Supply chain control: trade-offs and system requirements

Issue title: Logistics, Quality and Technology Management

Guest editors: Thomas SkordasGuest Editor and Willy Van PuymbroeckGuest Editor

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Leach, N.P.^a | Makatsoris, C.^a | Richards, H.D.^b

Affiliations: [a] CASE Section, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College, London, SW7 2BX, UK. E-mail:<>@ic.ac.uk | [b] MAPS, Rivendell, Shop Lane, Yardley Hastings, Northants, UK. E-mail: richards@rmplc.co.uk

Abstract: This paper describes the underlying forces which drive change in manufacturing enterprises and supply chains. It sets out the complexities in modern capitalism and global economics and illustrates the trade-offs that can be made. IT systems which are required to assist improvements to both customer service and enterprise manufacturing performance are explained alluding to the special case for the semiconductor industry. Finally it shows how the new tools being developed with the ESPRIT project 20544, X-CITTIC, will satisfy the control needs for a virtual enterprise.

Keywords: Supply chain, virtual enterprise, planning, control

DOI: 10.3233/HSM-1997-16304

Journal: Human Systems Management, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 159-169, 1997