Simulating demand uncertainty and inventory control variability of multi-echelon distribution supply chain

Development of simulation models allows performance analysis of multi-echelon inventory networks, and this part of supply chain is not well-established research area. Moreover, by encapsulating all major characteristics of multi-echelon system, the simulation modeling does not allow only its study, but also it provides the means to achieve the desired system performance. This paper deals with a multi-echelon distribution inventory system made of suppliers, distributors and retailers. The retailer faces stochastic demands placed by customers and replenishing from its distributor, which in turn procures from its supplier at the upstream of the chain. The main purpose of this simulation model is to analyze the multi-echelon distribution system behavior according some key performance metrics such as cost and backorder, as well as customer service level at each echelon.