Industrial Aspects and Literature Survey: Combined Inventory Management and Routing

Abstract

This paper describes industrial aspects of combined inventory management and routing, and gives a comprehensive literature review of the current state of the research. First there is a classification of types of supply chains, followed by conditions for when inventory management and routing can be combined, and the current industrial practice. The literature related to the basic problem, as well as extended and related problems is described and classified. The literature is finally contrasted with aspects of industrial applications from a constructive, but critical, viewpoint. Suggestions for where the research in this area should go, is also suggested.