Pull-logic and ERP within Engineering-to-Order (ETO): the case of a British Manufacturer

Abstract

Lean production and ERP systems are two of the most desirable manufacturing best practices (Bamford et al., 2015); the link between them has been widely studied and discussed within the academic literature. However, the focus to-date has mainly been on low and medium variety production. In Engineering-to-Order (ETO), the high variety nature of the business and the use of ERP systems impact the ability to implement pull, a term widely misinterpreted. Using the case of a British Engineering-to-Order company, this paper analyses and determines the extent to which an ERP can support an ETO to tend towards a “pure” pull system