An analytical review of vendor-managed inventory models in sustainable supply chains

A vendor-managed inventory system is a collaborative strategy in network logistics. It helps establish a sourcing and inventory control policy that optimizes logistics costs and enhances the efficient use of resources. This research presents a meta-analysis and systematic literature review of 334 articles published in well-known peer-reviewed journals between 2014 and 2024. The main objective is to evaluate the importance and recent trends of the vendor-managed inventory strategy in sustainable supply chains. This study utilizes the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology to enhance the organization, transparency, and reproducibility of the systematic literature review. The meta-analysis presents a perspective on the principal authors, journals, institutions, countries, and sponsors that develop research and publish on the topic. The systematic literature review categorizes supply chain structures, demand types, shortages, vendor-managed inventory aggregations, and payment policies. Also, imperfect production systems, remanufacturing, product deterioration, inventory-routing challenges, carbon emission regulations, and proposed solutions are included. This study provides an overview of recent developments, applications, industries, supply chains, emerging trends, and future research directions. The main finding is that the vendor-managed inventory approach, applied in sustainable supply chains, improves stock availability, reduces waste of perishables, and yields environmental and sustainability benefits. Also, facilities synchronized decision-making and minimized inefficiencies associated with decentralized control. Future research should aim for greater realism, flexibility, and integration of behavioral and digital dimensions. • Conduct a systematic review of vendor-managed inventory in sustainable supply chains. • Present a meta-analysis of authors, journals, and institutions shaping this research field. • Examine supply chain structures, demand types, and coordination mechanisms. • Analyze sustainability dimensions and digital integration in inventory systems. • Identify research gaps and propose data-driven directions for future studies.