Collaborative Research: Multi-Product Assemble-to-Order Systems: Performance Optimization and Supply Chain Applications

本研究的目的是研究装配到订单（ATO）系统，该系统是组件（子装配）级别的制造到库存和最终产品（最终装配）级别的装配到订单（或配置到订单）的混合体。通常的库存服务权衡是供应链管理中的一个关键因素，在ATO系统中变得更加突出，因为每个客户订单通常涉及大量组件，任何组件的缺货都会导致供应订单的延迟。一般来说，ATO系统的定量分析是困难的，因为组件之间的生产-库存动态是高度相关的，由共同的需求流驱动。该研究将侧重于基于各种随机顺序概念开发边界和近似值，并将其用作替代性能度量，从而使所得到的优化问题具有特殊结构，从而导致高效的算法。ATO系统是一个极具吸引力的业务流程，提供大规模定制和快速响应订单履行，因此在广泛的行业，特别是互联网贸易中发挥着重要作用。该研究有望对ATO系统的数学基础和基本特性产生新的知识和见解，并在此类系统的设计和分析中增强供应链管理技术

The objective of this research is to study the assemble-to-order (ATO) system, which is a hybrid of make-to-stock at the component (subassembly) level and assemble-to-order (or, configure-to-order) at the end-product (final assembly) level. The usual inventory-service tradeoff, a key factor in supply chain management, becomes even more prominent in the ATO system, as each customer order typically involves a large number of components, and the stockout of any component will cause a delay in supplying the order. Quantitative analysis of the ATO system, in general, is difficult as the production-inventory dynamics among the components are highly correlated, driven by a common demand stream. The research will focus on developing bounds and approximations based on various notions of stochastic order, and use these as surrogate performance measures, such that the resulting optimization problems possess special structures, which in turn lead to efficient algorithms. The ATO system is an appealing business process that provides both mass customization and quick response to order fulfillment, and hence plays an important role in a wide range of industries, internet commerce in particular. The research is expected to generate new knowledge and insights to the mathematical foundation and basic properties of ATO systems, and to enhance supply chain management technologies in the design and analysis of such systems