Build-to-order supply chain performance: Scheduling and material requirements planning

Globalization drives a high level of strategic logistics requirements and is the catalyst for increased customer tastes and preferences. Logistics performance continue to be reviewed and evaluated by researchers in an effort to test and impact performance within the supply chain. Even though strategically, some measures have been taken, the need to drive toward total optimization within supply chain processes are missing. This research provides the impact of scheduling and materials management within the BTO-SC and the potential impact within a traditional supply chain system. The research evaluated, measured and statistically analyzed scheduling and material requirements planning within both the BTO-SC and traditional supply chain network to develop and identify indicators to the most significant contributing factor for performance. The targeted population was the firm's supply management professionals actively functioning in a BTO-SC or traditional supply chain network. Due to the drive toward a stronger competitive landscape, companies are using different approaches based on the product type and customer. The supply chain approach appears to be incorporating a mix of best practices from the BTO-SC and traditional supply chain methodologies. Many supply chain professionals now function in parallel within both the BTO-SC and traditional supply chain domain. The data indicated that there is a transition of best practices that are being adopted across both domains. Previous industry data indicated that BTO-SC networks performed at a higher level than traditional supply chain networks. Process behaviors that were at one point limited to one style of network have migrated across boundaries to strengthen the execution of the overall system. The insight gained through this study shows that the business environment is requiring not just integration within the specific types or style of supply chain network such as the BTO-SC or traditional supply chain network but adopting best processes and practices and driving this across these disciplines. The future success of the supply chain networks will continue to require this migration. In order to synchronize suppliers and customers interchangeably across the network, the advancement of this migration could be paramount to supply chain network performance.