Introduction

Abstract

A supply chain is a network of suppliers that produce goods, both, for one another and for generic customers. Goods travel from origin-suppliers to destination-customers, possibly visiting intermediate suppliers and being altered or recombined in the process. Conservation rules at each supplier, define its outputs as a function of its inputs. The rates at which goods of different types flow over this network depend on the customer demand, the flow of information (orders) across suppliers, and on the algorithms/policies that the suppliers use to place orders and replenish their inventories.¹