The joint replenishment problem with general joint cost structures
Operations Research
Installation vs. echelon stock policies for multilevel inventory control
Management Science
A multiechelon inventory model with fixed replenishment intervals
Management Science
Periodic review (s, S) policies for joint replenishment inventory systems
Management Science
Managing Supply Chain Demand Variability with Scheduled Ordering Policies
Management Science
Managing a Retailer's Shelf Space, Inventory, and Transportation
Manufacturing & Service Operations Management
A Multi-Echelon Inventory System with Information Exchange
Management Science
Supply Chain Inventory Management and the Value of Shared Information
Management Science
Shipping Multiple Items by Capacitated Vehicles: An Optimal Dynamic Programming Approach
Transportation Science
Introduction to Probability Models, Ninth Edition
Introduction to Probability Models, Ninth Edition
Dynamic Lot Sizing with Batch Ordering and Truckload Discounts
Operations Research
Improving Supply Chain Performance: Real-Time Demand Information and Flexible Deliveries
Manufacturing & Service Operations Management
A study on coordination of capacity allocation for different types of contractual retailers
Decision Support Systems
Joint shipment consolidation and inventory decisions in a two-stage distribution system
Computers and Industrial Engineering
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In this paper, we study the impact of coordinated replenishment and shipment in inventory/distribution systems. We analyze a system with multiple retailers and one outside supplier. Random demand occurs at each retailer, and the supplier replenishes all the retailers. In traditional inventory models, each retailer orders directly from the supplier whenever the need arises. We present a new, centralized ordering policy that orders for all retailers simultaneously. The new policy is equivalent to the introduction of a warehouse with no inventory that is in charge of the ordering, allocation, and distribution of inventory to the retailers. Under such a policy, orders for some retailers may be postponed or expedited so that they can be batched with other retailers' orders, which results in savings in ordering and shipping costs. In addition to the policy we propose for supplying inventory to the retailers, we also consider three other policies that are based on these well-known policies in the literature: (a) can-order policy, (b) echelon inventory policy, and (c) fixed-replenishment interval policy. Furthermore, we create a framework for simultaneously making inventory and transportation decisions by incorporating the transportation costs (or limited truck capacities). We numerically compare the performance of our proposed policy with these policies to identify the settings in which each policy would perform well.