The role of purchasing/transportation in cycle time reduction

Reviews the literature of purchasing and transportation management to identify factors in the purchasing and transportation processes that influence a firm’s ability to reduce total cycle time. Presents a model of these factors to establish a framework for guiding research into comprehensive, systematic approaches to total cycle time reduction. In addition, the total cycle time model serves as a blueprint for practitioners in evaluating, in specific organizations, the effect of the purchasing and transportation processes on total cycle time. Although much of the research reviewed herein dates to the early 1980s its consideration as part of a comprehensive, systematic examination of the total cycle time concept is new.