•A process of satisfying customer needs through coordination of materials and information flows that extend from the market through the firm’s operation and beyond that to the suppliers.
•A shift to an integrated orientation from the conventional manufacturing or marketing orientation.
•Traditionally, manufacturing and marketing have been considered as separate activities each having different priorities.
•Manufacturing priorities and objectives are concerned with achieving operating efficiencies based on long production runs, minimized set ups and changeovers, and product standardization.
•Marketing priorities and objectives are concerned with achieving competitive advantage based on varieties, high service levels, and frequent product changes.
•Customer orientation and cost competitiveness has been integrated by introducing flexible manufacturing systems, practicing inventory management policies based on manufacturing requirement planning and just-in-time inventory policy, laying sustained emphasis on quality and integrating supply side issues in strategic plans.
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