Fuzzy knowledge-based approach to treating uncertainty in inventory control

Inventory control in complex manufacturing environments encounters various sources of uncertainty and imprecision. This paper presents one fuzzy knowledge-based approach to solving the problem of order quantity determination, in the presence of uncertain demand, lead time and actual inventory level. Uncertain data are represented by fuzzy numbers, and vaguely defined relations between them are modelled by fuzzy if-then rules. The proposed representation and inference mechanism are verified using a large number of examples. The results of three representative cases are summarized. Finally, a comparison between the developed fuzzy knowledge-based and traditional, probabilistic approaches is discussed.