A theoretical and empirical investigation of inventory practices

Abstract

The importance of inventories cannot be overstated. While most academic literature focuses on modeling issues, managerial inventory practices have received much less attention. In this paper we address this gap in the literature by exploring these practices using survey data that was collected to measure logistics and supply chain competitiveness in Spain. Using a theory based categorization we extract several constructs that operationalize the various aspects of inventory practices. We envision that the results of our analysis are used in further research on the relation between managing inventory practices, supply chain integration and overall business performance.