Eng | 

Selected Research Projects (Supply Chain Cluster)

Project-in-charge
Prof. Sean Zhou

 

Project duration
Jan 15 - Dec 18

Managing Complex Warehouse Systems in the E-Business Era

Abstract:
With rapid growth of E-commerce in China and in the world, warehouse management is facing an increasing number of new issues and challenges. This project focuses on two main classes of research problems: joint management of inventory and warehousing rental; product assortment and replenishment in fast-picking area. These problems are challenging in that they are usually dynamic in time and include uncertain factors. We will construct quantitative models to describe the practical problems and conduct thorough analysis of these models so as to derive their structural properties. Based on these properties, we will characterize the optimal control policies of the systems, such as warehouse space rental, inventory replenishment, product assortment.  More...


Project-in-charge

Prof. Sean Zhou 

 

Project duration
Jan 15 - Dec 17

Dynamic Pricing in Dual-Channel Supply Chains with Strategic Consumers

Abstract:
The aim of this project is to conduct research to study dynamic pricing and channel structures for the supply chains facing strategic consumers. With the emergence and popularity of e-commerce, many firms nowadays sell their product via both brick-and-mortar and on-line stores in order to capture more of the market demand. Meanwhile, consumers are getting more sophisticated in deliberately delaying their purchasing when waiting for markdowns, and this has  particularly been so during the recent economic downturn. Thus, it is imperative for firms to study the impact of channel structures and to design an effective pricing strategy to alleviate the negative impact of strategic purchasing behavior and improve their profitability.  More...


Project-in-charge
Prof. Sean Zhou

 

Project duration
Jan 13 - Dec 15

Approximation Algorithms for Stochastic Remanufacturing Inventory Systems

Abstract:
Closed-loop supply chain management has gained great momentum in both practice and academic research because of an increasing awareness of sustainable development. With the rising costs of energy and raw materials, more and more companies are now considering  closed-loop supply chain management a strategic activity  that can  lower production and inventory costs and improve profitability. One important operation in closed-loop supply chain management is remanufacturing, which restores returned products to like-new condition and then resell them to satisfy customer demand. Examples of remanufactured products include automotive parts, tires, electronics products, photocopiers, toner cartridges, among others.  More...