Since the early 1990s, the Japanese economy has been trapped in a long-term recession signified by zerobound interest rate, little or no inflation, and imperceptible growth. The most visible outcome is, strangely enough, a significant drop in foreign direct investment. One would have thought...

How can flexible logistics improve performance in a turbulent world when volatile customer demand and rising oil prices require responsive operations? This paper seeks an answer for this question in the field of control management in J.W. Ostendorf, a European paint company. Until recently...