An optimal batch size under a periodic delivery policy

This paper addresses the problem of a manufacturing system that procures raw materials from suppliers in a lot and processes them to convert to finished products. It proposes an ordering policy for raw materials to meet the requirements of a production facility. In turn, this facility must deliver finished products demanded by outside buyers at fixed interval points in time. First, a general cost model is developed considering both raw materials and finished products. Then this model is used to develop a simple procedure to determine an optimal ordering policy for procurement of raw materials and also the manufacturing batch size to minimize the total cost for meeting the customer demand on time. The proposed procedure provides better results than the traditional separate policies. Numerical examples are also presented.