Collaboration, bullwhip effect and performance: evidences from a case study

Fierce and global competition, the introduction of products with short life cycles and the heightened expectations of customers have forced businesses to focus on their supply chains. Today, supply chains are often complex systems of interdependent activities and processes associated with the flow of products, services and information from the original supplier of the raw materials through to the final customer. A lack of integration among the supply chain partners occurs either because different stages of the supply chain have objectives that conflict or because information moving between stages gets delayed and distorted. The outcome of the lack of integration is a phenomenon called bullwhip effect. Using a case study this paper aimed to identify the magnitude of the bullwhip effect and its impact on the end customers¿ service level, where service is assessed as fill rates.