STRATEGIC INVENTORY OPTIMIZATION
讨论如何结合仿真与优化模型，在总成本分析中整合库存与供应链网络设计决策，并回顾了在零售分销网络扩张中的应用。
A company's inventory metrics are often viewed as critical indicators of its supply chain performance although inventory costs are only a fraction of total supply chain costs comprised of supplier, manufacturing, transportation, and warehousing costs, as well as inventory costs. Moreover, inventories across the supply chain are dependent on acquisition and distribution decisions. We discuss how simulation and optimization models can be combined to integrate analysis of inventory and supply chain network design decisions in performing a total cost analysis. An application of the models to plans for distributing retail products to an expanding network of stores is reviewed.