Inventory control for the supply chain: An adaptive control approach based on the identification of the lead-time

• Published in: Omega (Oxford) Vol. 40; no. 3; pp. 314 - 327
• Main Authors: Garcia, C.A., Ibeas, A., Herrera, J., Vilanova, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2012; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc
• Series: Omega
• Subjects: Adaptive control; Applied sciences; Closed loop systems; Exact sciences and technology; Inventory control; Inventory control, production control. Distribution; Logistics; Operational research and scientific management; Operational research. Management science; Operations research; Studies; Supply chain; Supply chain Inventory control Adaptive control; Supply chain management; Supply chains; Supply chain; Inventory control; Adaptive control; Multimodel; Closed loop; Target tracking; Disturbance rejection; Tracking; Stability; Internal model control; Load control; Production management; Setup time; Delay time; System identification; Delayed time; Logistics
• ISSN: 0305-0483; 1873-5274
• DOI: 10.1016/j.omega.2011.07.003

In this paper, an Internal Model Control (IMC) scheme is incorporated in production inventory control systems in a complete supply chain. This control scheme presents a good target inventory tracking under the perfect knowledge of the system. Furthermore, the inventory tracking and load disturbance rejection control problems can be tackled separately. However, the closed-loop performance of the IMC scheme may be degraded due to a mismatch between the modelled and actual delay or to the fact that delays may be time-varying. Thus, the IMC control scheme is enhanced in this work with a novel method for the online identification of lead times based on a multimodel scheme. In this way, all benefits of the IMC scheme can be exploited. A detailed discussion of the proposed production inventory system is provided including a stability and performance analysis as well as the identification capabilities of the algorithm. Several simulation examples illustrate the efficiency of the approach. ► In this paper, the delay compensation Internal Model Control (IMC) scheme is incorporated in production inventory control systems in a complete supply chain. ► Since, in a real supply chain lead times may be unknown the system is complemented with a novel method for the online identification of lead time based on a multimodel scheme. Thus, all profits of the IMC scheme can be exploited. ► The convergence properties of the algorithm to the actual delay are proved and simulation examples have shown that the algorithm identifies the complete set of lead times of the supply chain timely improving the performance of the inventory control. ► Theoretical and practical proofs respect to Lead times identification, stability properties are provided.