VMI vs. order based fulfillment

Abstract

In this thesis, two inventory fulfillment methods are compared by evaluating the vendor managed inventory (VMI) fulfillment against the current order based fulfillment. Several forms of adaptation to VMI are described. The costs and benefits of VMI are quantified. The difference between the current process and the proposed VMI process is measured by the monetary amount in total inventory storage, routing, management cost, and payment terms in one distribution center. A conclusion is drawn to determine whether VMI is a beneficial alternative to the current process, and possible future research is discussed.