
The Relationship-Based Enterprise ◾ 33
us, in oering-based enterprise, the local functional eciencies and strategies are truly at the
cost of increased inventory and inventory-carrying costs at the enterprise level. However, in the
mass customization (i.e., customized marketing) approach, enterprises seek minimization of
inventory because this not only reduces the costs but also enhances the organization’s exibility,
that is, the ability to respond to changing conditions. But an increase in exibility also increases
the complexity of coordination; the enterprise has to shift from the deterministic planning and
scheduling management approac ...