A Review of Location-Allocation Problems in Multi-Echelon Supply Chain

Previous researchers considered facility location problems with transportation decisions or facility location problem with inventory decisions costs but integration among them in a multi-echelon supply chain have not given much attention. In the same time, the implications of this involvement to the decisions in selecting facility locations are more significant when the structure of supply chain system is multi-echelon. This book reviews the existing literature regarding the integration of inventory and transportation into location-allocation modelling in multi-echelon distribution system. This review has the objectives to explore previous works in facility location problems and present the recent research in facility location-allocation problems in conjunction with its involvement with other components as inventory, transportation and service level. The review also identifies the current facility location research applications in multi echelon supply chain.