| Abstract: | In many developing countries where supply is limited, a premium rather than a discounted price is paid for buying in larger amounts. In order for management science/operations research solutions to be relevant to developing economies, such realities need to be explicitly recognized and any decisions evaluated from that perspective. To illustrate this point, a typical inventory-purchasing problem is solved. In the process, formulae are developed that introduce simultaneous price and quantity sensitivity into the inventory equation. A systematic procedure is suggested to locate the optimal order quantity for a given schedule of discounts or premiums. |
