3.1. Deterministic analytical models
Williams [7] presents seven heuristic algorithms
for scheduling production and distribution operations
in an assembly supply chain network (i.e.,
each station has at most one immediate successor,
but any number of immediate predecessors). The
objective of each heuristic is to determine a minimum-
cost production and/or product distribution
schedule that satisfies the final product demand.
The total cost is a sum of the average inventory
holding and fixed (ordering, delivery, or setup)
costs. Finally, the performance of each heuristic is
compared using a wide range of empirical experiments,
and recommendations are made on the
bases of solution quality and network structure.