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This thesis presents a series of integrated models for simultaneous optimization of location, capacity, product range, and production technology decisions in production-distribution systems. The interactions between these decisions can be significant. This thesis draws its motivation from these interactions. In order to benefit from the capital and/or employment subsidies, preferential tax rates, and free trade zones provided by governments, firms need to take the interdependencies between their location, capacity and technology decisions into account. These decisions could be further complicated due to varying scale and scope economies inherent in different production technologies. / The models proposed in this thesis are based on two fundamentally different but equally central approaches. The first approach builds on traditionally popular integer programming formulation in facility location theory, in which two such models presented in this thesis. The first one assumes that there are a number of dedicated production technologies for each product whereas, the second one assumes that a set of flexible technologies is also present. Analytical properties of the models are described, which lead to the development of exact and heuristic solution procedures. Results of several sets of computational experiments are also reported. The second approach is based on continuous approximation (also known as continuum mechanics), which has not been used to its potential in the literature. The third model in this thesis is proposed for a system with single product. It is based on the use of continuous functions in representing spatial distribution of cost parameters and decision variables. In this model, the focus is to compute the service regions leaving the precise plant locations to a subsequent analysis. This model lends itself to closed form solutions and allows derivation of a number of insights on the impact of several cost factors on facility design decisions. Then, it is utilized in an analytical framework to analyze several plant focus decisions of firms in a multi-product environment. The closed form solution is used to analyze several product and market focus strategies, which have provided several insights into more sophisticated plant focus decisions and into the impact of different production technologies on these decisions.

Supply chain scheduling (SCS) emerged as a result of the integrated Supply Chain Management concept and should be incorporated in planning and operating Supply Chain (SC). The review of literature indicated integration of SCS in the SC is still far from being achieved. Recognising that optimisation of scheduling activities separately will only lead to local optima, this research proposes a SCS global optimisation through the integration of scheduling within manufacturing and distribution networks. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2008.

This thesis discusses the use of inventory pooling methods in inventory management for the so-called multi-location systems whereby the stocking locations share their inventories, typically by using lateral transhipments, in order to fill demand at a stock-out retailer with supplies from another having surplus items. The capability of conventional pooled-inventory systems are upgraded with the proposal herin of a novel approach that employs emergency orders along with lateral transshipments to improve network performamce under a high shortage-penalty environment. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2008.

Thesis (M.S.)--School of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005. Directed by Patrick McCarthy. / Patrick McCarthy, Committee Chair ; Dr. Haizheng Li, Committee Member. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D)--Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009. / Committee Co-Chair: Ergun, Ozlem; Committee Co-Chair: Savelsbergh, Martin; Committee Member: Erera, Alan; Committee Member: Ferguson, Mark; Committee Member: Keskinocak, Pinar. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 1999. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-173). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users. Address: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p9948030.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 45-46). Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 174-183).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1983. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-76).