Academia Open
Vol. 10 No. 2 (2025): December

Controlling Raw Material Inventory for Methanol Production Using the Silver Meal Method: Pengendalian Persediaan Bahan Baku Penunjang Methanol Menggunakan Metode Silver Meal

Hafidz Raif Harashta (Program Studi Teknik Industri, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur)
Enny Aryanny (Program Studi Teknik Industri, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur)



Article Info

Publish Date
17 Nov 2025

Abstract

General background: Effective inventory control is essential for manufacturing firms to ensure operational continuity and cost efficiency. Specific background: Methanol production facilities often experience persistent overstock of supporting chemicals such as Caustic Soda Flake (NaOH) and Sulphuric Acid (H₂SO₄), resulting in increased storage costs and heightened safety risks. Knowledge gap: Prior studies predominantly apply the Silver Meal heuristic to primary raw materials, with limited evidence of its effectiveness for fluctuating supporting materials in high-risk chemical industries. Aims: This study aims to optimize supporting-material inventory using the Silver Meal method to reduce total inventory costs and improve ordering policies. Results: The method produced lower total costs—Rp 4.144.915.411 for Caustic Soda and Rp 1.096.242.822 for Sulphuric Acid—representing reductions of 4.6% and 8.5% compared to the existing approach commonly used in industry. Novelty: The study introduces the application of a heuristic lot-sizing method to hazardous supporting materials using actual operational data, demonstrating its feasibility in chemically sensitive environments. Implications: Findings provide a practical decision-support model for companies to minimize overstock, enhance operational efficiency, and mitigate safety hazards associated with chemical accumulation. Highlights: Highlights the efficiency of the Silver Meal method in reducing total inventory costs. Addresses overstock issues of hazardous supporting materials in methanol production. Provides a practical model for safer and more economical inventory management. Keywords: Inventory Control, Silver Meal, Methanol Production, Supporting Materials, Cost Optimization

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Journal Info

Abbrev

acopen

Publisher

Subject

Medicine & Pharmacology Public Health

Description

Academia Open is published by Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo published 2 (two) issues per year (June and December). This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. This ...