Mathematical modelling of purchasing optimization for an MRP system with containerization constraints

Standard material requirement planning (MRP) systems do not include the purchasing decisions associated with business rules and containerisation strategies, in order to make decisions in a more holistic model and to seek an improvement in the planning process. This paper proposes a mathematical MRP-C model with containerisation constraints based on mixed integer linear programming, whose objective is to minimise total operating costs. The methodology structures a decision-making system with an integrated supply chain approach, which means that decisions impact on the different agents. The findings show a comparative result with data from a real system and a sensitivity analysis with other scenarios. The research suggests future avenues by including uncertainty and nervousness analysis, service level constraints and lost sales costs in the model and the robust optimization approach.