In manual order picking systems, order pickers walk or drive through a distribution warehouse in order to collect items which are requested by (internal or external) customers. In order to perform these operations efficiently, it is usually required that customer orders are combined into (more...

Are product market and entry regulation key sources of low employment growth in many European countries? We investigate this question in the context of the French retail trade industry. Since 1974, approval by regional zoning boards has been required for the creation or extension of any large...

The pressure on companies towards sustainable development is changing the way they are dealing with their supply chain network. Practices are not limited to the company level. They are involving suppliers, customers, government, society and other stakeholders that impact and are impacted by the...

The EU Directive on Corporate Sustainable Due Diligence has sparked fierce debate about the regulation of supply chains. The directive's objectives are aligned with European values. However, it raises concerns that the compliance costs of social and environmental regulations may be privatised in...

Supply security is threatened by technical, business, natural and policy shocks, as well as geopolitical tensions. Is there a rationale for policy intervention? If yes, what are efficient and effective measures that achieve de-risking? This article first explains why private incentives do not...

Ein Risiko der aktuellen Wirtschaftskrise ist, dass partnerschaftliche Beziehungen zwischen Herstellern und Zulieferern auf der Strecke bleiben. Überwiegend erhielten deutsche Automobilhersteller bisher nur befriedigende Bewertungen bei ihren Zulieferbeziehungen. Demgegenüber gilt das...

Fixed transaction costs and delivery lags are important costs of international trade. These costs lead firms to import infrequently and hold substantially larger inventories of imported goods than domestic goods. Using multiple sources of data, we document these facts. We then show that a...

The purpose of this paper is to develop a model that integrates inventory and labor decisions We extend a model of inventory behavior to include a detailed specification of the role of labor input in the production process and of the costs associated with it In particular we distinguish between...