A dynamic approach to determine the product flow nature in apparel supply chain network

• Published in: International journal of production economics Vol. 128; no. 2; pp. 484 - 495
• Main Authors: Marufuzzaman, Mohammed, Deif, Ahmed M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.12.2010; Elsevier; Elsevier Sequoia S.A
• Series: International Journal of Production Economics
• Subjects: Apparel supply chain network; Clothing industry; Computational fluid dynamics; Dynamics; Economics; Fluid flow; Fluids; Numerical analysis; Operations research; Product flow number (PFN); Product flow number (PFN) Dynamics Apparel supply chain network; Production planning; Studies; Suppliers; Supply chain management; Supply chains; Product flow number (PFN); Dynamics; Apparel supply chain network
• ISSN: 0925-5273; 1873-7579
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpe.2010.07.021

This paper presents a novel metric, product flow number, to determine the product flow nature across the supply chain of apparel industries. The metric is based on mapping the dynamics of fluid flow across a pipe to product flow across a supply chain. Numerical analysis is conducted to examine the impact of the different metric parameters on the product flow. Results showed that smooth dynamics can be achieved through scaling production and extending delivery times, while undesirable dynamics are tied to complex product designs and increasing number of suppliers. Finally, the paper demonstrated how the new metric can be used as a planning and control tool for supply chain management in the apparel industry.