Discusses the development of quick response techniques in different parts of the world, notably the UK, USA, continental Europe and Japan. While much of the initial work on quick response focused on the fashion sector of business, deals specifically with grocery markets where arguably quick response should be a part of corporate philosophy. Shows that the enabling technologies to implement qu…
Every business can be described in terms of flows ± both of materials and of information. Materials flow into the company, between activities within it, and in the form of finished goods and services from the company to its customers. Simultaneously, there are flows of information in the reverse direction that provide valuable data for the system: feedback from the marketplace in the for…
Notes that logistics costs in the grocery sector, in Italy, are about 25,000 billion lire and that in order to reduce these costs logistics integration has to be improved between institutions of the distribution channel. Focuses on two of the main institutions of the grocery distribution channel: branded product industry and large‐scale trade. Referring to these institutions and to the logist…
Looks, in depth, at corporate logistics strategy, particularly with regard to the USA. Discusses strategy referring to a general concept of operations guiding all activities towards an ultimate goal – global rather than local. Itemizes some major American firms and their attitudes and considers their policies and results. Shows supply chain management and cycle time compression to be compleme…
Examines the impact of restructuring on the career progression of women transport and logistics managers. Research to date has indicated that restructuring can have detrimental effects on women managers, as middle management levels are reduced through delayering and as the organisation takes on a more competitive and masculine culture. Results from this survey on women transport and logistics m…
Recent times have witnessed a heightened global interest in outsourcing of logistics functions. This is indicated by the volume of writings on the subject in various scholarly journals, trade publications and popular magazines. However, efforts to organize them in an integrated body of knowledge appear to be very limited. Keeping this in view, this paper makes an attempt to develop a comprehens…