A Markov-Modulated (s, S) Inventory System with Repeated Calls and Blocked Demands

Abstract

In this article, we consider a continuous review (s, S) inventory system with failures of demand fulfillment (service) modeled as a Markov-modulated retrial queueing system. The inventory system features a single product that experiences Markovian inter-demand and service intervals with random service interruptions and instantaneous replenishments. A recently developed criterion for the ergodicity of a class of discrete-time level-dependent-quasi-birth-and-death (LDQBD) processes with convergent transition matrix rows is applied to the jump chain of the process in order to elicit a closed-form traffic-intensity formula. An analytic solution for the steady-state average minimum cost is provided.

33 pages, 1 figure