作业成本法出发,借助于动态随机生产函数,建立了作业成本制下的动态随机成本函数。最后,依据作业成本制下的动态随机成本函数,联系生产实际,提出了对于成本控制的一些建议,为企业进行成本管理指出了方向。