An integrated ordering and setup cost reduction model

A vendor supplies a product to a sole/major buyer on a lot-for-lot basis under deterministic inventory control conditions. The basic premise is that the setup cost reduction technologies are available to both the buyer and the vendor, and that the vendor's inventory and setup reduction investment costs differ from the buyer's. Therefore, an individually designed ordering and setup cost reduction policy will likely cause mismatches between the vendor's and the buyer's optimal cycle times. For this situation, we show that a joint optimal setup cost reduction and ordering policy, together with an appropriate side payment (quantity discount or premium price) schedule, can be designed in a spirit of coordination to eliminate mismatches in individual optimal cycle times.