DEVELOPING SOFTWARE TO SOLVE CERTAIN PROBLEMS OF INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

Abstract

In modern conditions of intensifying competition in consumer markets, stable operation of enterprises is ensured by the implementation of strategies for maximum satisfaction of consumer demand for goods and related services. Planning such strategies requires improvements in various enterprise systems, in particular, the inventory management system based on the rationalization and optimization of product flows, use of appropriate models and methods for these tasks. Every company strives to satisfy the customer at the highest possible level. This task requires a significant investment in inventory. At the same time, an equally important task is to find new opportunities to reduce all types of costs and increase profits, therefore, from the point of view of finance, the ideal state is when there is no stock while the production needs of the company are met in full. But such a situation is absolutely impossible in real conditions. In order to work as efficiently as possible and reach acceptable financial indicators, it is necessary to effectively manage inventory stock at the enterprise. An essential feature of inventory modeling process is uncertainty in real conditions, which is associated with the inaccuracy or incompleteness of information about demand, supply, time delays of ordered goods, product spoilage and other parameters of the logistics system. This necessitates an effective inventory management mechanism in conditions of uncertainty. Solving this problem requires calculation of exact date and quantity of each subsequent order. Most modern software packages for inventory management are quite difficult to understand or require large financial expenses. In addition, most practical applications are designed for deterministic parameters of demand and production schedule. In fact, demand has a high level of uncertainty, which requires improved algorithms using stochastic theory of inventory management. Thus, a number of issues related to this field still remain unresolved or incompletely resolved. Most publications consider the classic toolkit with some well-known modifications. However, classic models are quite difficult to apply in in real life because the ideal conditions are difficult to achieve in practice. The models do not take into account the limitations imposed by internal and external factors. Based on this, we have created software that would perform the required task. The final product of the research is a software product that enables warehouse operators and managers to optimize drafting a schedule of production inventory deliveries in conditions of demand uncertainty, as well as controlling deliveries based on an economic-mathematical model of inventory management in conditions of demand uncertainty. The software is able to determine the optimal period of delivery of several types of resources, total costs for storage and ordering, the effect of the obtained savings, speeding up and simplifying the dispatcher's work.