| dc.description.abstract | Supply chain management has received attention since the early 1980s. Supply chain management and other similar terms, such as network sourcing, supply pipeline management, value chain management, and value stream management have become subjects of increasing interest in recent years, to academics, consultants and business management. The topic of supply chain analysis is interdisciplinary by nature since it involves manufacturing, transportation and logistics, as well as retailing/marketing. It has been the subject of a growing body of literature with the associated research being both conceptual in nature, due to the complexity of the problem and the numerous agents such as manufacturers, wholesalers/warehouses, retailers, and consumers involved in the transactions, as well as analytical.
Many researchers, in addition to, practitioners, have described the various networks that underlie supply chain analysis and management with the goal being primarily that of optimization. In this research, in contrast, we develop an equilibrium model of time-dependent competitive supply chain networks. It can evaluate price, inventories and product flows at the same time. The equilibrium model captures both the independent behavior of the various decision-makers as well as the effect of their interactions. Finally, it provides the foundation for developing dynamic models for the study of the evolution of supply chains. | en_US |