A multi-agent inventory problem with general transportation costs

Abstract This paper addresses the cost allocation problem that arises from an inventory system with multiple item and several agents that place joint orders according to an EOQ policy. In this setting, the cost per a new order has two components: a fixed cost and a variable cost. We assume that the variable part is given by a general function, not necessarily additive. We obtain the optimal policy and we evaluate some proposals of allocation rule for the ordering costs.