Push- vs. Pull-Concepts in Logistics Chains

The widespread terms "push" and "pull" are commonly used to characterise particular concepts ofsysem configuration and coordination. However, many publications present push and pull concepts in a confusing way. As there is no common sense of what these terms really mean and how they should be used, it is difficult to avoid inconsistency in the scientific discussion. The aim of the paper is to develop a simple framework in order to classify the alternative kinds of unterstanding of push- and pull-concepts in logistics or supply chains. This framework helps to define the conceptual basis of push and pull in the scientific community in an advanced way.