A Bi-objective Multi-Product Multi-Constraint EPQ Model in a Stochastic Environment and Partial Shortage

Abstract

One of the classical models for inventory control is economic production quantity (EPQ), which is widely used in industry. In this paper, an EPQ model with partial shortage is developed by considering the real world conditions, and costs related to the backorder demand are taken as fixed and time-dependent. In the proposed model, determination of the inventory cycle length, the length of positive inventory cycle and backordered demand rate are considered in shortage period. The aim of the presented research is to minimize the total inventory costs and the space required for storage products so that the stochastic and classic constraints including holding costs, lost sales, backorder, budget, total number of productions and average shortage times should be satisfied while optimizing the multi-objective problem. Presented model is a bi-objective nonlinear programming model. Then, to solve the proposed model, three multi-objective decision-making methods including Lp-metric, goal programming and goal attainment are used. Besides, numerical examples are executed in small, medium and large scales by use of GAMS software, and the performance of the methods is compared in terms of objective functions and required CPU time. Finally, sensitivity analysis is done to determine the effect of change in the main parameters of the model on the objective function value.