CONSUMER DIRECT FULFILLMENT PERFORMANCE IN INTERNET RETAILING: EMERGENCY TRANSSHIPMENTS AND DEMAND DISPERSION
通过模拟在线音乐CD零售业，研究了紧急转运和需求分散对消费者直送（代发货）的库存、产品发布绩效及运输成本的影响，发现紧急转运能改善绩效且收益超过额外运输成本。
The collaborative fulfillment of consumer orders by Internet retailers and wholesalers has proven important in the realization of sustainable levels of online profitability. Concentrating on consumer direct fulfillment (or drop shipping), an empirical simulation model evaluates avenues for improving logistical performance. The empirical simulation model centers on the online music CD retailing industry. It evaluates the effects of emergency transshipments and demand dispersion on inventory and product-release performance, as well as on transportation costs, in consumer direct fulfillment operations. Results show that emergency transshipments improve inventory and product-release performance in these operations. Furthermore, the inventory-performance improvements are maximized when inventory facilities fulfill demand that is uniformly balanced across markets primarily assigned to each facility. Finally, gains in inventory and release performance obtained from emergency transshipments outweigh additional transportation costs incurred from a greater reliance on emergency transshipments for consumer direct fulfillment.