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Multi-echelon inventory modeling and supply redesign

Thesis: M. Eng. in Supply Chain Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Supply Chain Management Program, 2017. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 46-49). / Many businesses struggle to optimize the flow of inventory and finished goods through existing plants and facilities. The integration of inventory costs, organizational processes, and changing business dynamics make it difficult to determine the optimal flow. This thesis examines the flow of raw materials and finished goods through the supply chain of a multi-national oilfield services company. We study a centralized inventory approach, assessed through heuristics, against the existing decentralized approach. Sensitivity analysis with regard to service level, and mode of transport strengthened the analysis. We show that demand aggregation and lead time are important factors in determining the upper echelon for a company's internal distribution model. Potential safety stock reduction is 2%, which is mainly due to the improved coordination for materials flowing to the final echelon in the supply chain. However, pipeline inventory increases by 12% as a result of longer lead times. / by Patrick Scott and Boxi Xu. / M. Eng. in Supply Chain Management

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:MIT/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/112856
Date January 2017
CreatorsScott, Patrick (Patrick James), Xu, Boxi
ContributorsJosué C. Velázquez-Martínez, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Supply Chain Management Program., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Supply Chain Management Program.
PublisherMassachusetts Institute of Technology
Source SetsM.I.T. Theses and Dissertation
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format49 pages, application/pdf
RightsMIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission., http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

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