VMI-type Supply Chains: A Brief Review

The primary purpose of this paper is to highlight, for the research community and practitioners, the various aspects of using VMI-type supply chains in today’s business environment as well as a number of directions for future studies. In this regard, fifty articles published in major international journals, beginning in 1995, which contribute to the VMI-type supply chains are reviewed via a systematic review methodology. Our findings show there is an incremental growth in employing of VMI strategies in logistic and supply chains. This paper characterizes the design aspects required to configure and establish a VMI-type supply chain in the industry including demand pattern, number of products, contract type between two parties, and profit sharing scheme. Moreover, the current gaps in the current state of VMI-type supply chain in literature are highlighted in the last section of this paper that may motivate future studies.