Article ID: | iaor1998675 |
Country: | United Kingdom |
Volume: | 35 |
Issue: | 4 |
Start Page Number: | 983 |
End Page Number: | 994 |
Publication Date: | Apr 1997 |
Journal: | International Journal of Production Research |
Authors: | Molinder A. |
Keywords: | optimization: simulated annealing |
This paper reports on a simulation study of an MRP system affected by stochastic demand and stochastic lead times. Experiments are conducted to assess the impact of three data sets: the amount of lead time variability, the amount of demand variability, and the influence of the stockout cost inventory holding cost ratio. Lot-sizes, safety stocks and lead times are optimized using simulated annealing. The effects of using either safety stocks or safety lead times are compared with each other, with the purpose of finding the best method for protection against uncertainties in lead time and demand.