Adcances and applications of stochastic inventory management

匹配供给和需求是加拿大和其他地方公司的基本日常业务之一。尽管说明这一过程的目标很简单，但实际管理供需往往产生令人失望的结果，顾客服务不足，各级供应网络的库存长期过高。不断扩大的供应网络的深度和广度，往往涉及大量的国际子公司或合作伙伴，以及产品种类的激增和快速变化的消费趋势，都加剧了这些问题的复杂性和难度。妥善管理库存和供应链系统，通过显著降低成本，提高公司和其他组织的盈利能力和效率，提供了竞争优势。

Matching supply and demand is one of the basic day-to-day operations engaged by firms in Canada and elsewhere. Despite the simplicity of stating the goal of this process, managing supply and demand in practice has often produced disappointing results, suffering from both inadequate customer service and chronically high excess inventory at all levels of supply networks. The complexity and difficulty of these problems have been amplified by the depth and breadth of the ever-expanding supply networks, often involving a vast array of international subsidiaries or partners, as well as the proliferation of product variety and the fast-changing consumer trends. Properly managing inventory and supply chain systems provides a competitive advantage, by dramatically reducing cost and increasing the profitability and efficiency of firms and other organizations.