Decoupling for supply chain competitiveness [material flow decoupling]

The material flow decoupling point (DCP) in a product delivery pipeline is where items are stored as a deliberate but carefully crafted part of the supply strategy. It is relevant to a wide range of products, especially where modularisation is an integral part in achieving mass customisation. Hand-in-hand with the idea of the DCP is the associated concepts of product design-for-modularisation, and manufacturing and/or logistics postponement. The DCP is an essential feature of modern delivery pipelines. It enables companies to remain competitive throughout the product lifecycle, when active switching between pipelines is mandatory if profit margins are to be maintained. The DCP is also a critical component in pipelines delivering high variety at economic cost. So, it is not surprising that the modern electronic products market sector was one leader in this field, which included Phillips (Holland), Dell (Ireland), and Hewlett-Packard (USA).