Intensive competition in the market place has forced companies to respond more quickly to customer needs through faster product development and shorter delivery time. Increasing customer awareness and preferences have led to an unprecedented explosion in product variety. End customers give...

Trade promotions have become an important instrument in accomplishing supply chain objectives. The extensive use of trade promotions does not appear likely to fade in the immediate future. Results of a recent survey of independent grocery retailers are presented. The research examines the...

Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) is an industry‐wide initiative that is commonly believed to have fallen far short of its promised efficiencies and value. Many believe that unrealistic expectations among grocery industry participants are primarily at fault for this shortcoming. The level of...

Ever since the Council of Logistics Management (CLM) adopted the definition of logistics in 1986, the integration of somewhat disparate activities of transportation, procurement, inventory control, distribution management, and customer service has been a major thrust in many firms. Realizing the...

Successful re‐engineering programs to improve supply chain performance possess three important attributes: a vision which clearly identifies future goals; a framework with clearly defined stages forming a route map; and, a toolkit which provides a means for enhancing the individual processes...

The physical distribution of goods is one of the key success factors in fast moving markets. Many companies are involved in the search for efficient distribution alternatives, as the lead times for customer order fulfillment need to be shortened while the costs and risks of warehousing need to...

The shift from traditional and functional third‐party logistics to comprehensive supply‐chain relationships has significant implications for the role of third‐party logistics service providers (3pls). Extending previous research in which four factors were found to influence 3pls' supply...

Purpose – This manuscript aims to empirically examine logistics strategy in Guatemalan firms and compare the findings to recent research into logistics strategy research of USA firms. Design/methodology/approach – Data on logistics strategies and logistics outcomes were gathered from...

The impact of schedule stability on supplier responsiveness is investigated by comparing schedule and calloff quantities for two automotive assemblers who both use the same supplier. Components for the two assemblers are manufactured by the supplier in cells which are focused by customer. The...

Logistics is changing from a focus on cost reduction and service improvement at the firm level to an emphasis on supply chain restructuring and organizing to increase overall efficiency and effectiveness. In this article, we focus on structural changes in the supply chain, the results of which...