In this note, I present a methodology that computes the value to a decision maker of a state variable in a Markov decision process (MDP). I consider an MDP where the state is a vector comprised of multiple state variables, and state and action spaces are finite. I then provide a mixed-integer...

Some firms (e.g. Intel and Medtronics) use a time-pacing strategy for product development (PD), introducing new generations at regular intervals. If the firm adopts a fast pace (introducing frequently), it prematurely cannibalizes its old generation, incurring high development costs, while if it...

In this paper we consider a tactical production planning problem for remanufacturing when returned products have different quality levels due to different conditions of the returns. The remanufacturing cost increases as the quality level decreases, and any unused returns may be salvaged at a...

We study the disposition decision for product returns in a closed-loop supply chain. Motivated by the asset recovery process at IBM, we consider two disposition alternatives. Returns may be either refurbished for reselling or dismantled for spare parts. Reselling a refurbished unit typically...

Cover -- Sustainable Operations and Closed-Loop Supply Chains -- Contents -- CHAPTER 1: Introduction to Sustainability and Closed-Loop Supply Chains -- CHAPTER 2: Take-Back Legislation -- CHAPTER 3: The First Step Toward Sustainability-Lean and Six-Sigma -- CHAPTER 4: Eco-Efficiency and Metrics...

Online retailers tend to outsource their trade-in programs to third-party trade-in managers, who acquire and resell products in the secondary market. Motivated by such practice, we analyze, both analytically and empirically, how the introduction of trade-in programs impacts new and used product...

Problem Definition: Empirical research on retail operations has examined various online shopper behaviors that impact retailer performance, such as product search, substitution, cart abandonment, and returns. However, an important post-purchase shopping behavior has been largely overlooked by...

In this paper we provide an analytic model for order promising for available-to-promise (ATP) in an assemble-to-order production environment. A distinguishing feature of our model is its inclusion of pseudo orders, which are unconfirmed customer orders, whose quantity level is uncertain. Our...

We model the optimal disposition decision for product returns. The manager decides which product returns to accept for processing at the remanufacturing facility, and which ones to sell immediately as-is at a salvage value. High congestion levels in the remanufacturing facility delay the sale of...

The value of seasonal energy storage depends on how the firm operates storage to capture seasonal price spreads. Energy storage operations typically face limited operational flexibility characterized by the speed of storing and releasing energy, which makes the optimal policy, in general,...