The applicability of manufacturing planning and control methods differs between environments. This paper explains the fit between the planning environment and material and capacity planning on the detailed material planning and shop-floor planning levels. The study is based on a conceptual discussion and a survey of 84 Swedish manufacturing companies. Results show the use of planning methods and their levels of user satisfaction in complex customer order production, configure to order production, batch production of standardized products and repetitive mass production, respectively.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to provide for the research community as well as for the practitioners measures that enable the evaluation, categorization and comparison of vendor managed inventory (VMI) systems.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, a framework is developed for characterizing the design of VMI systems based on a review of prior research and an empirical investigation of industry‐to‐industry VMI relationships in Sweden.FindingsThe proposed framework incorporates the main characteristics of VMI systems and serves as a tool for profiling VMI system designs and for facilitating the comparison and analysis of different VMI system configurations.Research limitations/implicationsThe Swedish industrial context in which the framework was tested should be taken into consideration when generalizing upon the findings.Practical implicationsVMI systems come in various shapes and setups, as a result of which the challenges related to their operation and management may differ significantly. This study addresses the issue by providing practitioners with a tool that helps them in the design and management of VMI systems.Originality/valueWhile categorizations and measures for the VMI systems exist in prior research, this study contributes by synthesizing the existing measures and testing them in empirical setting. The study contributes particularly to the research on VMI systems but also more broadly to the supply chain management research.

PurposeThe objective of this study is to revise and enhance existing inventory control models in a way that allows them to be used more efficiently in environments with short lead times.Design/methodology/approachA simulation approach has been chosen to assess the efficiency of the developed model. This simulation is based on randomly generated demand data with a compound Poisson type of distribution.FindingsResults from the simulation show that traditionally used inventory control methods fail to ensure that desired service levels are attained in environments with short lead times. The simulation also shows that, by using the developed model, the differences between desired and attained service levels can be reduced to fall within limits acceptable in practice.Originality/valueThe study provides an enhanced inventory control model that can be used in environments with short lead time to increase service level performance.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to develop a framework of strategies to achieving customer order flexibility in and related to the order-to-delivery (OTD) process. The purpose is also to investigate how companies prioritize various strategies to achieve customer order flexibility.Design/methodology/approachBased on a literature review, pre-tests and conceptual reasoning, a conceptual framework of strategies related to the order-to-delivery process was developed. The strategies were linked to the order quantity and delivery lead-time flexibility dimensions. This structure resulted in six groups covering enabling as well as remedial strategies. An empirical interview study of ten customer–supplier relationships was conducted.FindingsThe interviews identified additional strategies, thereby expanding the framework. The enabling strategies with the highest median values were “have continuous contact with the customer's purchaser” and “use safety stock of raw materials/semi-finished products”. The remedial strategy with the highest median was “re-plan/re-prioritize the order backlog”. In the delivery sub-process, it was more common to apply remedial strategies for delivery lead-time than for order quantities.Research limitations/implicationsThe developed framework is a contribution to the literature on operational flexibility in and related to the OTD process. It complements existing knowledge by taking a supplier perspective.Practical implicationsSuppliers can use the framework as a tool to understand and systematically achieve better customer order flexibility in and related to the OTD process. Customers can use the framework as a checklist for supplier evaluation and supplier development.Originality/valueFew identified studies include empirical data on customer order flexibility.

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