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

本研究的目的是研究按订单装配(ATO)系统，该系统是零部件(子装配)级的按库存生产和最终产品(总装)级的按订单装配(或按订单配置)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，而任何组件的缺货都会导致订单供应的延迟。一般来说，对ATO系统进行量化分析是困难的，因为在共同需求流的驱动下，零部件之间的生产-库存动态是高度相关的。研究将集中在基于随机序的各种概念的边界和近似，并将其用作代理性能度量，从而使所产生的优化问题具有特殊的结构，从而导致高效的算法。ATO系统是一个吸引人的业务流程，既提供大规模定制，又提供对订单履行的快速响应，因此在广泛的行业中发挥着重要作用，特别是互联网商务。这项研究有望对ATO系统的数学基础和基本性质产生新的知识和见解，并在此类系统的设计和分析中加强供应链管理技术

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