Inventory replenishment policies for two successive generations price-sensitive technology products

Abstract

The high technology products come in generations, where the demand for newer technology generations is strongly influenced by the installed base of earlier generations (such as computers, cameras, notebooks, etc). However, the effect of technology substitution on inventory replenishment policies has received little attention in the supply chain literature. In the hi-technology market, consumers' purchasing capability, the utility of a product along with the entry of the advanced generation product influence the market expansion/contraction of the products. In this study, the impact of parallel diffusion of two successive generations' products on inventory policies of the monopolist has been analysed. The demand models have been characterised by considering the life-cycle dynamics for a P-type inventory system. The purpose of this paper is to develop a model for joint pricing and replenishment of technology generation products. The model has been solved by using a genetic algorithm technique. The impact of yearly price drop and the price sensitivity of demand on the profit margins vis-à-vis on replenishment policies has also been studied. The paper also brings forward the dynamics of the launch of newer generations and the pricing strategies on optimal inventory replenishment policies. Numerical illustrations have also been covered in the paper.