Gestão de estoques em indústrias de fluxo contínuo: desafios e estratégias no contexto Make to Order

Abstract

The competitiveness of the global economy, combined with market dynamics and the constant evolution of consumer demands, has directly influenced the efficiency of production chains. This competitive landscape poses a significant challenge for companies, requiring them to meet increasingly specific customer demands. As a result, product variability increases, leading to unpredictability in both the required materials and production lead times. In light of this, it becomes essential to balance often conflicting objectives to ensure the level of service expected by the market. In this context, inventory plays a strategic role in mitigating misalignments between production capacity and market demand. However, inventory management in petrochemical industries becomes particularly complex when production parameters are uncertain, the manufacturing model follows a make-to-order approach, and the production flow is continuous. Recognizing the strategic importance of inventory management, organizations have begun to reassess their current practices in an effort to understand not only what is done, but also how these processes are conducted. Thus, the objective of this study is to analyze inventory management in petrochemical industries operating in a continuous flow system, aiming to improve delivery efficiency and reduce lead times in make-to-order contexts. To achieve this objective, a systematic literature review was conducted to understand how the topic is addressed in theory, along with a case study in a thirdgeneration petrochemical company located in Manaus (Amazonas, Brazil) to explore practical strategies. The main findings of the research allowed for a comparison between theory and practice, identifying opportunities for improvement in the inventory management system of the analyzed unit. Furthermore, the study observed interactions among internal departments and their communication with external links in the supply chain. Based on these findings, four guidelines were proposed to support inventory management in an integrated, strategic, and efficiency-oriented manner, including recommendations for tools and technologies that may contribute to their practical implementation and further development.