Introduction to the Special Issue on Supply Chain Optimization

The problems inherent in designing and operating supply chains provide a rich practical context for the development and application of optimization models. From large scale (nonlinear) network design and flow problems to operational execution under uncertainty, the various problems faced in practice by supply chain managers often lead to interesting and complex optimization problems. The primary objective of the Journal of Industrial and Management Optimization is to ''promote collaboration between optimization specialists, industrial practitioners and management scientists so that important practical industrial and management problems can be addressed by the use of appropriate, recent advanced optimization techniques.'' This journal, therefore, provides an excellent fit for the analysis of difficult supply chain design, planning, and operations problems for which optimization models can significantly impact performance.