Although conflicts are being studied in many different management fields there seems to be a rather restricted number of studies on inventory managementrelated conflicts and it is for this reason why we conducted a study on exploring the different types of conflicts, their causes and the emerging character of conflicts during the shaping, implementation and usage of inventory systems. In doing so, a framework for assessing different types of conflicts is taken as a starting point. From our case studies, it can be concluded that each of the archetypical conflicts addressed in our framework manifested itself in the companies studied. Our exploratory case studies strongly indicates that during the process of redesigning and implementing improvements inventory management conflicts can evolve in time. Furthermore, in almost all companies studied, the identified conflicts had a multidimensional character and were a mix of the archetypes addressed in our theoretical framework. For project managers it seems to be important to be aware of the different potential conflicts that might arise during the course of inventory projects. The results presented in this article may therefore help project managers to guide projects in the area of inventory management more effectively.

Introduction

Both in theory and in practice it is widely acknowledged that due to their multidimensional character, implementing inventory systems can be a complex and dynamic process (de Vries, 2009). Projects in the area of inventory management for instance, are often linked to multiple business processes like sales, planning and purchasing. Moreover, implementing inventory systems not only includes a technical dimension but an organisational dimension as well. Allocating authorities and responsibilities to staff members as well as creating coordinating mechanisms between the stakeholders involved are some examples of organisational aspects of inventory systems which heavily influence the performance of inventory systems (e.g. Kisperska-Morron, 2003). It is for this reason that the organisational embedding of inventory systems has drawn the attention of many scholars (e.g. Bonney, 1994; Rabinovich, 2002; Zomerdijk e.a., 2003). Clearly, in many cases different stakeholders participate in the process of designing and implementing inventory management systems and recent studies indicate that the process of shaping inventory systems rather than a technical process often is a social and political process as well (AbdulJalbar e.a., 2003). Projects in the area of inventory systems therefore are frequently characterized by a high degree of dynamics and complexity and often go hand in hand with conflicts and political processes (de Vries, 2013).