Regenerative Inventory Systems

This is a renewal-theoretic analysis of a class of single-item (s, S) inventory systems. Included, in a unified exposition, are both con tinuous and periodic review systems under fairly general random de mand processes. The monograph is complete in the sense that it starts from the derivation of the time dependent and stationary dis tributions of basic stochastic processes related to these systems and concludes with the construction and testing of simple, distribution free approximations for optimal control policies. However, it is rather incomplete as an account of single-item inventory systems in that it narrowly focuses on systems with full backlogging of unfilled demand and constant lead times, through what has come to be known as stationary analysis. The level is intermediate, and the style is informal. Some prior knowledge of probability theory and inventory control is assumed on the part of the reader. Given these, the monograph is self-contained. Extensive use is made ofrenewal-theoretic concepts and results; these are reviewed in Chapter 2.

This is a renewal-theoretic analysis of a class of single-item (s, S) inventory systems. Included, in a unified exposition, are both con tinuous and periodic review systems under fairly general random de mand processes. The monograph is complete in the sense that it starts from the derivation of the time dependent and stationary dis tributions of basic stochastic processes related to these systems and concludes with the construction and testing of simple, distribution free approximations for optimal control policies. However, it is rather incomplete as an account of single-item inventory systems in that it narrowly focuses on systems with full backlogging of unfilled demand and constant lead times, through what has come to be known as stationary analysis. The level is intermediate, and the style is informal. Some prior knowledge of probability theory and inventory control is assumed on the part of the reader. Given these, the monograph is self-contained. Extensive use is made ofrenewal-theoretic concepts and results; these are reviewed in Chapter 2.

The focus of the work is twofold. First, it provides an introduction into fundamental structural and behavioral aspects of periodic review inventory systems. Second, it includes a comprehensive study on analytical and optimization aspects of a specific class of those systems. For the latter purpose, general solution methods for problems of inventory management in discrete time are described and developed along with highly specialized methods to solve very specific problems related to the model variants examined. The work is thus addressed to students and practitioners who seek a deeper understanding of managing inventories in discrete time as well as to software developers who require implementation aids on specific problems of inventory management.

The goal of Inventory Management will be to explain the dynamics of inventory management's principles, concepts, and techniques as they relate to the entire supply chain (customer demand, distribution, and product transformation processes). The interrelationships of all functions will be defined. The book concentrates on understanding the many ramifications of inventory management. In today's competitive business environment, inventory management has proven to be most critical, and this book is directed to the management of inventory to assist in better understanding the body of knowledge required to operate in a competitive world. Almost all functions such as sales, engineering, and accounting have an impact and are impacted by inventory management. The book will assist in the training of students as well as APICS CPIM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management) candidates. As such it will not only be a textbook, but also a desk reference for those employees responsible for controlling inventories, and thereby assist in reducing cost, improving customer service, and maximizing capacity. Each chapter concludes with a case study and suggested solution. The case studies tell the story of a growing company, Smith Industries, and the related inventory management problems it had to address. The problems addressed relate to the subject matter of the chapter.

This textbook provides a practice-oriented introduction into Analytics-based inventory management in complex supply chains. In the context of Business Analytics, we concentrate on Prescriptive Analytics. In addition to standard single-level inventory models also multi-level approaches for the optimal allocation of safety inventory are presented. Moreover, dynamic lot sizing problems under random demand and random yield and their relationship to Material Requirements Planning (MRP) are discussed.The models and algorithms are illustrated with the help of numerous examples. The book has been written for students of Supply Chain Management and Operations Management as well as for practitioners who are confronted with inventory management in their daily work.

Conditional Monte Carlo: Gradient Estimation and Optimization Applications deals with various gradient estimation techniques of perturbation analysis based on the use of conditional expectation. The primary setting is discrete-event stochastic simulation. This book presents applications to queueing and inventory, and to other diverse areas such as financial derivatives, pricing and statistical quality control. To researchers already in the area, this book offers a unified perspective and adequately summarizes the state of the art. To researchers new to the area, this book offers a more systematic and accessible means of understanding the techniques without having to scour through the immense literature and learn a new set of notation with each paper. To practitioners, this book provides a number of diverse application areas that makes the intuition accessible without having to fully commit to understanding all the theoretical niceties. In sum, the objectives of this monograph are two-fold: to bring together many of the interesting developments in perturbation analysis based on conditioning under a more unified framework, and to illustrate the diversity of applications to which these techniques can be applied. Conditional Monte Carlo: Gradient Estimation and Optimization Applications is suitable as a secondary text for graduate level courses on stochastic simulations, and as a reference for researchers and practitioners in industry.

Regenerating British Columbia's Forests will assist those responsible for planning reforestation projects to reach informed decisions and will challenge them to consider primarily the biological factors basic to reforestation success rather than short-term costs and production technology. Although its main audience is practising foresters and forestry students of British Columbia, the text will be of considerable interest to foresters in other parts of Canada, the United States, and Europe who manage reforestation.

Recent developments in cultural heritage policy and practice in South-East Europe. Since 2003, the Council of Europe–European Commission joint initiative known as the “Ljubljana Process: rehabilitating our common heritage” has set out to unlock the potential of the region’s rich immovable cultural heritage, working with national authorities to accelerate the development of democratic, peaceful and open societies, stimulate local economies and improve the quality of life of local communities. In 2003, the region was overcoming the effects of the traumatic transition to a market economy. Since then, it has been hit hard by the economic crisis of 2008, and more recently by an unprecedented migration crisis. Despite the challenges facing the region in the field of cultural heritage, the present situation can be seen as an opportunity to use the lessons learned from the Ljubljana Process to avoid the traps laid by the cumulative and sometimes inconsistent heritage-protection legislation of the past 60 years, overcoming the legacy of the top-down approach that privileges the “high art” canon rather than the local heritage that reflects the culture of everyday life and which often means more to most people. The authors suggest that selecting from innovative practice elsewhere could make heritage management smarter so that it more directly meets the needs of modern society and individual citizens. This volume reflects the views of international experts involved in the joint initiative and complements earlier studies on the impact of the Ljubljana Process by experts from within the region (Heritage for development in South-East Europe, edited by Gojko Rikolović and Hristina Mikić, 2014) and from the London School of Economics and Political Science (The wider benefits of investment in cultural heritage. Case studies in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, edited by Will Bartlett, 2015).