Although delivery flexibility is important for all members in
the supply chain (except for supermarkets), companies do not
measure it. Most companies have a list of priority customers
who receive preferential treatment in case they ask for a rush
order. Volume flexibility is calculated in the breeding
company on the basis of expected sales. Volume flexibility is
not calculated by growers. Their major intention is to produce
as much as possible, even if the demand for the product is low
and they make losses. One explanation for this is that they are
restricted by the size of their glasshouses. However, the
interviewees agreed that it would be very useful for them to be
able to measure this indicator in order to predict overproduction and prevent fundamental losses. There is an
interesting approach to volume flexibility in the wholesale
company: if there is a high level of decayed production, then
fewer products are ordered. The interviewee stressed the
importance of measuring volume flexibility because German
regulations do not allow the holding of large stocks. In the
supermarkets volume flexibility is approximated using data on
daily demand for the products