We compare the benefits and costs of two alternative manufacturing network configurations inthe presence of component commonality. We evaluate the trade-off between the decreasedlogistics costs and loss of risk-pooling benefits in plant networks which consolidate allcomponent manufacturing...

The increase in cost of supplies and services is outpacing the increase in revenues at many hospitals. To address this cost increase hospitals are seeking more efficient ways to store and manage vast inventories of medical supplies. A parsimonious and efficient inventory system which we call...