Lévy processes in storage and inventory problems

Zbigniew Michna, Wojciech Bombała, Peter Nielsen

Published 2013-03-24, updated 2013-04-14Version 3

In this paper we consider storage and inventory systems. Our aim is to apply and review main results of the fluctuation theory of stochastic processes in the context of storage and inventory modeling. We describe systems where the inflow is due to a L\'evy process and the outflow is linear and conversely systems where the inflow is linear and the outflow is due to a L\'evy process. For such systems we investigate the process of a storage (inventory) level. We give formulas for the probability that the storage level exceeds a certain value. This probability is crucial in the management of storage and inventory systems.