Coordination, cooperation, and collaboration in production-inventory systems: a systematic literature review

In a competitive environment, effective management of production and inventory decisions is critical to maintain an efficient and balanced flow of the supply chain system. Manufacturing companies across supply chains have recognised that inventories can be managed more effectively through increased collaboration and better coordination. In practice, production planning and inventory control decisions are not separated, and supply chain members can significantly reduce costs through the coordination of production and inventory decisions. Research in this field has received much attention in recent years. This study aims to review coordination, cooperation, and collaboration (CCC) mechanisms in production-inventory studies. By using an established research methodology, a total of 118 articles were reviewed and the implemented CCC mechanisms were classified into three main categories: contractual practices, joint decision-making practices, and information-sharing practices. By examining the selected articles according to the implemented methodologies and their impact on the sustainably of supply chains, research gaps and future directions for academics and practitioners were identified. This study shows that more research is needed to discover the impact of combining different CCC mechanisms on supply chain efficiency in terms of economic, environmental, and social concerns.