Network design and safety stock placement for a multi-echelon supply chain

Abstract

With the increasing complexities in supply chains and increasing global trade, integrated supply chain network design is utilized by the firms in order to reduce the overall cost while meeting the customer demand with requisite levels of service. This view of collaborative approach towards supply chain design has the potential of providing competitive edge for the firms in a highly competitive environment with high variability of end customer demand. In this study we present a framework for the design of a multi echelon supply chain network facing uncertain demand. We develop a comprehensive procedure for the optimization of a multi echelon supply chain. We provide the details of each step to describe the methodology and develop mathematical models for the design of a multi echelon distribution network. The procedure has been developed for the design of network flow and the placement of safety stock for a multi echelon distribution network.