Inventory Management Information System Research Articles

Postponement Effects on Inventory Performance and the Impact of Information Systems

Time and form postponement are key to the cost-effective fulfillment of product demand when market volatility is high. Using data from U.S. manufacturing firms, an empirical model suggests that the implementation of time postponement supports the adoption of form postponement. In turn, form postponement is linked to the improvement of inventory management performance. The model also shows that inventory management information systems are coupled with improvements in performance by facilitating a closer alignment between time and form postponement.

Exploiting distributed object technology to achieve networked inventory management

This paper reports on the development of Networked Inventory Management Information Systems (NIMISs). These are distributed and object-oriented information systems for integral inventory management across networked organisations. The desired functionality of the systems is networked inventory management, which is the combination of integral inventory management (according to Base Stock Control, Materials Requirements Planning and Line Requirements Planning) and networked organisation management (including configuration flexibility, timing flexibility and algorithm flexibility). The systems exploit distributed object technology, using both distributed systems (with principles as local computing, heterogeneous computing and transparent computing) and object-oriented technology (characterised by object classification, attribute encapsulation and operation invocation). The system design is created with the help of the Object Modeling Technique (OMT) and consists of an object model, a dynamic model and a functional model. For the system implementation the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) is applied.

Networked inventory management information systems: materializing supply chain management

Aims to explain the driving forces for networked inventory management. Discusses major developments with respect to customer requirements, networked organizations and networked inventory management. Presents high level specifications of networked inventory management information systems (NIMISs). Reviews some decision systems for inventory management, and compares traditional inventory management to networked inventory management. Uses these insights to outline NIMISs for several types of inventory management decision systems. Summarizes the results of the study, and provides an outlook on further research.

Material requirements planning system infusion

There is increasing pressure upon manufacturing firms to make their processes more efficient and effective. An important factor for improving these manufacturing processes is production and inventory management, and a variety of production and inventory management information systems such as Material Requirements Planning (MRP) have thus been developed. However, MRP has a significant history of implementation problems. To help explain why these problems occur, this paper examines factors affecting MRP implementation from a innovation diffusion perspective. Within this perspective, the effect of manufacturing tasks and MRP technology on the infusion of MRP are examined. Data are gatherered via longitudinal telephone survey of US manufacturing firms to determine these effects. A logistical regression analysis of the data indicates that factors such as production complexity which affect MRP adoption can work in an opposite direction for MRP infusion (the use of MRP to its “fullest potential”). This implies that it may be advantageous for some firms to adopt and maintain MRP at low infusion levels rather than attempting to increase infusion over time. These results help explain some of the problems currently associated with MRP implementation and help point out potential problem areas for those contemplating MRP implementation.

An Integrated Wildfire and Forest Inventory Management Information System

In 1976 Manitoba established a computerized wildfire recording system which is integrated with the provincial forest inventory data banks. It is designed not only to facilitate data collection but also to provide estimates of timber volume loss records for fire history appraisals and to assist in improved forest management.The system enables foresters to determine volume losses with respect to such parameters as species, age class and site. It provides computer stored fire data which can be used to update forest inventory area and volume statistics, reforestation for second growth management records, and the recalculation of annual allowable cuts. Data for other resource concerns such as wildlife and watershed management can also be obtained.