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The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between customer order lead time (COLT) and the price sensitivity of an electrical equipment manufacturer company. In consequence, it examines two research questions in terms of COLT, price and profitability level and to ensure the validity and practical justification of these research questions.

In this research the authors have used a case study approach where three business measures, namely COLT, price and the profitability level of a case company were investigated and analyzed critically. These measures were implemented through four different customer segments with two production lines of the case company. Data were collected from the company's order delivery database from the period 2006 to 2008. In addition, different experimental data were collected through interviewing and reviewing the results of the data analysis with the unit managers.

In this paper the authors have observed the correlation between the price, profit and COLT with all four customer segments in both the production lines of the case company. From the case data, the authors concluded that the customer did not pay more when the COLT is shorter than with the average time. It is also noticeable that the profit margin is higher for the case company to handle COLT with shorter lead time than the average order delivery lead time.

More case examples might be helpful to motivate the managers to accept the research outcomes.

The concept of the company's COLT in relation to the price and profitability level supports organizational managers in their decision‐making process in terms of productivity level and the company's growth. It will motivate the managers to make tradeoffs among various developmental measures.

This paper implemented a unique approach for measuring the significant level of price and profitability level over COLT. From the outcomes of this study, it is observed that the price correlated positively with the COLT and has a direct and significant impact on it. When the price is increased the COLT is also increased. It is also noticed that the products of the case company which offered shorter lead times were on average also more profitable, even though there were no significant differences in average pricing between the customer segments.

Key components of the logistics mix are described in an effort to create an understanding of the total logistics concept. Chapters include an introduction to logistics; the strategic role of logistics, customer service levels, channel relationships, facilities location, transport, inventory management, materials handling, interface with production, purchasing and materials management, estimating demand, order processing, systems performance, leadership and team building, business resource management.

The objective of this study is to investigate how country risk, different political actions from the government and bureaucratic behavior influence the activities in industry supply chains (SCs) in emerging markets. The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of these external stakeholders’ elements to the demand-side and supply-side drivers and barriers for improving competitiveness of Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry in the way of analyzing supply chain. Considering the phenomenon of recent change in the RMG business environment and the competitiveness issues this study uses the principles of stakeholder and resource dependence theory and aims to find out some factors which influence to make an efficient supply chain for improving competitiveness. The RMG industry of Bangladesh is the case application of this study. Following a positivist paradigm, this study adopts a two phase sequential mixed-method research design consisting of qualitative and quantitative approaches. A tentative research model is developed first based on extensive literature review. Qualitative field study is then carried out to fine tune the initial research model. Findings from the qualitative method are also used to develop measures and instruments for the next phase of quantitative method. A survey is carried out with sample of top and middle level executives of different garment companies of Dhaka city in Bangladesh and the collected quantitative data are analyzed by partial least square-based structural equation modeling. The findings support eight hypotheses. From the analysis the external stakeholders’ elements like bureaucratic behavior and country risk have significant influence to the barriers. From the internal stakeholders’ point of view the manufacturers’ and buyers’ drivers have significant influence on the competitiveness. Therefore, stakeholders need to take proper action to reduce the barriers and increase the drivers, as the drivers have positive influence to improve competitiveness.

This study has both theoretical and practical contributions. This study represents an important contribution to the theory by integrating two theoretical perceptions to identify factors of the RMG industry’s SC that affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. This research study contributes to the understanding of both external and internal stakeholders of national and international perspectives in the RMG (textile and clothing) business. It combines the insights of stakeholder and resource dependence theories along with the concept of the SC in improving effectiveness. In a practical sense, this study certainly contributes to the Bangladeshi RMG industry. In accordance with the desire of the RMG manufacturers, the research has shown that some influential constructs of the RMG industry’s SC affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. The outcome of the study is useful for various stakeholders of the Bangladeshi RMG industry sector ranging from the government to various private organizations. The applications of this study are extendable through further adaptation in other industries and various geographic contexts.

Results have shown that the actual delivery performance of a company is often significantly worse than management's own assessment of its performance.

Manufacturing managers as well as researchers suggest that reducing manufacturing lead time is essential for competing in world‐class manufacturing environments. To achieve world‐class manufacturing status, organizations implement a variety of programmes to decrease manufacturing lead time. Uses simulation to analyse the effect of purchased parts standardization on manufacturing lead time under the assumption of limited vendor delivery uncertainty. Creates a wide range of degrees of commonality based on three sets of multilevel product structures with the variations of end‐item demand and quantity usage. The statistical results indicate that: increased commonality lowers manufacturing lead time; a more informative commonality measure other than the well‐known degree of commonality index (DCI) is necessary to represent the actual commonality; and the distribution of purchased parts usage across different end items affects manufacturing lead time performance. The results provide important implications for both manufacturing and product design management.

This study examines the moderating role of information sharing on the effect of lead-time management on the performance of firms in the Zimbabwean motor industry.

Data were collected using Likert-based structured questionnaires from a sample of 105 employees in Zimbabwe. In addition, Pearson Correlation, Linear Regression and Moderation Regression analysis were employed to test the relationship between study variables.

The study found that fixed lead time, preprocessing lead time, processing lead time and postprocessing lead time significantly influence the performance of firms in the motor industry. The results also demonstrate that information sharing moderates the effect of lead-time management on firm performance in the motor industry.

Firms in the motor industry should establish long-term relationships with their suppliers and implement effective communication channels for timely and frequent information exchange regarding production schedules, inventory levels, quality standards and potential disruptions.

The current study aims to contribute to the scientific discourse on lead-time management, information sharing and performance in the motor industry. Furthermore, it extends knowledge on the performance of the motor industry in the African region.

Presents a case study of a production seat booking system for the photographic color film manufacturing industry. This manufacturing process is a hybrid flow shop, which consists of two manufacturing stages: first, processing of the film bulk‐rolls in batches, and second, packing of the final product specifications in a continuous‐process line. A production seat booking system is a new scheduling system, which reduces planning lead‐time significantly, by simplifying the time‐for‐delivery adjustment work. It was found possible to shorten planning lead‐time sharply based on this booking system. Additionally, it became possible simultaneously to reduce inventory levels and logistic‐related costs through such management innovation as shortening planning lead‐time and other entry delivery systems and such improvement activities as making small lot‐size.

The problems and drawbacks of the Physical Distribution System (PDS) of a production company are described. A simulation model which takes into consideration the activities of the PDS and some part of the production system of the company are presented. Using this simulation model, experiments have been performed to find the effect of certain critical variables like service level, lead times and production rate on the total cost. The limitations of this study and potential areas of future work are assessed.

This monograph will review recent thinking as applied to the management of materials within organisations. In considering the type of organisation to which the comments will apply, it is of use to recognise the following sectors:

The Law of Industrial Dynamics ensures that if a production control system can amplify then it will surely find a way of doing so despite the best efforts of production schedulers to take corrective action. In fact, practical studies show that such human intervention frequently aggravates the situation with both stock levels and order rates fluctuating alarmingly. The solution is to design an effective system via simulation. This requires the selection of the appropriate control system structure, agreement on the test cases to be used to mimic the operating environment, and finally setting the system parameters to achieve best performance for this scenario. Demonstrates a system which has three controllers utilizing sales, inventory and work in progress (WIP) data to set production order rates. The resulting decision support system (DSS) is a generic tool that can be used by production schedulers with confidence in the knowledge that the Law of Industrial Dynamics effects may be minimized. Simulation experiments can determine the best available trade‐off in any particular situation such as achieving the lean logistics aim of minimum reasonable inventory (MRI) while retaining high customer service levels (CSL). The experimental facility available within the simulation model includes provision for assessing the impact of variable production lead times and information delays on system performance. Describes a specific application of the DSS and the specific improvements in a company’s performance. Places the DSS in the context of a case‐based reasoning environment in which a knowledge base of system structures and their dynamic properties is achieved. Outlines the opportunity of utilizing the DSS in uncertain lead‐time environments in a range of industry sectors.