A review of the stochastic lot scheduling problem

This paper surveys the current research literature on the stochastic lot scheduling problem which deals with scheduling production of multiple products with random demand on a single facility with limited production capacity and significant change-overs between products. The deterministic version of this problem has received significant coverage in the literature; however, the stochastic problem has been addressed only recently. Furthermore, a range of distinctly different analytical methods have been applied to this problem. This paper provides a unifying framework for discussing these approaches and offers some explanation and clarification of the different analytical methods for this problem. After discussing some of the modeling and managerial implications of this problem, a detailed review of both continuous and discrete time control strategies is given, and areas for further research are outlined.