The model for determining rational inventory in occasional demand supply chains

In order to ensure continuous demand for products in cases where it is impossible or economically inexpedient to fully combine the product supply volume and terms with the moments of appearing demand for it in the occasional demand supply chains, the necessity for inventory appears. High cost of maintaining inventory and significant losses due to its deficit cause an important issue of determining the rational inventory in occasional demand supply chains. The article proposes a model for determining a rational inventory with a fixed period of its replenishment and periodic demand. The main difference between the proposed model and the known models consists in taking into account the finite, but a priori unknown quantity of consumers of products, characteristic for real demand. Accounting for these factors required the use of a mathematical apparatus for determining the distribution function of a random finite number of random terms, as well as using a mathematical apparatus of a small sample to determine the parameters of the model. Previously, such a mathematical apparatus was not used in supply chain models. Its use complicates the model, but substantially increases its adequacy to the actual supply process. © ExcelingTech Pub, UK.