VMCI 下基于批发价决策权转移的供应链效率改进研究

本文在VMCI 模式下,考虑销售努力水平对市场需求的影响,研究批发价决策权由供应商转移至零售商的两级供应链效率改进问题。假定零售商决策批发价和销售努力水平,供应商决策寄售量,建立了零售商主导的Stackelberg 博弈模型,证明了集中决策下的最优解和分散决策下的均衡解均存在且唯一,集中决策下的寄售因子大于分散决策下的对应值。随后,引入收入共享与销售努力成本共担契约,论证了系统中寄售因子保持不变、批发价降低,且当契约参数满足一定条件时,可实现帕累托改进,实现供应链的效率改进。最后,分析了契约参数对于系统决策变量及利润的影响。     

分散决策下的双渠道供应链补偿策略——基于消费者渠道选择行为

为了有效解决由于对消费者的争夺从而引发的渠道之间关于定价、服务水平、利润等方面的冲突,基于消费者渠道选择行为,构建了网络直销市场与传统零售市场需求模型和双渠道供应链利润模型,运用Stackelberg模型,在制造商与零售商实施分决策时,通过制造商对零售商实施补偿激励前后的对比,分析了消费者渠道选择行为对网络直销渠道和传统零售渠道定价、制造商与零售商利润以及供应链总利润的影响,并求得最优定价及制造商的最优补偿额度和零售商的最优销售努力水平,进行了不同情况下的双渠道供应链利润的比较分析。结果表明,无论制造商是否实施补偿激励,都应随着网络消费者比例的增加而增加其网络直销价格;零售商的零售渠道价格应根据网络消费者比例的增加先降低到一定水平后再提升。当更多的消费者选择网络直销渠道时,制造商的补偿激励水平和零售商的销售努力程度均会下降。制造商应提高其补偿水平,进而激发零售商提高销售的努力水平,并使双方利润及供应链总利润最大化。研究结果为基于消费者选择行为的供应链补偿研究提供了新方法,对双渠道的供应链补偿研究有借鉴意义。     

National brand's local advertising and wholesale-price incentive under prior versus no prior information

We study the context of one private label (PL) competing against one national brand (NB) through a unique retailer. We propose a novel utility-demand function that includes the consumer's brand valuation, the retail prices, and the brands' qualities. We investigate the effect of the NB local advertising strategy on supply chain players' profits when either one of the players supports the advertising. Also, we explore the role of prior information about the manufacturer's incentive function on supply chain players' behaviors. We show that although the support for advertising from either the manufacturer or the retailer is Pareto improving, the manufacturer prefers to incite the retailer to invest in local NB advertising through profit sharing instead of using its money to counter the threat of the PL. Furthermore, we also show that the wholesale price incentive motivating the retailer to invest further in advertising is not preferred as expected, and all supply chain players are better off without prior information about the manufacturer's behavior in the context of branding competition and advertising-level dependent incentive.     

Which one is more valuable in coordinating the online and offline distribution? Service support or online price coordination

Nowadays effective mechanisms to coordinate the online and offline distribution become increasingly important in the business market. In this research, we first propose two mechanisms (i.e. the offline service to the retailer and the online price coordination) for the manufacturer and the retailer to employ. Our results show that the online price coordination does help coordinate the online and offline distribution and bring higher profits to the manufacturer-retailer supply chain and thus both the manufacturer and the retailer, while the offline service to the retailer does not; comparing to the offline service to the retailer, the online price coordination is a better strategy to be utilized to alleviate the online to offline competition. Furthermore, we investigate if a novel coordination mechanism, which combines the offline service to the retailer with the online price coordination, can help coordinate the online and offline distribution better and becomes the optimal coordination mechanism. Surprisingly, our results show that compared to both the offline service to the retailer and the online price coordination, this combination coordination mechanism does show a dominant competitive advantage to bring highest profits to all parties.     

Structuring and contracting in competing supply chains

This paper considers two competing supply chains, each with multiple upstream suppliers producing complementary products and selling to a single buyer (e.g., assembler or retailer), who then sells the finished assembled product to a market that involves both demand uncertainty and competition. Our main research questions focus on what supply chain structure (integration vs. decentralization) and which contracting strategy a business should choose. We find that supply chains that decentralize perform better under strong market competition (i.e., high degree of product substitution between supply chains). However, when a large number of suppliers exist, supply chains that integrate perform better. When decentralized structures are used for both supply chains, a consignment with revenue sharing contract generally outperforms a wholesale price contract from the downstream retailer's point of view. Interestingly, for a supplier, a wholesale price contract, which pushes all demand risks to the downstream retailer, might not be preferred. For the entire supply chain, one contract strategy can outperform another depending on the degree of competition, the cost share of the buyer, and the number of suppliers.     

奖惩机制下回收投资成本分担对闭环供应链决策的影响研究

为了探讨奖惩机制下制造商与回收商分担固定回收投资成本对闭环供应链决策的影响,利用博弈论建立了由制造商、回收商和消费者构成的闭环供应链模型。通过对比分析及仿真得出各决策变量基于制造商分担比例及奖惩力度的变化。研究表明：仅考虑制造商分担回收投资成本、奖惩机制下制造商分担回收投资成本均能有效提高回收率,降低零售价,提高产品需求量,且第二种机制作用效果更佳。适当的分担比例和奖惩力度可以提高制造商和零售商的利润。因此,在合理的奖惩力度下制造商分担一定的回收投资成本时,闭环供应链各成员能实现互利共赢。     

零售商的风险规避特性和公平偏好对绿色供应链运作的影响

针对市场需求的不确定性,本文通过建立风险规避型零售商与风险中性供应商的Stackelberg博弈模型,供应商为主导者,综合考虑零售商风险规避特性和公平偏好心理对该供应链运作产生的影响。研究发现,当风险规避型零售商不具有公平意识时,零售商的风险规避程度与供应商的批发价、绿色创新投入水平以及供应商和供应链整体的效用正相关;供应商的绿色成本系数的大小可影响风险规避程度对产品售价以及零售商效用的影响。当风险规避型零售商具有公平偏好时,零售商的公平偏好负向影响产品售价、批发价以及供应商绿色投入水平和供应商效用;零售商公平偏好对零售商以及供应链效用产生的影响受到零售商风险规避程度的影响。     

零售商开辟电子渠道的双渠道供应链定价决策

研究两层双渠道供应链中,在制造商实施直销渠道的基础上,零售商开辟电子渠道对供应链的影响。建立了双渠道供应链的定价决策模型,针对零售商未开辟电子渠道和开辟电子渠道两种情形,分别求解集中决策、Stackelberg博弈分散式决策模式下的零售商和制造商各自的最优定价及利润,并利用数值算例,进行对比分析。研究发现零售商开辟电子渠道的影响是多重的,一方面零售商的市场被拓展,竞争力增强,利润显著提高,有利于其与制造商进行抗衡。另一方面,制造商的利润有所下降,且整个供应链系统的渠道冲突加剧。因此,面对制造商的直销渠道,零售商可以选择开辟电子渠道来增强其话语权,与制造商进行谈判,实现互利双赢。     

基于顾客比价行为的双渠道供应链定价决策研究

本文在考虑顾客比价行为的前提下,构建一个制造商和一个零售商组成的二级供应链系统,分析比价顾客的比例对于制造商与零售商在分散决策和集中决策模式下供应链整体利润、销售价格的变化,并通过算例验证研究结论。结果表明,随着比价顾客比例的提高,零售商销售价格上升,顾客体验价值上升,供应链整体利润在集中决策模式下较高,且呈上升趋势。     

基于连锁零售企业退货管理的供应链协调机制研究

在对连锁零售企业退货物流网络结构进行分析的基础上,建立了与价格相关的随机需求下存在顾客退货和允许库存结转的单一供应商、单一连锁零售企业、单一产品的供应链模型。根据供应链一体化模式下得到的相关决策变量的一阶条件,论证基于回馈和惩罚的批发价格契约能够实现供应链的协调。研究表明,在给定回馈和惩罚因子的前提下,供应商可以通过调整目标订购数量来实现供应链整体利润的任意分配,并且当目标订购数量和回馈惩罚因子满足一定条件时,供应链的协调才是有效的,从而为连锁零售企业的退货物流管理提供了重要的理论依据。     

A centralized/decentralized design of a full return contract for a risk-free manufacturer and a risk-neutral retailer under partial information sharing

We consider the design of full return contract in a simple supply chain with a risk-free manufacturer and a risk-neutral retailer. In this problem, the ordering quantity and the rebate price for unsold products are determined by the retailer and the manufacturer, respectively. We propose an optimal solution procedure in centralized and decentralized decision making environments considering when the information sharing among the retailer and the manufacturer is partial. We provide numerical examples to explain the proposed solution procedures.     

基于CVaR的第三方回收闭环供应链的优化与协调

利用条件风险值理论研究了第三方回收闭环供应链的优化与协调问题。在随机需求与收益共享———费用共担契约下,建立了由单个风险规避零售商、单个风险规避制造商和单个风险中性第三方回收商组成的三阶闭环供应链的条件风险值模型和基于条件风险值的最优订购与定价决策模型。在对模型进行分析的基础上,揭示了制造商和零售商的风险规避水平对最优订购量、最优定价、条件风险值及闭环供应链协调性的影响。最后通过一个算例验证了研究结论。     

回收质量不确定下的废旧电子产品三级逆向供应链定价模型研究

本文针对废旧电子产品回收质量的不确定性,研究了由制造商、零售商和回收中心构成的废旧电子产品三级逆向供应链系统的定价模型。通过设定回收废旧电子产品的质量类别来分析回收质量的不确定性,构建了合作情况与非合作情况下的逆向供应链定价与利润模型,并利用逆向归纳法求解,得出了合作与非合作情况下的三级逆向供应链成员的最优定价策略以及相应的利润。通过比较合作与非合作情况下的最优价格及逆向供应链系统利润,发现合作情况下三级逆向供应链系统的总利润更高,同时可分解再制造的废旧电子产品与可维修再制造的废旧电子产品回收价格也更高。通过Matlab仿真分析,研究发现：随着废旧电子产品中可分解再制造废旧电子产品比例的增加,在合作和非合作两种情况下,可分解再制造废旧电子产品的回收价格和三级逆向供应链系统的总利润均减少,而可维修再制造废旧电子产品的回收价格增加。     

Customer and retailer rebates under risk aversion

In a supply chain setting, we analyze a manufacturer's customer and retailer rebates, which are sales incentives offered to the end buyers and retailers, respectively. The performance of both rebates is influenced by the retailer's objective and response to the promotion due to his intermediary position in the channel. Earlier studies investigating rebates in distribution channels have traditionally assumed that the retailer is risk neutral with the objective of maximizing expected profits. In our paper, we consider a risk-averse retailer. We formally model risk aversion by adopting the Conditional-Value-at-Risk (CVaR) decision criterion. Using a stochastic and (effective) price dependent demand, we analyze the manufacturer's rebate amount decisions and the retailer's joint inventory and pricing decisions in a game theoretical framework. We provide several structural properties of the objective functions and show monotonicity of the retailer's decisions in the degree of risk aversion. For the case of retailer rebates, we characterize the unique equilibrium, and for the case of customer rebates, we prove the existence of an equilibrium. Using numerical examples, we provide further insights on the impact of risk aversion. For example, given an exogenous wholesale price, we observe a threshold value on the retailer's risk-aversion parameter below (above) which the manufacturer is better off with retailer rebates (customer rebates); implying that the manufacturer's preferred rebate type can be different depending on whether the retailer is risk neutral or sufficiently risk averse.     

Short-term financing in a cash-constrained supply chain

In this paper we consider a two-level supply chain with a single retailer and a manufacturer, where both the firms are facing financial constraints and can not produce/order their optimal quantity. Our work shows that a lender who finances the manufacturer has a motivation to finance the retailer as well. Motivated by this, we investigate lender's problem of financing both the firms by making a joint decision on the loan amount and comparing it with the case when lender makes independent decision on loan amount for both the firms. Our numerical study indicates that if one of the firms in the supply chain has sufficiently low cash, joint decision (we refer to it as supply chain financing) may be better not only for the lender but for the retailer and manufacturer as well.     

Unimodality of price-setting newsvendor's objective function with multiplicative demand and its applications

We present a general solution framework for the price-setting newsvendor problem with a multiplicative stochastic demand. Under mild assumptions, such as increasing price elasticity on the mean demand function and increasing generalized failure rate on the distribution of the random factor, we first prove that both the profit function with respect to price and its derived function with respect to order quantity are quasi-concave. Three applications are then studied under our solution framework: (1) We consider a wholesale price only contract by which a manufacturer sets a wholesale price and a newsvendor determines an order quantity and the retail price, and show that the manufacturer's profit function is unimodal with respect to retailing price or stocking factor under certain conditions. (2) We consider a newsvendor problem in which the demand depends on both the retail price and the level of sales effort, and the cost exerting the sales effort is proportional to the order quantity; we prove that there exists a unique pair of price and sales-effort levels that maximize the total profit. This result is established under a set of mild assumptions on the demand and cost functions. (3) We identify a property in the single-period profit function that satisfies Condition 1 of Huh and Janakiraman (2008), which in turn guarantees the optimality of (s, S) policy for an infinite stationary dynamic inventory-price control system with lost sales and fixed order costs. Finally, the unimodality of the newsvendor problem with a general stochastic and price-sensitive demand is studied.     

ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF RETAILER STORE BRAND PRESENCE ON MANUFACTURER BRANDS IN AN EQUILIBRIUM FRAMEWORK*

This article assesses the impact of retailer store brand products on manufacturer brand prices, profitability and consumer welfare in Boston's white fluid milk market. Estimates from a random coefficients logit demand model are used to specify and test a set of pricing games. Under the selected model, milk manufacturers are Stackelberg leaders to retailers, and store brand milks are procured by retailers at cost. The model is used to investigate counterfactual markets without retailer store brand milks. Counterfactual Simulation results indicate that store brands increase channel profits, retailer profits and consumer welfare, while having mixed effects on equilibrium retail prices.     

进场费的政府规制效果分析——基于权力范式的渠道研究

近年来,进场费问题始终是零售商与供应商矛盾冲突的焦点,也是理论界和政策制定者关注的热点。本文基于经济学研究的权力范式,构造了以政府规制强度为外生变量的供应商与零售商博弈模型,从理论上分析了进场费的作用及限制进场费对零售商、供应商的决策行为和消费者福利的影响。结论是:进场费作为渠道利益分配调节机制,客观上具有传递零售终端竞争压力的作用。限制进场费会减少零售商的利润,但不一定增加供应商的利润,且有可能削弱供应商改进产品的动机和刺激零售商扩张销售网络。     

Optimal pricing and order quantity for the newsvendor problem with free shipping

To attract and keep customers, companies, especially those in e-business, are increasingly offering free shipping to buyers whose order sizes exceed the free shipping quantity. In this paper, given the supplier offers free shipping and the retailer faces stochastic demand, we determine the retailer's (i.e., the newsvendor's) optimal order quantity and the optimal selling price simultaneously. We consider two different ways in which price affects the demand distribution, namely price only affects the location or scale of the demand distribution. We explicitly incorporate the supplier's quantity discount and transportation cost into the models. The transportation cost function is very general, which includes those most commonly used in the literature. We numerically examine the impacts of free shipping, quantity discount, transportation cost, and demand variance on the retailer's optimal order quantity and pricing decisions. We find that even though the retailer faces uncertain demand, free shipping can effectively encourage the retailer to order more of the good and can benefit the supplier, the retailer, and the end customers. An increase in transportation cost or a decrease in purchase price will induce the retailer to order more of the good and decrease the retail price. With increasing demand variance, the retailer should order more of the good. We also find that the newsvendor can cope with demand variance by taking advantage of free shipping.     

具有自营平台的制造商与零售商的竞争与合作模型

本文研究了由1个制造商和1个零售商组成的供应链中的竞争与合作定价问题,其中制造商具有平台直销渠道。本文建立了竞争下的Stackelberg博弈模型,并分析了解的唯一性和合理性,然后给出合作定价模型和各渠道的定价策略,结果表明制造商和零售商最优策略是降低线下渠道销售价格而线上平台销售价格不变。通过对比表明供应链合作所增加的收益等于非合作下零售商的收益,并证明了顾客对线下渠道购买偏好越高,合作所增加的收益越大。进一步地,分析了在合作的情况下制造商是否放弃通过平台直销渠道销售商品的问题,并给出双渠道下供应链总利润比单渠道下总利润高的判定条件。最后给出一个算例,对所获得的结论进行验证和补充。