Heuristic algorithm for joint replenishment problem with a multisupplier

Abstract

Generally, the joint replenishment problem (JRP) means to decide a replenishment policy that minimizes the total cost of replenishing multiple items from a single supplier. In this paper, we deal with more complex JPR where items are procured from a multisupplier. For this problem, we used a heuristic algorithm, especially Genetic Algorithm (GA). The purpose of the proposed algorithm in this paper is to minimize the total relevant costs per unit time. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is shown through a simulation study.