Demand-Driven Inventory Optimization and Replenishment

Preface

I grew up in a town called Bremerton, Washington. The town is situated on the Kitsap Peninsula right in the middle of Puget Sound. Given its location so close to the ocean, there are a lot of navel installations in the vicinity. The majority of the residents worked at the Trident Missile Base (nuclear missiles), the Keyport Underwater Warfare Base (torpedoes), or the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (ship repair). This type of employment created a huge middle class. In addition to these blue-collar workers, Bremerton had a supporting cast of people there to help with every need. Doctors, lawyers, shopkeepers—you name it—they were there to support the town and the surrounding area.

One of the residents, a lawyer, had a huge house built on property overlooking one of the great views of Puget Sound and Mt. Rainier. It was a beautiful home fit for the very successful family. In addition to the home, the property sported landscaped gardens, elegant trees, and garages designed for 6 to 10 cars. People from Bremerton would take visitors on drives around the town and, invariably, swing by the lawyer's house to have everyone gawk at the fancy house on the hill.

Oddly, over the years, very few, if any, people ever saw the inside of the house. If anyone was allowed on the property, it was to tend to the gardens or clean the various fixtures. If there was a gathering of friends, the entertaining was done on the grounds, not in the house. This type of behavior got everyone to wonder what ...