Triggering of material movement to a work center only when that work center is ready to begin the next job; eliminates the queue in front but can cause a queue at the end of previous center.

• A. Demand pull
• B. Discrete order picking
• C. Distribution
• D. Demand management

Answer: (A)

In a demand pull system, a downstream work center signals upstream only when it is ready to start the next job. This downstream trigger moves materials or start work just in time, so queues in front of the center are eliminated and work-in-process is reduced there. But if the upstream center can’t keep up or the signal is delayed, a queue can form at the end of the previous center as items pile up waiting for the downstream center to become available. This is why the described behavior best fits demand pull, where materials move based on actual consumption and capacity, rather than being pushed forward by a forecast or schedule. The other options don’t describe this signaling-and-ready-to-use flow: demand management focuses on forecasting and aligning demand, discrete order picking is a picking method, and distribution concerns the flow of goods through the network, not the signaling of movement between centers.