Computational study of the multiechelon production planning problem

In this article we try to identify appropriate solution procedures for different types of multiechelon production planning problems. We conduct an extensive computational study on uncapacitated multiechelon production planning problems with serial and assembly types of bill-of-material structures. Problems are formulated as both single-source fixed charge network problems and as multicommodity flow problems with fixed charges. Solution procedures considered are branch and cut, Lagrangean relaxation (for the network formulation), and branch and bound (for the multicommodity formulation). Three hundred problems with various problem structures are tested. Our conclusions suggest the best approach for each type of problem structure. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

An optimum multiechelon repair policy and stockage model

Currently, sophisticated multiechelon models compute stockage quantities for spares and repair parts that will minimize total inventory investment while achieving a target level of weapon system operational availability. The maintenance policies to be followed are input to the stockage models. The Optimum Allocation of Test Equipment/Manpower Evaluated Against Logistics (OATMEAL) model will determine optimum maintenance as well as stockage policies for a weapon system. Specifically, it will determine at which echelon each maintenance function should be performed, including an option for component or module throwaway. Test equipment requirements to handle work load at each echelon are simultaneously optimized. Mixed-integer programming (MIP) combined with a Lagrangian approach are used to do the constrained cost minimization, that is, to minimize all costs dependent on maintenance and stockage policies while achieving a target weapons system operational availability. Real-life test cases are included.     

Fixed‐interval joint‐replenishment policies for distribution systems with multiple retailers and stochastic demand

We consider a distribution system consisting of a central warehouse and a group of retailers facing independent stochastic demand. The retailers replenish from the warehouse, and the warehouse from an outside supplier with ample supply. Time is continuous. Most previous studies on inventory control policies for this system have considered stock‐based batch‐ordering policies. We develop a time‐based joint‐replenishment policy in this study. Let the warehouse set up a basic replenishment interval. The retailers are replenished through the warehouse in intervals that are integer multiples of the basic replenishment interval. No inventory is carried at the warehouse. We provide an exact evaluation of the long‐term average system costs under the assumption that stock can be balanced among the retailers. The structural properties of the inventory system are characterized. We show that, although it is well known that stock‐based inventory control policies dominate time‐based inventory control policies at a single facility, this dominance does not hold for distribution systems with multiple retailers and stochastic demand. This is because the latter can provide a more efficient mechanism to streamline inventory flow and pool retailer demand, even though the former may be able to use more updated stock information to optimize system performance. The findings of the study provide insights about the key factors that drive the performance of a multiechelon inventory control system. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 60: 637–651, 2013     

The proper balancing of repair and preventive maintenance activities in the determination of coordinated shipboard allowance lists

The determination as to the cost-effective number of spares for given types of items or equipment to be carried on board various types of ships is studied. This spare pool, known as the ship's COSAL, must provide prespecified levels of protection against stockouts for all uses of that item on board the given ship. This article derives and illustrates the methodology for optimally trading off the reduction in the ship's COSAL that can be gained by improving repair/resupply capabilities or by lowering the failure rate of the equipment through more or different types of preventive maintenance. A flexible class of preventive maintenance/repair response functions to cost is studied which are nonlinear and exhibit realistic diminishing returns. Two different types of assumptions are possible regarding the interdependencies of the resupply times across different ship types. A tractable budget allocation method is presented which can be used in a multiitem, multiship, multiechelon repair environment where there is one budget to cover all spares, all repair/resupply, and preventive maintenance activities. The technique incorporates different criticalities of shortages by type of ship and item. It can be used either in a budget building mode or a budget execution mode.     

The next decade of logistics research

Pathbreaking logistics research over the next 10 years will focus on systems problems. Whereas past research generally has taken a “bottom-up” approach, future investigations are likely to pursue a “top-down” philosophy. Specifically, attention will concentrate on diagnosis of systems' improvement potentials; easy-to-use analytic approaches, inherently approximative, will be devised for quickly ascertaining whether a complex operating system can be substantially and effectively improved. Theories to assist in overall systems design, particularly the setting of boundaries and buffers among systems components, will be developed. At the same time, techniques for accurately forecasting future systems performance will be investigated. Underlying such research will be efforts to gain better understanding of management information requirements, including approaches for monitoring systems performance and providing early warning detection of systems degradation Improved management information systems will have to be coupled with appropriate design of managerial organizations and assignment of decision making responsibilities. Important avenues of research will he development of robust approaches, that is, both mathematical techniques and organizational approaches that are not too adversely affected by limited data, a changing environment, and human frailly. Finally, critical research will be directed at the implementation process, especially the interaction among initiation, design, testing and ultimate adoption This prognosis will explore the above themes in the context of large-scale, complex systems. The decision areas will encompass inventory replenishment, multiechelon hierarchies for stockage and maintenance, procurement, transportation, scheduling, facilities planning, budgeting, reliability and personnel management.     

军事供应链不确定性产生机理研究

军事供应链中不可避免地存在不确定性。构建了军事供应链不确定性产生机理的概念模型,从需求、供应、环境三个方面分析了军事供应链不确定性产生的原因,同时,对军事供应链中可能存在的各种不确定性进行了讨论,明确了加剧不确定性影响的因素是军事供应链系统的复杂性。具体表现为军事供应链成员交互关系的复杂性和军事供应链网络结构的复杂性。提出正是由于这两个原因的存在,对军事供应链的保障性能产生了巨大的影响。     

依据供应标准获取装备维修器材需求分布的方法

依据当前装备维修器材供应标准和装备维修器材保障程度模型,建立了求解装备维修器材需求分布的几种典型模型,并给出了相应的求解方法和举例,所给模型与方法具有一般意义,有较大的推广价值,对实际工作中装备维修器材的评估及科学保障具有指导意义。     

光电探测系统电源通用化设计与实现

为应对全天候、全天时实时使用要求,光电探测系统逐渐从功能单一的光电探测系统演变为多功能、多传感器的综合光电系统。因此,具体进行工程设计时,系统电源组件的技术指标要合理,满足系统使用要求。同时,组件维修、故障诊断、部件互换也要容易。针对此问题,基于描述的光电探测系统电源通用化设计原则,提出了一种可工程化设计方案。该方案对电源硬件结构设置、电源控制管理和电源功能扩展设计等进行了讨论,并给出具体设计方法。通过实际应用验证表明,该方案能够满足系统对电源组件的要求。     

面向AL的战略级仓库备件供应优化方法

针对维修备件供应保障费用较高、管理难度较大等问题,借助自主式保障(AL)理念设计了面向AL的维修备件调度与供应优化框架,提出面向AL的战略级仓库维修备件供应优化思路。在此基础上,为了解决战略级仓库备件供应路线规划不科学、弥补半定量经验方法不足的情况,建立了带混合时间窗的多供应地——多需求地维修备件供应路线优化模型,设计了求解模型的GA-SA混合算法。最后运用算例进行了说明。     

基于战时弹药消耗及补给数据的弹药储备量控制方法

针对战时基于定点调拨的弹药储备与基于定期调拨的弹药储备中存在的断供与盲供问题,从弹药消耗及补给数据出发,围绕弹药消耗量、补给量与储备量之间的相互关系,以优化技术为手段,兼顾基于定点调拨弹药储备与基于定期调拨弹药储备的优点,通过寻求最佳弹药储备量和最佳弹药补给点的方法,实现了弹药储备量的优化控制,为今后的弹药储备控制方法研究提供了理论依据和参考。     

基于GO法的军事供应链可靠性分析

军事供应链管理要获得高效率和效益，最基础的必须是有高可靠性作保证。结合GO法——一种系统可靠性分析方法和军事供应链自身的特点，阐明了将GO法应用于军事供应链可靠性分析中的可行性。通过构建军事供应链结构模型，运用GO法原理，分析出军事供应链系统中的信号流和操作符，将军事供应链系统结构图转化为GO图，通过GO运算，求出各信号流的等效故障率，进而求出军事供应链中各节点的等效可靠度，对供应链网络结构模型的可靠性问题进行定量分析，并通过实例对该方法的应用进行了具体说明。结果表明：GO法不仅能够计算出整个军事供应链的可靠性，还可以清楚地得到各环节的可靠性，从而可以追溯出影响军事供应链系统整体可靠性的瓶颈，为制定相关的可靠性管理措施提供科学依据。     

The bottleneck transportation problem

The bottleneck transportation problem can be stated as follows: A set of supplies and a set of demands are specified such that the total supply is equal to the total demand. There is a transportation time associated between each supply point and each demand point. It is required to find a feasible distribution (of the supplies) which minimizes the maximum transportaton time associated between a supply point and a demand point such that the distribution between the two points is positive. In addition, one may wish to find from among all optimal solutions to the bottleneck transportation problem, a solution which minimizes the total distribution that requires the maximum time Two algorithms are given for solving the above problems. One of them is a primal approach in the sense that improving fcasible solutions are obtained at each iteration. The other is a “threshold” algorithm which is found to be far superior computationally.     

基于SuperMap的战区油料保障系统设计与实现

通过对SuperMap与战区油料保障的结合,研究了基于SuperMap的战区油料保障系统,充分利用信息时代的成果提高油料保障的效能。分析了建立基于GIS的战区油料保障系统的必要性,全面构建了基于SuperMap的战区油料保障任务的数学模型,提出了未来信息化油料保障的可能途径,系统的设计并实现了基于SuperMap的战区油料保障系统,从而达到优化油料保障环节,缩短油料保障时间,提高油料保障透明度的目标。     

Optimal control policies for a periodic review inventory system with emergency orders

We describe a periodic review inventory system where emergency orders, which have a shorter supply lead time but are subject to higher ordering cost compared to regular orders, can be placed on a continuous basis. We consider the periodic review system in which the order cycles are relatively long so that they are possibly larger than the supply lead times. Study of such systems is important since they are often found in practice. We assume that the difference between the regular and emergency supply lead times is less than the order-cycle length. We develop a dynamic programming model and derive a stopping rule to end the computation and obtain optimal operation parameters. Computational results are included that support the contention that easily implemented policies can be computed with reasonable effort. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 45: 187–204, 1998     

基于单元故障模式的水下恒流远供系统可靠性分析方法

以水下单元的短路/开路故障模式为基础,提出了一种分析缆系海底观测网络恒流远供系统可靠性的方法。根据系统供电和结构特性,将系统分成不同的供电链路和链路段。详细研究了处于不同位置的各种水下单元发生故障时,对链路和观测设备的供电状态的影响。归纳了导致系统和各链路无法正常导通、观测设备无法得到供电的状态情况,分析了不同故障状态发生的概率,进而得出了求解系统、供电链路与供电设备的供电可靠度的方法。通过算例分析,进一步梳理了3种供电可靠性的共性规律,说明在设计和建设恒流远供系统时,应综合须考量这3种供电可靠性。     

Dual sourcing: Responsive hedging against correlated supply and demand uncertainty

This article analyzes dual sourcing decisions under stochastically dependent supply and demand uncertainty. A manufacturer faces the trade‐off between investing in unreliable but high‐margin offshore supply and in reliable but low‐margin local supply, where the latter allows for production that is responsively contingent on the actual demand and offshore supply conditions. Cost thresholds for both types of supply determine the optimal resource allocation: single offshore sourcing, single responsive sourcing, or dual sourcing. Relying on the concept of concordance orders, we study the effects of correlation between supply and demand uncertainty. Adding offshore supply to the sourcing portfolio becomes more favorable under positive correlation, since offshore supply is likely to satisfy demand when needed. Selecting responsive capacity under correlated supply and demand uncertainty is not as straightforward, yet we establish the managerially relevant conditions under which responsive capacity either gains or loses in importance. Our key results are extended to the broad class of endogenous supply uncertainty developed by Dada et al. [Manufact Serv Operat Mange 9 (2007), 9–32].© 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2012     

改进平衡计分卡在装备物资供应管理中的应用

基于装备物资供应的特点，对传统平衡记分卡进行了改进，建立了装备物资供应平衡记分卡，分为部队用户、业务流程、保障服务、训练与创新4部分。基于建立的装备物资供应平衡记分卡及其因果关系分析，可以有效的评价装备物资供应系统的整体运行情况，为装备物资供应系统优化提供依据。     

全电坦克炮控系统升压电源偏磁抑制方法

基于推挽拓扑结构设计,研究了一种全电坦克炮控系统用升压电源,但推挽电路存在着难以消除的偏磁现象,使得升压电源的可靠性降低。详细阐述了推挽电路中偏磁现象产生的原因,针对性地提出了串入箝位电容、采用电流内环控制、优化电路布局等偏磁抑制方法。实验结果表明：所采用的推挽电路偏磁抑制方法具有结构简单、抑制效果好的优点,提高了全电坦克炮控系统升压电源的可靠性。     

A manpower planning/capital budgeting model (MAPCAB)

A deterministic resource allocation model is developed to optimize defense effectiveness subject to budget, manpower, and risk constraints. The model consists of two major submodels connected by a heuristic. The first is a mathematical program which optimizes the multiperiod weapon mix subject to the constraint set. The second is a manpower supply model based on a transition matrix in which individual transitions are functions of personnel related budgets and historical transition rates. The heuristic marries the submodels through an iterative process leading to improved solutions. An example is provided which demonstrates how systems are undercosted and overprocured if manpower supply is not properly reflected relative to manpower demand.     

二级库存-运输系统的联合经济订购模型

结合器材供应的实际,构建了一个国家仓库-地区仓库形成的二级库存-运输系统,以最低费用为目标,建立了该系统的联合经济订购模型,求解了该系统各仓库的最佳订货量和订货次数;运用该模型对3种订货策略（年度1次订货、年度多次订货、零库存订货）进行了算例验证,表明了该模型在优化多级库存运输系统订货参数方面的意义。