Decision Systems for Inventory Management and Production Planning (Wiley Series in Production/Operations Management) [Hardcover]

Edward A. Silver (Author), Rein Peterson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471867829 | ISBN-13: 978-0471867821 | Publication Date: January 1985 | Edition: 2

An in-depth discussion of the major decisions in production planning, scheduling, and inventory management faced by organizations, both private and public. Strategic and operational issues are covered, as well as the latest systems used to make decisions, including Just-in-Time Manufacturing, KANBAN, Distribution Requirements Planning, and PUSH Control. A series of cases focusing on one organization complement the text's discussion, and several problem sets are also included. An extensive list of references allows the advanced student to pursue topics of interest in more detail.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This is a revision of a classic which integrates managerial issues with practical applications, providing a broad foundation for decision-making. It incorporates recent developments in inventory management, including Just-in-Time Management, Materials Requirement Planning, and Total Quality Management. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 736 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (January 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471867829
• ISBN-13: 978-0471867821
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,380,436 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book I have found for pure Inventory Mgt:, August 15, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Inventory Management and Production Planning and Scheduling, 3rd Edition (Hardcover)

For my line of work, which is strictly in support of inventory management, in a large organization, this book is the best and most comprehensive reference I have found for inventory management. Other references, such as Chopra's or Shapiro's, offer an excellent survey in the broader topic of supply chain management but do not approach the depth of this text in straight inventory management. For the person working in a large organization, in which supply chain management is broken up across large numbers of people and departments, and for whom inventory management is the main focus, then this is the book for such an individual.

The particular strength of this book lies in chapters 5 - 10 in which a very comprehensive analysis is placed on the topics of reorder quantity (Eoq) and the large array of optimization and inventory control techniques in the realm of re-order point, order-up-to logic etc. This text covers classic Eoq analysis, along with the alternative heuristic methods for items displaying an uneven rate of demand. The approach to setting re-order point rules for slow-selling, as opposed to fast-moving items, receives ample coverage. No other book I have seen covers the issue of slow-moving items as well, which is significant since in industry many items are slow movers.

The authors cover the concepts of "exchange curves" and how one can link inventory control objectives at the item level to an aggregate level. This is a critical concept for the practitioner attempting to reconcile item-level inventory control to aggregate inventory and financial planning objectives.

The forecasting section itself offers substantial treatment of the topic though additional depth, such as with an addtional chapter, would improve this book. Perhaps forecasting will receive greater treatment in a future edition.

Also of value is the overall approach to the topic of inventory control, starting with forecasting, then re-order quantity, and then re-order point rules. Also, there are valuable insights to help the practitioner "draw the line" between a fast-moving item and a slow-moving item and specific direction on the inventory control policies to pursue with both classes of inventory. Relatedly, there is excellent discussion on the rules one can apply to approach inventory management with eiter the normal distribution of demand versus when other distributions of demand may apply for slow-moving items. Books such a Chopra's do not give this critical topic the same level of attention.

Mathematical topics and formulas are presented in a manner which should be accessible and substantial for individuals with a wide degree of quantitative backgrounds. The topics are presented with a good degree of detail, rigorous yet still in well-defined sections. The book's construction supports in-depth study in addition to quick reference. References and citations of other work abound for those who wish to explore a topic further.

The Chopra or Shapiro or Simch-Levi or Factory Physics texts cover the topic of variability pooling, two tier systems, and the "bullwhip effect" more successfully than this book.

I have not used the second section of this book which deals with production planning so I will not speak to the quality of its content in these areas.

If I had to choose one text for an inventory management text it would be this one. Though given a choice I have also supplemented it with addtional texts such as Chopra's, Shapiro's and the "Factory Physics" book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great explaination but Need more quantitative analysis, April 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Inventory Management and Production Planning and Scheduling, 3rd Edition (Hardcover)

This book is comprehensive and very good for introduction to Inventory mgt and production planning but need more quantitative analysis, for instance, math model or algorithm to solve the problems. If you want the real inventory modeling, please choose Johnson and Montgomery book(ISBN 0471446181). Otherwise, this book is great.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most current updated & completed reviews, April 22, 1999

By 

Sarawoot Chittratanawat - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inventory Management and Production Planning and Scheduling, 3rd Edition (Hardcover)

If you are new to inventory model or a professional but off school for several years. Don't forget to get this book. Silver et.al. review + explore the inventory problem in both macro and micro viewpoint. For supply chain manager, this book is more quantitative (infact, I think this is the most quantitative analysis) and full of reference (more than 150-200 references for each chapter). One disadvantage though... Too expensive... don't you consider to have the paperback edition? C'mon... student doesn't have much money.