Application of control theoretic principles to manage inventory replenishment in a supply chain

Abstract

Using uncertain real-time information to update supply chain operational policies creates a need for developing dynamic supply chain management capabilities that increase responsiveness to demand and decrease volatility of the replenishment process (popularly known as the Bullwhip Effect). To this end, we explore the use of control theoretic principles to manage the inventory replenishment process in a supply chain under different forecast situations. We study the use of proportional, proportional-integral and proportional-derivative control schemes to determine the conditions under which specific control actions are beneficial. Analytical models and simulation runs are used to study the trade-off between responsiveness to demand and volatility. Our analysis indicates that using proportional control to manage inventory replenishment is suitable for high forecast error situations. Proportional control along with integral control works well in situations where the forecast bias is relatively higher than the forecast error. Proportional control along with derivative control works best in situations with moderate forecast errors.

Keywords:

• Supply chain management
• Inventory control
• Bullwhip effect
• Control theory
• Systems dynamics

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the two anonymous referees for their comments which have significantly improved this paper and the editor for ensuring an efficient review process.