Coordination of a production network with a single buyer and multiple vendors

This article considers a single buyer sourcing a single product from a network of homogeneous suppliers. We assume a close and cooperative relationship between buyer and vendors and suggest two coordination mechanisms, which differently affect where inventory is held in the system. Accordingly, we derive analytical and heuristic solutions for both alternatives and study the relative advantage of the models in a sensitivity analysis. Finally, propositions for future research are presented.