to
             procure contracts from more than one tire manufacturer for their vehicles
             to ensure the supply of this critical component for their product.
            
• The Replacement Tire market: This market constitutes 70% of the total
             market. Tire manufacturers are increasing looking for more ways to sell
             their products to the customer and the market is very competitive. In
             the U.S., Goodyear has approximately 8000 dealers through which it
             markets, sells and provides service to the customer. The dealer plays a
             very important role in the sales volume and customer satisfaction
             Goodyear has been exploring a number of options to improve their customer
             service. One of the most important factors is to ensure that the company's
             franchised dealers and private dealers who carry Goodyear's product lines
             are always stocked with the desired level of inventory. The company does
             not want to lose sales as a result of under stocking the product, while at
             the same time carrying excess inventory can lock up valuable capital.
             Information transfer and access are important for both the dealers and the
             Goodyear has been moving slowing to a pull system of inventory
             ...