The implication of vendor inventory liability period in a decentralised assembly system
研究由一个制造商和多个供应商组成的分散式装配系统中，供应商库存责任期（VILP）对交货时间和利润的影响，发现过长VILP对制造商不利，且定制化VILP可降低成本并提升供应链效率。
This paper investigates a decentralised assembly system that consists of one manufacturer and multiple suppliers who produce the complementary components. In a single selling season, the manufacturer initially sets a vendor inventory liability period (VILP) to control the suppliers’ delivery times, and the suppliers simultaneously determine when to deliver their components. Given the firms’ equilibrium strategies, we find that it is not wise for the manufacturer to set an overly long VILP, since having no inventory is not always beneficial to the manufacturer. A supplier may choose to postpone his delivery when the length of the VILP increases or the other suppliers’ deliveries are delayed, and either of these conditions is detrimental to the supplier’s profitability. We also examine the impact of VILP under different situations and find that having VILPs customised for different suppliers can reduce the manufacturer’s cost as well as improve the supply chain’s overall efficiency.