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The purpose of this paper is to focus on the medium‐term planning problem in supply chain networks. Based on a literature review, a comprehensive analytical planning model for the three echelon tactical planning problem in supply chain networks is developed which is applicable in a hierarchical planning frame.

The approach used was mathematical mixed integer programming to model three echelon production‐distribution networks embedded in the supply chain planning matrix frame. Application of the model in a multi‐site planning process based on a case study from the industrial transformer supply chain was also undertaken.

Integrated multi‐period medium‐term planning with customer oriented single sourcing is an efficient method to implement mathematical optimal solutions in practice as it provides comprehensive tactical plans and network designs. These can be used for scenario analysis in a coordination process with independent supply chain partners.

The implementation of a mathematical optimal plan in a complex business network structure requires a big‐bucket model solution to grant the plan's stability via sufficient time buffers.

The paper displays development of a multi‐period three echelon tactical production‐distribution‐transportation model with different capacities, transportation modes, product types and single sourcing decisions.

In recent times, there has been some disquiet within certain sectors of the Singapore business community over the role of auditors in detecting corporate fraud. The cause of this concern can perhaps be attributed partly to the Barings collapse in February 1995 and the subsequent suggestions that the auditors of the Barings subsidiary in Singapore, Barings Futures Singapore Pte Ltd (BFS), may have been negligent in their audit work. More recently, in mid‐1996, a substantial locally listed company, Amcol Holdings Ltd (Amcol), was placed under judicial management amid rumours alleging possible misdeeds by senior executives and directors. The Amcol saga has, once again, focused some attention on the role of auditors and their duty to detect fraud in company accounts.

Annual influenza epidemics cause great losses in both human and financial terms. The purpose of this paper is to propose a model for optimizing a large-scale influenza vaccination program (VP). The goal is to minimize the total cost of the vaccination supply chain while guaranteeing a sufficiently high level of population protection. From a practical point of view, the analysis returns the number of shipments and the quantity of vaccines in each periodic shipment that should be delivered from the manufacturers to the distribution center (DC), from the DC to the clinics, and from the clinics to each sub-group of customers during the vaccination season.

A mixed-integer programming optimization model is developed to describe the problem for a supply chain consisting of vaccine manufacturers, the healthcare organization (HCO) (comprising the DC and clinics), and the population being vaccinated (customers). The model suggests a VP that implemented by a nation-wide HCO.

The benefits of the proposed approach are shown to be particularly salient in cases of limited resources, as the model distributes demand backlogs in an efficient manner, prioritizing high-risk sub-groups of the population over lower-risk sub-groups. In particular, the authors show a reduction in direct medical burden of consumers, such as the need for doctors, hospitalization resources, and reduction of indirect, non-medical burden, such as loss of workdays.

Drawing from the extended enterprise paradigm, and, in particular, taking consumer benefits into account, the authors suggest an operational-strategic model that creates impressive added value in a highly constrained supply chain. The model constitutes a powerful decision tool for the deployment of large-scale seasonal products, and its implementation can yield multiple benefits for various consumer segments.

The model proposed herein constitutes a decision support tool comprising operational-tactical and tactical-strategic perspectives, which logistics managers can utilize to create an enterprise-oriented plan that takes into account medical and non-medical costs.