Research on Multi-Echelon Inventory Optimization for Fresh Products in Supply Chains

Yingying Zhang, Yi Chai and Le Ma
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Yingying Zhang: School of Automation, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China
Yi Chai: School of Automation, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China
Le Ma: School of Automation, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: Fresh products are perishable and fragile, which easily leads to higher inventory costs and requires reasonable planning of inventory management. Therefore, it is very important for fresh product supply chain systems to have multi-echelon inventory control. However, in past studies, few control models of the multi-echelon inventory considered the deterioration rate of perishable products as the variable factor. In this paper, on the basis of considering the perishable characteristics of fresh products, combining the deterioration rate with the inventory control model, a multi-echelon inventory control model for fresh products is designed and optimized, and the optimal solution from the whole supply chain is obtained through the optimal fitness function by genetic algorithm. Finally, Flexsim is used to simulate the two inventory strategies before and after optimization. After simulation comparison and analysis, it is verified that the optimized inventory control strategy has lower costs. The research results can help supply chain managers of fresh products to make inventory management decisions and save costs, which is of practical significance.

Keywords: fresh products; genetic algorithm; multi-echelon inventory control; flexsim simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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