Vendor-managed inventory in fresh-food supply chains

This thesis focuses on vendor-managed inventory (VMI) in fresh-food supply chains. VMI is a well-known example of supply chain collaboration, often applied to reduce inventory and improve demand fulfillment in retail supply chains. The thesis shows that VMI is a versatile combination of instruments and can be used in multiple ways to improve the performance of a supply chain. How VMI can be used best depends strongly on the products, processes and organizations of the suppliers involved. Because these characteristics can differ strongly also implementation of VMI can result in different (positive) outcomes. This way, the research emphasizes the importance of allowing suppliers the freedom to really take control of the supply chain. Meanwhile, coaching from the retailer can help to prevent disillusions caused by over or under investment.