Responding to customer enquiries in make-to-order companies: problems and solutions

Article Abstract:

A decision support/expert system is developed to help make-to-order (MTO) companies deal with customer enquiries. Dealing with enquiries is a multi-stage process wherein the company must decide whether to bid for a job and, if so, develop cost estimates, price and lead time to bid. A dynamic capacity planning model is used to determine the capacity at each work center while a chi-square-based model predicts the probability of winning orders based on a quoted price and lead time.

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Efficient purchasing in make-to-order supply chains

Article Abstract:

A study was conducted to analyze purchasing in make-to-order supply chains. Various problems in purchasing were examined. These include inventory turnover, timing and delivery times of critical components, and poor component delivery punctuality. In addition, prerequisites for efficient purchasing were analyzed. These were sourcing policy and structure, integration and cooperation, and separate supplier management and purchasing.

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What difference does your industry make?

Article Abstract:

A survey of 240 manufacturing firms in the UK has been conducted to find out the kind of determinants that exist behind corporate performance. Statistics used covered the period 1979-1987. Results show that employee flexibility and knowhow is the most consistently cited factor for performance efficiency. Other determinants such as size and capital intensity do not apply to all firms.

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