Analyses the supply chains of the FMCG and the durable goods in Italy and shows particular methods of management, points of considerable development (manufacturing postponement) and the general lack of scale economics. Postponement is a practice that is being increasingly diffused to meet better...

Begins by reviewing the need to outsource logistics activities. Asserts that a new market‐led business philosophy has become the core competence of companies that are serious about their survival. Addresses the question of whether there is a need for localised services and whether the...

One way in which the manufacturing and construction industries are moving is to adopt the philosophy of concurrent engineering (CE), better utilising the expertise of other companies in the supply chain. This paper draws on the results of several previous studies to discuss from a conceptual...

Attempts to propose an infrastructure of a supply chain information system, focusing on the component modules necessary for the building up of such a system with a description of the creation of these modules. The proposed supply chain information system embraces the concept of distributed...

The principal objective of this study is to understand the impact that the adoption of quick response (QR) has had on manufacturing firms in the retail supply chain. The adoption of QR by six organisations within the Victorian textile clothing and footwear industry is used to review the impact...

Strategic planning of the supply chain is an important decision problem determining the long‐term survival and prosperity of companies in the manufacturing, retail, and other industrial sectors. In general such companies rely on their information systems to acquire the essential data that are...

A Hong Kong‐based study of factors affecting construction industry performance levels confirms that selection methodologies and decisions are critical, both at the upstream formulation of procurement and operational systems themselves as well as the downstream selection of various project...

Distribution problems deal with distribution from a number of sources to a number of destinations. Each source offers amounts of goods, while each destination demands quantities of these goods. The object is to find the cheapest transporting schedule that satisfies demand without violating...

Describes a two‐ and, later, a three‐dimensional view of supply chain dynamics within a theoretical framework derived from research carried out in the UK automotive industry. However, the authors believe that the models developed have a far wider applicability than this narrow sectoral and...

Both practitioners and research scientists have noted a number of problems regarding measurement activities during the past decade. The problems reported suggest that measurement activities are fragmented both within and across organizations. Expands on a systems perspective on supply chain...