A note on “intra-supply chain system with multiple sales locations and quality assurance”

In a recent paper, Chiu et al. [Intra-supply chain system with multiple sales locations and quality assurance, Expert Systems with Applications, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2012.11.008] used the mathematical modeling and differential calculus to derive the optimal replenishment lot-size and shipment policy that minimizes overall costs for a specific intra-supply chain system. This paper proposes a two-phase straightforward algebraic approach to replace the use of calculus on the cost function for determining the optimal production-shipment policy for such a specific system. This alternative approach enables practitioners who may not have sufficient knowledge of calculus to manage the real-world intra-supply chain systems more effectively.