個案總覽

Supply chain strategies are used to increase efficiency, save money, or reduce uncertainty and disruption. Disruptions can be unexpected and potentially devastating for supply chains. However, sometimes supply disruptions are built into supply chains using a postponement strategy. When postponement is implemented as a supply chain strategy, it can smooth the flow of goods, provide cost savings, and improve customer experience. When postponement is forced on supply chains via government intervention it can break down the seamless flow of goods and information, causing them to work inefficiently. In this article, we show how intervention through postponement creates unintended consequences that negatively impact beer supply chains and make recommendations to help managers mitigate these consequences. We also address policymakers, who can decrease the likelihood of unintended consequences resulting from regulations they enact, including how to prevent legislating these regulations in the first place.

Practitioners, academics, and consultants are all calling for firms to drop their guard and collaborate with their business partners. At best, reports to date are mixed. Does collaboration work? Can firms do better? This research indicates the answer is "yes" to both questions, but managers must do more to reap long-term gains by formalizing relationships. Executives at many of today's most successful companies provide important insights about how this can be accomplished.