In recent years, it has become widely accepted that optimal supply chain design depends on the type of product the chain is catering to. Moreover, as opposed to carrying one product type only, firms deliver a variety of both functional and innovative products in parallel, complicating...

Supply chain flexibility is widely seen as one major response to the increasing uncertainty and competition in the marketplace. Researchers and practitioners acknowledge the competitive advantage of supply chain flexibility. However, flexibility is costly. Thus, a match between flexibility and...

Advanced inventory policies require timely system-wide information on inventories and customer demand to accurately control the entire supply chain. However, the presence of unsynchronized processes, processing lags or inadequate communication structures hinder the widespread availability of...