Bull Whip and Reverse Bullwhip Effect in After Sales Service Supply Chains

After sales service is a major source of competitive advantage for the firms in current business environment. The quality of the service depends on a number of factors among which availability of spare parts at the service centers is the most critical. It is very difficult to maintain the desired inventory of spare parts due to the increasing product complexity and variety. The variation in demand of spare parts causes amplification in the variation of production operations to meet the supply target. With the inclusion of refurbished parts into the spare parts inventory for repair, the variation of production operations oscillates further. The high level of variability in the supply source causes a major impact on the performance of after sales service supply chains. It is therefore required to identify the sources of supply uncertainty and factors causing the variability. The results can be useful for organizations facing the challenge to profitably maintain the after sales service supply chains.