To respond more accurately to actual customer
demand and keep inventory to a minimum, leading
companies have adopted a number of speedto-
market management techniques. The names
by now have become part of the supply chain
vernacular...Just in Time (JIT) manufacturing and
distribution; efficient consumer response (ECR);
vendor managed inventory (VMI); collaborative
planning, forecasting, and replenishment (CPFR);
cross docking; and more. These are the tools
that help build a comprehensive supply chain
structure.