Complexity associated with supplier-customer integration

This paper presents the findings of a study with a Unilever bottle-filling plant and its key bottle supplier, ALPLA. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the complexity associated with before and after integration. The nature of the complexity alters as the supplier-customer relationship changes, in this case from pre-integration to post-integration system. The areas in which complexity has been identified include transportation, material handling, stock holding, and information transfers. The results present evidence to suggest that: before integration, the complexity of the supplier-customer system was managed through holding excess inventory; after integration, the complexity of the supplier-customer system was to be managed through increased flexibility.