It seems like a paradox, says logistics professor Xiang Wan of Ohio State University: the inventory literature suggests that retailers smooth their orders for better order fulfillment, yet store managers vary the quantities and varieties of stock they order to maintain product availability.

He will discuss the perspectives of suppliers and retailers in a free public lecture entitled “Using quantity and product variety in retail orders to improve fulfillment,” Friday at the Odette School of Business.

Dr. Wan’s research interests include product and service variety management, inventory management, and supply chain co-ordination. His presentation is part of the Topics in Management Science series and will begin at 1:30 p.m. April 6 in room 321, Odette Building.