Optimal operation policies for multi-item vending machines with product dedicated variant towers

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Thesis Type: Postgraduate

Institution Of The Thesis: Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industrial Engineering, Turkey

Approval Date: 2019

Student: Hacı Şahin

Supervisor: SERHAN DURAN

Abstract:

In this thesis we focus on modelling and solving the operation policy problem of a seller by managing its vending machines at different locations. Each vending machine has sale unit towers, which can hold different items; therefore, the decisions of which items should be kept at which location and with how many sale towers become important. Due to the uncertainties faced in demand, solution of the problem determines the allocation of towers to the items and machines throughout a time horizon. Stochastic optimization approach is employed to obtain less costly operations policy and experimental results support usage of the proposed model.