Extensions of the Newsvendor Model – Incorporating Real Life Scenarios Using Decision Analytics

Decision Analysis is an important topic in the field of Operations Research. This article is a result of discussing the well-known newsvendor model in the classroom over many semesters. We present the newsvendor model in our MBA class but go beyond what textbooks provide. We extend this model by incorporating two specific real-life scenarios. We create the modified payoff table using spreadsheets. We then consider what-if scenarios and perform sensitivity analysis using the Data Table command in Excel. Important concepts like backordering/late shipment, cost of lost customer goodwill, and clearance pricing are discussed. The discussion of these concepts is extremely valuable even without spreadsheets.