Postponement: an evolving supply chain concept

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to assess and document the progress of postponement research, identify current gaps, and provide direction for future research efforts. Design/methodology/approach -Postponement literature published from 1999 to 2006 was reviewed. Findings -The review revealed a significant increase in the number of postponement research efforts, many of which at least partially addressed past challenges noted in previous research. Several opportunities to continue addressing these past challenges were identified. Future researchers are challenged to validate new postponement concepts and extend postponement research beyond its manufacturing context. Other challenges call for the continued assessment of the relationship between postponement and uncertainty and the investigation into the slow rate of postponement adoption among practitioners. Research limitations/implications -This effort is not an exhaustive review of all postponement research. This review does not consider unpublished papers, papers in non-academic journals, or papers presented at conferences. Practical implications -This review is a useful resource for supply chain researchers interested in supply chain strategies and the evolution of postponement as a supply chain concept. Originality/value -This paper uses the challenges of past research as a measure of the progress of postponement thought and theory. The gaps identified and challenges made will serve as a foundation upon which future researchers can build.

An extended framework for supply chain risk management: incorporating the complexities of emerging industries and large-scale systems

“…In addition, SCR can increase from contextual issues, including updating contracting mechanisms to focus on performance (Berkowitz et al, 2005), developing logistics capabilities (Gligor and Holcomb, 2012), using third party logistics providers (Min, 2013), locating DCs in disasters (Yushimito et al, 2012), emergency logistics (Hu and Zhao, 2011) and humanitarian logistics (Kovács and Spens, 2012), evolving military and commercial logistics practices (Rutner et al, 2012), and postponement as applied to inventory management (Boone et al, 2007), mass customisation (Kim, 2014), assembly (van Hoek et al, 1998), packaging (Seth and Panigrahi, 2015), and information logistics (Dinter, 2013).…”

A Logistics Reference Model for Mass Customization

“…Other researches proposed frameworks to assess the possibility of postponement in logistics, evaluating the opportunities on stocking (Pagh & Cooper, 1998), benefits of an alignment with production postponement (Rabinovich & Evers, 2003) and the implications www.intechopen.com on the whole supply chain (Yang & Burns, 2003). An extended review of postponement in logistics can be found in Yang et al (2004), to identify challenges of implementation, and in Boone et al (2007), to notice the slow rate of diffusion of this strategy.…”

Analysing the differences between theoretical and implemented supply chain strategies in selected organisations

“…There is no such thing as either a universal supply chain strategy or an industry-wide supply chain (Hines, 2004). There are many types of supply chains (Hughes, Ralf & Michels, 1998;Baily, Farmer, Crocker, Jessop & Jones, 2009) and supply chain strategies are as varied as the disciplines from which they originate (Boone, Craighead & Hanna, 2007). Supply chains must be designed for strategic advantage (Ayers, 2004).…”

“…Postponement refers to a concept whereby activities in the supply chain are delayed until a demand is realised (Boone et al, 2007). This involves intentionally delaying the execution of a task, instead of starting it with incomplete or unreliable information inputs (Yeung, Selen, Deming & Min, 2007).…”