Integral Logistics Management — Operations Management and Supply Chain Management Within and Across Companies

4.4.4 Features in Reference to the Production or Procurement Order: Reason for Order Release, Frequency of Order Repetition, and Flexibility of the Order Due Date

Intended learning outcomes: Present important features and possible values in reference to production or procurement order. Differentiate between order release according to demand, prediction, and consumption. Differentiate between production (or procurement) without, with infrequent, and with frequent order repetition. Identify the feature flexibility of the order due date.



Figure 4.4.4.1 shows the third group of features.

Fig. 4.4.4.1        Important features and possible values in reference to production or procurement order.

The reason for order release is the origin of the demand. The type of order indicates the origin of demand that resulted in the order.

  • Conventionally, the following values are distinguished (compare to Figure 4.2.3.1): Order release according to demand and customer production orderor customer procurement order: A customer has placed an order. It may be a classic (single) order, for a car, for example, or it may be a blanket order, such as for electronic components. In the latter case, customer production orders can follow at different points in time, released according to the delivery agreements. This is also called demand-controlled materials management, using pull logistics.
  • Order release according to prediction and forecast order: Future demand has been estimated, such as demand for a machine tool. Customer orders for the machine tool have not yet been received. To meet forecasted demand, a production or procurement order is released. This is also called forecast-controlled materials management using push logistics.
  • Order release according to consumption, and (stock) replenishment order: A customer places an order for a product in stock, for example, in the retail trade. In response to the demand, stock must be reordered. Actually, this is a response to forecasting future need in the quantity that is reordered. This is also called consumption-controlled materials management using pull logistics.

Compare these definitions to Figure 4.2.3.1. By the way: The trigger for the release of orders can be different for end products, semifinished goods, and raw materials. It is dependent on the (customer) order penetration point (OPP).

The frequency of order repetition tells us how often within a certain time period a production or procurement order for the same product will be made. The time period chosen should be sufficiently long.

  • Production without order repetition or procurement without order repetition means that an order for the same physical product will practically never be placed again.
  • Production with infrequent order repetition or procurement with infrequent order repetition means that, with a certain probability, an order for the same physical product will be placed again.
  • Production with frequent order repetition or procurement with frequent order repetition means that orders for the same physical product will be very frequent.

Note: The adjective physical is used here to underline that this feature refers to the product level, and not to the product family level. Therefore, if an order produces a physically different product of the same family compared to another order, this is not considered to be production with order repetition.

The flexibility of the order due date indicates whether customers (internal or external) are flexible when stipulating the delivery due date.

The flexibility of the order due date is of great importance to methods of planning & control, particularly with regard to the target area of delivery. With regard to the target area of cost, it is connected to the flexible capacity, on-hand balance, and in-process inventory.

Continuation in next subsection (4.4.4b).



Course section 4.4: Subsections and their intended learning outcomes