Special products and uncertainty in production/inventory systems

Research into production/inventory systems has mainly consisted of deterministic, single item and simulation studies. To model these systems satisfactorily, both the stochastic nature of the real world and the interaction between products and capacity must be taken into account. This paper proposes a method for analysing one-stage systems including both these factors using queuing theory, and deals with questions raised by made-to-order products, such as: Which products should be stocked? What special business should be accepted? What is the effect on the stock system? and How can this effect be buffered?