Economic Order Quantity: A State-of-the-Art in the Era of Uncertain Supply Chains

Abstract

Inventory management is crucial for companies to minimize unnecessary costs associated with overstocking or understocking items. Utilizing the economic order quantity (EOQ) to minimize total costs is a key decision in inventory management, particularly in achieving a sustainable supply chain. The classical EOQ formula is rarely applicable in practice. For example, suppliers may enforce a minimum order quantity (MOQ) that is much larger than the EOQ. Some conditions such as imperfect quality and growing items represent variants of EOQ. Moreover, some requirements, such as the reduction of CO2 emissions, can alter the formula. Moreover, disruptions in the supply chain, such as COVID-19, can affect the formula. This study investigates which requirements must be considered during the calculation of the EOQ. Based on a literature review, 18 requirements that could alter the EOQ formula were identified. The level of coverage for these requirements has been tracked in the literature. Research gaps were presented to be investigated in future research. The analysis revealed that, despite their importance, at least 11 requirements have seldom been explored in the literature. Among these, topics such as EOQ in Industry 4.0, practical EOQ, and resilient EOQ have been identified as promising areas for future research.