Profitability of online order fulfillment in multi-channel retailing

Store-based retailers have been concerned about the high fulfillment costs and low gross margins of their online sales. This paper incorporates such issues in a non-linear mixed-integer profit maximization model of the online order fulfillment process for multi-channel retailers. A solution approach based on an iterative outer-approximation technique is developed. Using empirical data from a large U.S. retailer, the profitability of different options used by multi-channel retailers to fill online orders is evaluated. Managerial insights are developed through a factorial research design that highlights the effect of relevant logistics processes and fulfillment methods on the profitability of online sales for retailers.     

Two-period dynamic versus fixed-ratio pricing in a capacity constrained duopoly

This paper analyzes the impact of dynamic and fixed-ratio pricing policies on firm profits and equilibrium prices under competition. Firms that have equal inventories of perfectly substitutable and perishable products compete for customer segments that demand the product at different times. In each period, customers first purchase from the low price firm and then from the high price firm up to their inventories, provided the prices are lower than the maximum they are willing to pay. The main conclusions of this paper are as follows: although dynamic pricing is a more sophisticated policy than fixed-ratio pricing, it may lead to decreased equilibrium profits; under both pricing policies, one firm assumes the role of a low-cost high-output firm while the other assumes the role of a high-cost low-output firm; and, the supply demand ratio has more impact on the outcome of the competition than the heterogeneity in consumer reservation prices.     

Optimization of component reliability in the design phase of capital goods

We introduce a quantitative model to support the decision on the reliability level of a critical component during its design. We consider an OEM who is responsible for the availability of its systems in the field through service contracts. Upon a failure of a critical part in a system during the exploitation phase, the failed part is replaced by a ready-for-use part from a spare parts inventory. In an out-of-stock situation, a costly emergency procedure is applied. The reliability levels and spare parts inventory levels of the critical components are the two main factors that determine the downtime and corresponding costs of the systems. These two levels are decision variables in our model. We formulate the portions of Life Cycle Costs (LCC) which are affected by a component’s reliability and its spare parts inventory level. These costs consist of design costs, production costs, and maintenance and downtime costs in the exploitation phase. We conduct exact analysis and provide an efficient optimization algorithm. We provide managerial insights through a numerical experiment which is based on real-life data.     

Uniqueness and characterization of capacity constrained Cournot-Nash equilibrium

We add capacity constraints to a multi-market Cournot model in which asymmetric firms have linear demand functions. We show that the problem is equivalent to maximizing a concave objective function over a convex region which ensures the existence of a unique capacity constrained Cournot-Nash equilibrium.     

Variational integrators of higher order for constrained dynamical systems

The variational integrators presented in [5] are applied to systems with holonomic constraints, yielding constrained higher order variational integrators that are an extension of the constrained Galerkin methods in [4]. The construction of the integrators bases on a discrete version of Hamilton's principle. The inheritance of qualitative properties associated to the solution of the dynamical system to the discrete solution is analysed. Furthermore, the convergence order of the integrators and the computational efficiency is investigated numerically. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Cost of capital for incentives on capacity expansion investments

In this paper, the expression for the cost of capital is derived when capacity expansion investments and replacement investments exhibit differences in their effective prices. It is shown that the cost of capital derived by perturbing the optimal stock path should be constructed under an opportunity cost criterion.     

Contract type and decision right of sales promotion in supply chain management with a capital constrained retailer

From the practices of Chinese consumer electronics market, we find there are two key issues in supply chain management: The first issue is the contract type of either wholesale price contracts or consignment contracts with revenue sharing, and the second issue is the decision right of sales promotion (such as advertising, on-site shopping assistance, rebates, and post-sales service) owned by either manufacturers or retailers. We model a supply chain with one manufacturer and one retailer who has limited capital and faces deterministic demand depending on retail price and sales promotion. The two issues interact with each other. We show that only the combination (called as chain business mode) of a consignment contract with the manufacturer’s right of sales promotion or a wholesale price contract with the retailer’s right of sales promotion is better for both members. Moreover, the latter chain business mode is realized only when the retailer has more power in the chain and has enough capital, otherwise the former one is realized. But which one is preferred by customers? We find that the former is preferred by customers who mainly enjoy low price, while the latter is preferred by those who enjoy high sales promotion level.     

Controllability of switched time-delay systems under constrained switching

Different from the existing mathematical models for switched systems, where the switching from one subsystem to another subsystem is finished instantly, in this paper it is assumed that the switching is a transfer process. Moreover, there exists a basic transfer subsystem such that in the transfer process, the transfer subsystem is active. Based on the model of switched systems under constrained switching, this paper studies the controllability of such systems with time delay in the control function. A necessary and sufficient condition for controllability of such systems is established. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the utility of our results.     

Optimality conditions for an isolated minimum of order two in C constrained optimization

In this paper we obtain first and second-order optimality conditions for an isolated minimum of order two for the problem with inequality constraints and a set constraint. First-order sufficient conditions are derived in terms of generalized convex functions. In the necessary conditions we suppose that the data are continuously differentiable. A notion of strongly KT invex inequality constrained problem is introduced. It is shown that each Kuhn-Tucker point is an isolated global minimizer of order two if and only if the problem is strongly KT invex. The article could be considered as a continuation of [I. Ginchev, V.I. Ivanov, Second-order optimality conditions for problems with C¹ data, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 340 (2008) 646-657].     

Positive solutions for a fourth order equation invariant under isometries

Let be a smooth compact Riemannian manifold of dimension . We consider the problem

where , , . We require to be positive and invariant under isometries. We prove existence results for on arbitrary compact manifolds. This includes the case of the geometric Paneitz-Branson operator on the sphere.

     

Second order backward stochastic differential equations under a monotonicity condition

In a recent paper, Soner, Touzi and Zhang (2012) [19] have introduced a notion of second order backward stochastic differential equations (2BSDEs), which are naturally linked to a class of fully non-linear PDEs. They proved existence and uniqueness for a generator which is uniformly Lipschitz in the variables y$y$ and z$z$. The aim of this paper is to extend these results to the case of a generator satisfying a monotonicity condition in y$y$. More precisely, we prove existence and uniqueness for 2BSDEs with a generator which is Lipschitz in z$z$ and uniformly continuous with linear growth in y$y$. Moreover, we emphasize throughout the paper the major difficulties and differences due to the 2BSDE framework.     

Characterizations of set order relations and constrained set optimization problems via oriented distance function

Set-valued optimization problems are important and fascinating field of optimization theory and widely applied to image processing, viability theory, optimal control and mathematical economics. There are two types of criteria of solutions for the set-valued optimization problems: the vector criterion and the set criterion. In this paper, we adopt the set criterion to study the optimality conditions of constrained set-valued optimization problems. We first present some characterizations of various set order relations using the classical oriented distance function without involving the nonempty interior assumption on the ordered cones. Then using the characterizations of set order relations, necessary and sufficient conditions are derived for four types of optimal solutions of constrained set optimization problem with respect to the set order relations. Finally, the image space analysis is employed to study the c-optimal solution of constrained set optimization problems, and then optimality conditions and an alternative result for the constrained set optimization problem are established by the classical oriented distance function.     

The application of reliability constrained stochastic capacity planning models to the service sector

Emphasis on quality management has recently permeated not only the manufacturing sector, but the service sector as well. Consequently, quality service and consumer satisfaction have become realities for many monopolistic service oriented industries facing competition. In order to effectively implement timely service within these industries (i) capacity plans must be developed which provide adequate staffing during both peakload and offpeak hours, as well as optimal (ii) prices and (iii) reliability of service. This paper builds on the results of Boronico (1992) in illustrating how reliability constrained marginal cost, within which optimal price is embodied, and minimum cost capacity plans may be determined for a service provider facing stochastic demand. Excess demand is not lost, but is deferred: a characteristic that typifies the operation of many delivery systems, such as postal services. Results indicate that marginal costs are convex with respect to reliability of service, while changes in the demand distribution's variability may impact optimal capacity by either increasing or decreasing required capacity.     

不等式约束优化问题的低阶精确罚函数的光滑化算法

对不等式约束优化问题提出了一个低阶精确罚函数的光滑化算法. 首先给出了光滑罚问题、非光滑罚问题及原问题的目标函数值之间的误差估计,进而在弱的假
设之下证明了光滑罚问题的全局最优解是原问题的近似全局最优解. 最后给出了一个基于光滑罚函数的求解原问题的算法,证明了算法的收敛性,并给出数值算例说明算法的可行性.     

The third order Melnikov function of a quadratic center under quadratic perturbations

We study quadratic perturbations of the integrable system , where H=(x²+y²)/2. We prove that the first three Melnikov functions associated to the perturbed system give rise at most to three limit cycles.     

Inventory control with Markovian capacity and the option of order rejection

We consider a stochastic inventory control problem with Markovian capacity and the option of order rejection. We show its optimal policy to be the combination of a capacity-dependent modified base-stock production policy and a capacity-dependent critical-point order acceptance policy. When capacity is stochastically monotone, we show that the policy parameters change over the current capacity level in an intuitive way. All these results can be extended to the infinite-horizon case, with or without cost discounting. Our computational study substantiates the benefits from both exploiting the Markovian behavior of the capacity and rejecting orders when necessary.     

Cardinality constrained connected balanced partitions of trees under different criteria

In this paper we study the problem of partitioning a tree with $n$ weighted vertices into $p$ connected components. For each component, we measure its gap, that is, the difference between the maximum and the minimum weight of its vertices, with the aim of minimizing the sum of such differences. We present an $O\left(n^3{p}^2\right)$ time and $O\left(n^{3}p\right)$ space algorithm for this problem. Then, we generalize it, requiring a minimum of $ϵ\ge 1$ nodes in each connected component, and provide an $O\left(n^3{p}^2{ϵ}^2\right)$ time and $O\left(n^{3}pϵ\right)$ space algorithm to solve this new problem version. We provide a refinement of our analysis involving the topology of the tree and an improvement of the algorithms for the special case in which the weights of the vertices have a heap structure. All presented algorithms can be straightforwardly extended to other similar objective functions. Actually, for the problem of minimizing the maximum gap with a minimum number of nodes in each component, we propose an algorithm which is independent of $ϵ$ and requires $O(n^{2}logn{p}^2)$ time and $O\left(n^{2}p\right)$ space.