An inventory recovery model for an economic lot sizing problem with disruption

Abstract

Supply chains face risks from various unexpected events that make disruptions almost inevitable. This paper presents a disruption recovery model for a single stage production and inventory system, where finished product supply is randomly disrupted for periods of random duration. A production facility that manufactures a single product following the Economic Production Quantity policy is considered. The model is solved using a search algorithm combined with a penalty function method to find the best recovery plan. It is shown that the optimal recovery schedule is dependent on the extent of the disruption, as well as the back order cost and lost sales cost parameters. The proposed model is seen to be a very useful tool for manufacturers to make quick decisions on the optimal recovery plan after the occurrence of a disruption.