Advances in profit-driven order promising for make-to-stock environments – a case study with a Canadian softwood lumber manufacturer

Profit-driven order promising mechanisms have been receiving increasing attention from academia and practitioners in recent years. In spite of the recent advances in the field, its application in practice still remains a challenge. One of the most interesting approaches currently discussed is called aATP (allocated available-to-promise). In this paper, we propose some advances for current state-of-the-art aATP constructions in make-to-stock environments, mainly adapting it to commodity products sold through spot markets. Practical situations are tested through simulations supported by real data obtained from a major softwood manufacturer in Canada. Examples show that the proposed approach can increase the profitability of the producer

Competence-based approach in value chain processes

There is a gap between competence theory and value chain processes frameworks. While individually considered as core elements in contemporary management thinking, the integration of the two concepts is still lacking. We claim that this integration would allow for the development of more robust business models by structuring value chain activities around aspects such as capabilities and skills, as well as individual and organizational knowledge. In this context, the objective of this article is to reduce this gap and consequently open a field for further improvements of value chain processes frameworks.