Motivated by the waiting lines between the U.S.-Canadian border crossings, we investigate a security-check system with both security and customer service goals. In such a system, every customer has to be inspected by the first-stage inspector, but only a proportion of customers need to go...

It has become increasingly common for companies to offer make-to-stock (MTS) and make-to-order (MTO) versions of the same product through different sales channels. To satisfy these two distinct demand streams, one strategy is to produce both the MTS and MTO items in a single “hybrid”...

A system is subject to shocks that arrive according to a non-homogeneous pure birth process. As shocks occur, the system has two types of failures. Type-I failure (minor failure) is removed by a general repair, whereas type-II failure (catastrophic failure) is removed by an unplanned...

This paper evaluates the impact of price discount contracts and pricing schemes on the dual-channel supply chain competition. Channel conflict occurs when the supplier enters the online direct channel. Traditional contracts normally require tedious administrational participation, full...

This paper analyzes a waiting line system that is motivated by the operations of border-crossing stations between the United States and Canada. There are two main conflicting goals in such a system: high security level, which often leads to a longer line; and good customer service, which requires...