On the Selection of Demand Used in Planning for the Distribution Networks

This paper first addresses a distribution planning method on centrally controlled supply chain. The distribution channels are assumed to be network of arborescence form. For such distribution networks, this study proposes a distribution planning scheme when the demands for retail sites are provided for a given planning horizon. As the planning horizon rolls forward, for a new horizon, forecasted demand distributions of periods in the horizon are updated. An idea of controlling customer service level by the selection of demand to be used in the planning (Demand Used in Planning, DUP) from the forecasted values is also discussed.