Stochastic Programming Models for Manufacturing Applications

Abstract

Stochastic programming models have been proposed for capacity planning problems in different environments, including energy, telecommunication networks, distribution networks, and manufacturing systems. In this chapter we give an introductory tutorial to stochastic linear programming models, with emphasis on modeling techniques, rather than specialized solution methods. We consider two-stage and multi-stage stochastic programming models with recourse for manufacturing related applications, such as production planning and capacity planning with uncertainty on demand. We stress the importance of proper model formulation from two points of view: the first one is building strong mixed-integer formulations; the second one is generating scenario trees in order to suitably represent uncertainty while keeping them to a manageable size. We also compare the stochastic programming approach to traditional dynamic programming and to robust optimization.