Responsiveness of the order fulfilment process

Abstract

A A Ab b bs s st t tr r ra a ac c ct t tThis paper discusses evidence from field studies undertaken to investigate the responsiveness of the order fulfilment process in a number of companies. The evidence is analysed in the context of the literature on responsiveness and related areas such as time-based competition. Similarities and differences are analysed across a number of industrial sectors with respect to order fulfilment processes and the interpretation and significance of responsiveness. Generic factors that influence different types of companies are identified. Four components of responsiveness -stimuli, awareness, capabilities and goals -emerge from an analysis of the literature. The field and case study evidence allows the development of more precise definitions and descriptions of each of these components. The study also allows a generic responsiveness framework to be developed that incorporates both strategic and operational viewpoints. The need for more field studies on responsiveness is noted. More work is advocated on the assessment and measurement of responsiveness and on developing appropriate responsiveness interventions, particularly with respect to the order fulfilment process.

The pursuit of responsiveness in production environments: From flexibility to reconfigurability

“…However, most of the existing literature often ignores the role of manufacturing goals and uses a one-dimensional performance measure in models and empirical tests. On the other end, for instance, Kritchanchai and MacCarthy (1999) included both strategic and operational viewpoints on their framework of responsiveness; and later, Ketokivi and Schroeder (2004) argue that both the multidimensionality of performance and the strategic goals must be included in analysis of competitiveness.…”

“…Much of the literature regarding responsiveness come from time-based competition, but there are also from other management areas, such as business process reengineering, flexible manufacturing, agile manufacturing and mass customization (Kritchanchai and MacCarthy, 1999). It can be defined as the "propensity for purposeful and timely behaviour change in the presence of modulating stimuli" (Bernardes and Hanna, 2009).…”

A technique for determining the optimum mix of logistics service providers of a make-to-order supply chain by formulating and solving a constrained nonlinear cost optimization problem

“…Supply chain members of a firm nowadays handle order fulfillment process to optimize their own objectives. So firms reengineer their order fulfillment processes by integrating geographically scattered supply chain partners (Kritchanchai & MacCarthy, 1999;Waller et al, 1995). Zhang et al (2010) stressed on the importance of reengineering of OFPs to take the advantages of sound integration between supply chain partners.…”

The responsiveness of Italian small-to-medium sized plants: dimensions and determinants

“…The relevance of such performance has been stressed during the 90s, due to the diffusion of the principles of time-based competition (Blackburn, 1991) that has underlined the necessity to quickly react to customer needs, speeding up both the new product development process and the order fulfillment one (Sin and Hoon, 1996). The concept of responsiveness has been studied in the academic literature primarily from the following three perspectives (Kritchanchai and MacCarthy, 1999):…”