Title: Transition from push to pull in the wholesale/retail sector: lessons to be learned from lean

Authors: Tushar Daine, Terry Winnington, Paul Head

Addresses: Faculty of Environment and Technology, Department of Engineering Design and Mathematics, University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK. ' Faculty of Environment and Technology, Department of Engineering Design and Mathematics, University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK. ' Faculty of Environment and Technology, Department of Engineering Design and Mathematics, University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK

Abstract: The underlying aim of this paper is to investigate the implications of excessive accumulation of stock on the performance of wholesale/retail sector supply chains. The accumulated stock can clog the supply system and reduce new sales opportunities and profitability of business. This paper explores the implications of applying Lean Pull approach to address this and related stock procurement problems. It also discusses the margin and capital losses, which occur when performance data is aggregated to support decision analysis. The investigation shows how transition from push to pull can both reduce stock accumulation and improve the performance of total supply chain.

Keywords: stock accumulation; lean pull; retail sector; wholesale sector; buffer; manufacturing; decision support; supply chain management; SCM; inventory; supply chain performance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLSM.2011.038604

International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 2011 Vol.8 No.2, pp.214 - 232

Published online: 30 Apr 2015 *

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