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Benchmarking has become more commonplace in recent years as managers sought to improve their firms' operations by examining strategic practices of leading companies. The focus of the current research is the benchmarking of logistics among United States manufacturers. The researchers explore the relationships between benchmarking practices and selected organizational variables. Benchmarking relates to size, internal and supplier performance measurement, organizational formalization, and technology adoption.

Examines empirically which of a range of variables affect managers′ perceptions of the management information system (MIS) designed to support logistics. The results suggest that the adoption of computer software, the use of specific informational control devices and some aspects of logistics organisation have an effect in both smaller and larger firms. Other variables, such as the title and tenure of the senior logistics executive, do not systematically predict variance in managers′ perceptions of logistics MIS.

Focuses on a group of unsatisfied carpet owners. Examines the roles of the carpet warranty and the post‐purchase service received during the complaint process in terms of their effects on customers′ satisfaction with complaint resolution. Presents some suggestions for customer service policies, complaint handling procedures, and warranty fulfilment service.

Despite anecdotal evidence of the performance implications of just‐in‐time (JIT) implementation, little empirical research has been conducted. Examines total system JIT’s empirical relationships with a variety of performance outcomes. Total system JIT encompasses JIT purchasing, JIT production, and JIT selling. In a mail survey of 200 logistics executives, total system JIT was found to be: inversely related to weeks of inventory (inclusive of inbound, in‐process, and outbound); inversely related to the number of layers in various functional areas (e.g. marketing); and positively related to three different indicators of financial performance (ROI, profits, and ROS). Results, managerial implications, and further research are discussed.

In recent years, more firms have chosen to use outside service vendors to provide at least a portion of their logistical support requirements. The analysis presents projected usage trends for selected services as identified by logistics executives. Differences in anticipated usage levels of external logistical services were found when firms of different organisational structure were examined.

Faced with environmental volatility and increased competition, firms are turning to supply chain management and associated time‐based initiatives to develop sustainable competitive advantages. This research examines just‐in‐time (JIT) as one such logistics strategy. While prior research has focused on internal and upstream JIT (i.e., production and purchasing), the present research examines the extent to which exchange with downstream customers is just‐in‐time oriented. The results of the research show that JIT with customers is associated with organizational designs that are more decentralized, integrated, and formalized and with better performance in terms of less finished goods inventory and higher overall financial performance. The analysis controls for firm size, production technology, and tenure of the senior logistics executive and shows that the effects of JIT with customers on organizational structure and performance are, with a limited number of exceptions, relatively robust.

Logistics is becoming an increasingly important part of overall retail strategy because it provides opportunities for enhanced profit, market growth and sustainable competitive advantage. This research examines the underlying factors which impact retail logistics. The factors found are warehousing/transportation, supplier performance/communications, internal information systems, activity levelling and inventory/cost reduction. The extent to which many supplier evaluation criteria are used is shown to vary with some of these five underlying operational dimensions.

The knowledge‐based view of the firm suggests that knowledge is the firm’s key resource for creating and sustaining economic rent. This perspective raises an important question for marketers: What is marketing knowledge? We argue first that marketing knowledge resides in three key marketing processes: product development management, customer relationship management, and supply chain management. Second, we argue that marketing knowledge is the extent of understanding of these three marketing processes, an extent which can be measured by evaluating awareness of factors, control of factors, and application of knowledge in new markets. We empirically test this conceptualization of marketing knowledge and, as a predictive validation, examine its relationship with marketing innovation.

Challenges the idea of an unconditional and positive influence of knowledge on performance without regard to environmental uncertainty. Focuses on applied process knowledge spanning the supply chain (i.e. considers supplier, internal, and customer sources). A survey of 208 manufacturing firms found the association between applied process knowledge and firm market performance is positive and statistically significant when demand unpredictability is high (but not when low); statistically significant when product churning (uncertainty) is high (but not when low); and not moderated by core production or logistics process change. Firm size and production technology were also controlled. Firms that can determine the moderating effect of the different types of environmental uncertainty they face upon their knowledge‐performance relationship will perform better in terms of market performance indicators.

This research challenges the idea of an unconditional and positive influence of knowledge on performance without regard to environmental uncertainty. We focus on applied product quality knowledge spanning the supply chain (i.e. supplier, internal, and customer quality sources are considered). A survey of 208 manufacturing firms examined the moderating influence of product churning (uncertainty) and demand unpredictability on the association between applied product quality knowledge and firm performance. We also controlled for firm size and production technology. Firms that can determine a fit between their product quality knowledge application and the types of environmental uncertainty they face will perform better in terms of market and financial performance indicators.