Optimal customization of supply chains in dynamic environments

世纪的成功需要利用供应链，而不是单个企业，以获得可持续的竞争优势。在目前的市场情况下，管理供应链的主要问题之一是不断变化的商业环境。另一方面，技术的进步使管理人员能够准确地跟踪这些变化，然后可以用于更有针对性的决策。 在这项研究计划中，我们的目标是开发和分析模型，可以提高加拿大公司的动态决策能力，并使他们在全球市场上有效竞争。具体来说，我们希望开发集成运营营销模型，以帮助我们了解供应链应如何：i）针对不同的客户利基定制决策，ii）随着时间的推移动态调整决策（并以敏捷的方式），iii）调整链合作伙伴的激励措施，以最大化其利润。我们的研究计划将包括四种不同的模型，其特点是不同的产品/市场特征，以解决各种各样的商业环境。在研究计划的第一阶段，我们想研究创新的生产到库存产品的最佳动态定价和库存控制政策（例如，笔记本电脑，时尚服装），记住市场特征（例如，需求可变性、价格弹性），因为这些产品在其生命周期内变化迅速。在第二阶段，我们计划探索耐用品的最优动态决策策略（例如，电器、汽车）。我们最感兴趣的是了解企业如何选择一个最佳的动态定价政策，这些产品，以及如何操作的选择可能会影响最佳的政策。在第三阶段，我们将研究最佳的时间和价格为基础的产品差异化的MTO/服务细分（例如，在竞争框架下，我们将继续努力，以提高竞争力（包括快递、送货服务），并解决相关的能力管理问题。本研究计划的最后阶段将开发模型，以研究动态，分散环境中供应链成员的最佳激励对齐政策。

Success in the 21st century requires harnessing supply chains, rather than individual firms, for sustainable competitive advantage. One of the primary problems of managing supply chains in the present market scenario is the constantly evolving business environment. On the other hand, advances in technology now enable managers to accurately track these changes, which can then be used for more focused decision-making.  In this research program our aim is to develop and analyze models that can improve the dynamic decision-making capability of Canadian firms and prepare them to compete effectively in the global marketplace. Specifically, we would like to develop integrated operations-marketing models that will help us understand how supply chains should: i) customize their decisions for diverse customer niches, ii) adapt their decisions dynamically (and in an agile fashion) over time, and iii) align the incentives of the chain partners, in order to maximize their profits. Our research program will comprise of four different models characterized by distinct product/market features to address a wide variety of business environments. In the first phase of the research program we would like to examine the optimal dynamic pricing and inventory control policy for innovative make-to-stock products (e.g., laptops, fashion garments), keeping in mind that the market characteristics (e.g., demand variability, price-elasticity) for these products change rapidly during their lifecycles. In the second phase we plan on exploring the optimal dynamic decision policy for durable products (e.g., appliances, automobiles). We are most interested in understanding how firms select an optimal dynamic pricing policy for such products, and how operational choices might affect the optimal policy. In the third phase we will study the optimal time-and-price based product differentiation for MTO/service segment (e.g., courier, delivery services) in a competitive framework, and address the related capacity management issues. The last phase of this research program will develop models to investigate the optimal incentive alignment policy for supply chain members in dynamic, decentralized environments.