Managing flexibility in the supply chain

Thesis (M. Eng. in Logistics)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2003.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-88).Supply chain flexibility is introduced and its importance is discussed. This is followed by a review of the flexibility literature in manufacturing, supply chain, economics, strategy, organizational design, and industrial networks. Next, tools for evaluating flexibility are discussed: Decision analysis, decision trees, and real options. Lastly, an analysis of the literature and tools is incorporated into a set of guidelines for dealing with flexibility decisions.by James B. Taylor.M.Eng.in Logistic