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Multi-Echelon vs. Single-Echelon Inventory Control Policies for Low-Demand Items

Author

Listed:
  • Warren H. Hausman

    (Department of IE & EM, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305)

  • Nesim K. Erkip

    (IE Department, Middle East Technical University (ODTU), Ankara 06531, Turkey)

Abstract

Multi-echelon inventory systems are often controlled as a network of single-echelon inventory systems for simplicity of managerial authority, organizational control, and performance monitoring. This paper explores the amount of suboptimization in such a situation, using an actual demand data set provided by other researchers. We consider low-demand, high-cost items controlled on an (S - 1, S) basis, with all warehouse stockouts met on an emergency-ordering basis. We demonstrate that the suboptimality penalty for this data set is 3% to 5% when single-echelon systems are appropriately parameterized.

Suggested Citation

  • Warren H. Hausman & Nesim K. Erkip, 1994. "Multi-Echelon vs. Single-Echelon Inventory Control Policies for Low-Demand Items," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 40(5), pages 597-602, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:40:y:1994:i:5:p:597-602
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.40.5.597
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. de Kok, Ton & Grob, Christopher & Laumanns, Marco & Minner, Stefan & Rambau, Jörg & Schade, Konrad, 2018. "A typology and literature review on stochastic multi-echelon inventory models," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 269(3), pages 955-983.
    2. Sheikh-Zadeh, Alireza & Rossetti, Manuel D. & Scott, Marc A., 2021. "Performance-based inventory classification methods for large-Scale multi-echelon replenishment systems," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    3. Jovan Grahovac & Amiya Chakravarty, 2001. "Sharing and Lateral Transshipment of Inventory in a Supply Chain with Expensive Low-Demand Items," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(4), pages 579-594, April.
    4. Ki Ling Cheung & Warren H. Hausman, 2000. "An Exact Performance Evaluation for the Supplier in a Two-Echelon Inventory System," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 48(4), pages 646-653, August.
    5. Alvarez, E.M. & van der Heijden, M.C. & Zijm, W.H.M., 2013. "The selective use of emergency shipments for service-contract differentiation," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(2), pages 518-526.
    6. Gérard P. Cachon & Paul H. Zipkin, 1999. "Competitive and Cooperative Inventory Policies in a Two-Stage Supply Chain," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 45(7), pages 936-953, July.
    7. Diaz, Rafael & Bailey, Mike, 2011. "Building knowledge to improve enterprise performance from inventory simulation models," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(1), pages 108-113, November.
    8. Jaller, Miguel & Harvey, John T. & Saremi, Sogol & Ambrose, Hanjiro & Butt, Ali A., 2018. "Development of a Freight System Conceptualization and Impact Assessment (Fre‐SCANDIA) Framework," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt05g8p7tn, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    9. Erhun Özkan & Geert-Jan Houtum & Yasemin Serin, 2015. "A new approximate evaluation method for two-echelon inventory systems with emergency shipments," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 224(1), pages 147-169, January.
    10. Leon Yang Chu & Zuo-Jun Max Shen, 2010. "A Power-of-Two Ordering Policy for One-Warehouse Multiretailer Systems with Stochastic Demand," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 58(2), pages 492-502, April.
    11. Gérard P. Cachon, 2001. "Exact Evaluation of Batch-Ordering Inventory Policies in Two-Echelon Supply Chains with Periodic Review," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 49(1), pages 79-98, February.
    12. Karzan Mahdi Ghafour & Nerda ZuraZaibidi, 2014. "A Simulation Approach to Determine the Probability of Demand during Lead-Time When Demand Distributed Normal and Lead-Time Distributed Gamma," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 6(11), pages 840-847.
    13. Andersson, Jonas & Marklund, Johan, 2000. "Decentralized inventory control in a two-level distribution system," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 127(3), pages 483-506, December.
    14. Gérard P. Cachon, 2001. "Stock Wars: Inventory Competition in a Two-Echelon Supply Chain with Multiple Retailers," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 49(5), pages 658-674, October.
    15. Tong Wang & Xiaoyue Yan & Chaolin Yang, 2021. "Managing a Hybrid RDC‐DC Inventory System," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 30(10), pages 3679-3697, October.
    16. Lina Johansson & Fredrik Olsson, 2017. "Quantifying sustainable control of inventory systems with non-linear backorder costs," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 259(1), pages 217-239, December.

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