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The challenge faced by supplier companies in the grocery supply chain for implementing collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) is how to get the retailer to forecast, especially when it has not been necessary before. In this paper a solution that would allow collaboration on a wide scale is presented. The forecasting approach is called “rank and share” and uses input from the retailer’s existing planning process – the category management process. The benefit of using category management as the basis is that the retailer can scale up collaboration with a large number of suppliers without increasing planning resources. For the supplier the benefit is point of sales forecasts at the time of the assortment decision. To support this collaborative forecasting process there is a need for more robust replenishment solutions, new measures to illustrate benefits, and for a distributed planning architecture and software. Potential solutions for these are also discussed in the paper.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a collaborative tracking and tracing (T&T) system that enables supply chain actors to join and leave the system in run-time without disrupting the function of the system.

A collaborative T&T system is introduced using a conceptual approach. Supporting empirical data are collected through a deductive case study of a Swedish automotive supply chain.

A collaborative T&T system based on composite and observer design patterns is an appropriate solution for inter-organizational T&T.

This research contributes to the body of knowledge in the field of logistics T&T. The conceptually developed collaborative T&T system needs to be validated empirically.

The collaborative T&T system developed conceptually here could be used as a model for the practical development of inter-organizational T&T systems.

The introduction of a collaborative T&T system, adopting the theories of software engineering and product data management, represents an original contribution to the field of T&T in logistics and transportation.

The promise of process integration between organizations too often is unfulfilled and new approaches are needed. Distributed control is a new and exciting opportunity to build more effective process networks for a wide range of applications in logistics and product development. A solution based on distributed control around the consumers of services in process networks is proposed. In logistics, it is the physical delivery that becomes the focus for distributed control when you approach the service environment from the consumer perspective. In collaborative design and manufacturing, it is the product model that becomes the focus of control. A consumer perspective provides key guidelines that help manufacturers and service providers identify the design of process networks that most efficiently add value in different industries and for different applications.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a typology of radio frequency identification (RFID)-based tracking solution designs to fit differing fashion supply chains. The typology is presented as principles of form and function contributing toward a design theory of configurable RFID tracking for fashion logistics.

The typology is developed based on a case study of a logistics service provider (LSP) interested in designing a tracking solution for different customers in fashion logistics. In addition to the LSP, four fashion retailers were involved in the study. The case study was carried out using a review of existing RFID tracking implementations in the fashion industry, analysis of an RFID tracking pilot conducted by the case company, and interviews with representatives of the retailers.

By varying three design parameters (place of tagging, place of tracking start and place of tracking end) a tracking solution can be configured to fit the requirements and constraints of different fashion supply chains. In the fashion logistics context under investigation, such parameterization addresses retailer requirements, brings concrete and quantifiable benefits to both LSP and its customers, and enables incremental adoption of RFID tracking.

Although the typology is developed in the specific setting of a case company developing RFID tracking solutions for fashion logistics, the design parameters identified in the study can be used when considering configurable tracking solutions also in other domains and settings. However, further research is needed to evaluate the proposed typology in those settings.

The proposed typology enables fashion companies to consider which configuration of RFID tracking best fits the requirements and constraints imposed by their particular supply chain. For fashion companies, who find adoption of RFID tracking difficult despite the obvious benefits, the proposed typology enables incremental implementation of supply chain-wide tracking.

The developed typology, describing how RFID-based tracking solutions can be adjusted to fit the needs of fashion companies with differing supply chains and requirements, is novel. The typology is generalizable to most fashion logistics settings and probably to numerous other logistics domains.

The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a tracking based inventory management system in temporary storage locations of a project delivery chain. To describe the use of tracking based inventory information for improved logistics control in equipment delivery and installation.

A solution design experiment was carried out in 16 temporary storage locations with one original equipment manufacturer and four installation partners.

It is feasible to implement tracking based inventory management in temporary storage locations. The challenge is to ensure that installation partners adopt the system. The benefit is improved logistics control of equipment delivery and installation for the original equipment manufacturer.

Tracking information is more useful than conventional stock keeping in project delivery. By monitoring the dwell time of delivery items it is possible to identify and resolve problems in project execution.

Inventory management in temporary storage locations help project management, project logistics, and central logistics organizations carry out their work more effectively. Implementation can be based on tracking.

The paper's value lies in empirical tests and evaluation of tracking based inventory management in temporary storage locations.

Tracking of shipments is an important element of customer service in the transportation industry; and essential for logistics services as merge‐in‐transit. However, contemporary tracking systems are designed for use within a single company, and are thus invariably inadequate for multi‐company environments. The single company focus has led to a reduced span of monitoring and a diluted accessibility of information due to proprietary tracking codes and information architectures centred on the tracking service provider. This paper presents a novel forwarder‐independent approach for solving the difficulties of tracking in multi‐company supply networks. The research argues that the proposed tracking approach is superior to contemporary approaches for material flow tracking in short‐term multi‐company distribution networks.

This paper aims to present how the success of inter‐organizational systems (IOS) implementation projects can be increased by aligning the different incentives of buyers and suppliers.

The research method employed is case study and its unit of analysis is a network of supplier and wholesaler (buyer) companies acting in the Finnish technical trade industry, which are implementing inter‐organizational tracking. The implementation project followed an implementation process model developed to execute the case study.

For a buyer, the challenge in IOS implementation is that suppliers feel the adoption more difficult and have less identifiable benefits. However, in the case study, suppliers were ready to implement tracking solution because they understand that improvements in IOS help to apply common industry data exchange standards and will lead to better supply chain collaboration, which also increases their operational performance in the long run.

This paper concentrates on supplier and buyer incentives but also the role of other supply chain members such as logistics providers could be analyzed to examine different factors for IOS implementation.

If the buyer takes a cooperative approach to IOS integration, suppliers can be motivated to integrate tracking as a part of their own operations. This high‐level integration offers more options to improve the management and hence the performance of the whole supply chain than low‐level integration.

IOS implementation projects are seldom studied from the perspectives of buyers and suppliers in the supply chain.