Pooling lead-time risk by order splitting: A critical review

After more than 20 years of extensive study, the policy of pooling lead-time risk by simultaneously splitting replenishment orders among several suppliers continues to attract the attention of researchers. A critical review of the extant literature is conducted. Important and persistent limitations of current research are revealed that may make the policy uneconomical, in general, and more promising research directions are suggested. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.