Decentralized inventory control in a two-component assembly system

We investigate a two-cornponent assembly system facing stationary stochastic demand with constant component replenishment lead times. Holding cost are charged for each component inventory, which are managed by component suppliers; final product demand is backordered when cannot be fulfilled in time and a penalty cost is charged. We assume the long lead-time component Supplier takes normal base-stock policy while the short lead-tirne component supplier takes a modified base-stock policy. Static game and Stackelberg games are considered. Equilibria are analyzed and the cost in equilibria are compared with the system optimal solution, difference shows the deterioration of system performance caused by decentralized inventory control. We try to design a mechanism to coordinate the decentralized system, that is to make decentralized system perform as well as system optimal solution though the decisions separated. We show that a liner transfer based on the backorder between the component suppliers qualifies this task. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier B.V.