{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]],"date-time":"2026-03-10T12:07:07Z","timestamp":1773144427316,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":68,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,4]],"date-time":"2017-09-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1504483200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["BPMJ"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,4]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>In today\u2019s dynamic environment with shortened product life cycles, phase-outs because of product elimination are becoming increasingly frequent. Research on the phase-out process is still scarce. The lack of formalization of the process, especially from the labor perspective, leads to disturbances in phase-out execution. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze how phase-out is organized in industry to derive a generic labor phase-out process.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This research identifies manufacturing firms that have eliminated products in the past as an adequate sample. Data collection relies on exploratory cross-industry after-the-fact interviews of entirely finished replacement and closure phase-outs.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The labor phase-out process consists of four stages and each stage of several activities. There are two types of activities: rational and emotional, which should be combined to support companies in implementing a successful phase-out.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Phase-out is a sensitive process, and many experts from industry do not like to discuss phase-outs, in particular closure phase-outs. Although cross-industry coverage could be achieved, companies that intend to apply the developed process should individually adapt it to their own requirements and their own context.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Practical implications<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The presented labor process supports companies in formalizing phase-out, while identifying best practices.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This research sheds light on a phase of the production cycle \u2013 the phase-out \u2013 that has been neglected so far in the extant literature and generates insights for manufacturing companies how they can formalize this process and how they can deal with it more systematically.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/bpmj-05-2016-0104","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,7,17]],"date-time":"2017-07-17T07:24:33Z","timestamp":1500276273000},"page":"1000-1017","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Exploration of the product phase-out process in manufacturing firms"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"23","author":[{"given":"Regina","family":"Wagner","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nizar","family":"Abdelkafi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Thorsten","family":"Blecker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"issue":"2","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref001","first-page":"1","article-title":"The death and burial of \u2018sick\u2019 products","volume":"28","year":"1964","journal-title":"Journal of Marketing"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"680","DOI":"10.1108\/BPMJ-09-2012-0098","article-title":"Strategic management for product development","volume":"19","author":"Anne\u2010Maria Aho and Lorna Uden","year":"2013","journal-title":"Business Process Management Journal"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref003","first-page":"153","article-title":"Organization of the run-out phase in production projects","volume":"XIII","year":"2006","journal-title":"Production Engineering"},{"issue":"5","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"257","DOI":"10.3139\/104.100894","article-title":"Systematisierung des serienauslaufs in der produktion","volume":"100","year":"2005","journal-title":"Zeitschrift f\u00fcr wirtschaftlichen Fabrikbetrieb"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1016\/0019-8501(83)90033-0","article-title":"The product-elimination decision and strategies","volume":"12","year":"1983","journal-title":"Industrial Marketing Management"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref006","first-page":"42","article-title":"Improving product elimination in engineering companies","volume":"9","year":"1984","journal-title":"Journal of General Management"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1177\/002224298504900104","article-title":"Product elimination decision making: does formality matter?","volume":"49","year":"1985","journal-title":"Journal of Marketing"},{"issue":"9","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.1108\/EUM0000000000616","article-title":"\u2018Project dropstrat\u2019: product elimination and the product life cycle concept","volume":"24","year":"1990","journal-title":"European Journal of Marketing"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"345","DOI":"10.1362\/146934712X13469451716592","article-title":"Tracking the evolution of theory on product elimination: past, present, and future","volume":"12","year":"2012","journal-title":"Marketing Review"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref010","unstructured":"Baker, M.J. and Hart, S. (2007), Product Strategy and Management, 2nd ed., Prentice Hall, Harlow and New York, NY."},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclepro.2014.01.028","article-title":"Products that go round: exploring product life extension through design","volume":"69","year":"2014","journal-title":"Journal of Cleaner Production"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref012","volume-title":"Business Research Methods","year":"2008","edition":"2nd ed."},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"715","DOI":"10.1108\/BPMJ-Jan-2012-0006","article-title":"Developing a business process for product development","volume":"19","year":"2013","journal-title":"Business Process Management Journal"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref014","volume-title":"Constructing Grounded Theory: A Practical Guide through Qualitative Analysis","year":"2006"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"503","DOI":"10.1108\/14637150610678096","article-title":"Success factors in dealing with significant change in an organization","volume":"12","year":"2006","journal-title":"Business Process Management Journal"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref016","volume-title":"Product Development Performance: Strategy, Organization, and Management in the World Auto Industry","year":"1991"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref017","volume-title":"Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory","year":"2014","edition":"4th ed."},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref018","volume-title":"Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among Five Approaches","year":"2012","edition":"3rd ed."},{"issue":"8","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"877","DOI":"10.1108\/01437721211280362","article-title":"Resisting the crisis: short\u2010time work in Germany","volume":"33","year":"2012","journal-title":"International Journal of Manpower"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2575.1998.00040.x","article-title":"Successfully completing case study research: combining rigour, relevance and pragmatism","volume":"8","year":"1998","journal-title":"Information Systems Journal"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref021","volume-title":"The Research Act: A Theoretical Introduction to Sociological Methods","year":"1970"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref022","volume-title":"The Research Act: A Theoretical Introduction to Sociological Methods","year":"2009"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref023","volume-title":"Qualitative Research","year":"2006","edition":"3rd ed."},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref024","article-title":"Project management \u2013 project management systems, Part 2: processes and process model","author":"DIN 69901-2","year":"2009"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref025","article-title":"Quality management systems \u2013 fundamentals and vocabulary","author":"DIN EN ISO 9000","year":"2014"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref026","article-title":"International electrotechnical vocabulary \u2013 Part 351: control technology","author":"DIN IEC 60050-351","year":"2014"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejor.2013.02.051","article-title":"A framework for performance measurement during production ramp-up of assembly stations","volume":"229","year":"2013","journal-title":"European Journal of Operational Research"},{"issue":"5","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1016\/0007-6813(71)90092-9","article-title":"Product line deletion and simplification: tough but necessary decisions","volume":"14","year":"1971","journal-title":"Business Horizons"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref029","first-page":"1155","article-title":"Methodological fit in management field research","volume":"32","year":"2007","journal-title":"Academy of Management Review"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref030","volume-title":"Auslaufmanagement in der Logistik \u2013 Untersuchung der Pfadabh\u00e4ngigkeit im Produktlebenszyklus am Beispiel der Automobilindustrie","year":"2011"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref031","volume-title":"An Introduction to Qualitative Research","year":"2009","edition":"4th ed."},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref032","volume-title":"Theoretical Sensitivity: Advances in the Methodology of Grounded Theory","year":"1978"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref033","volume-title":"The Discovery of Grounded Theory","year":"1967"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"708","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cie.2012.08.018","article-title":"A multi-stage production-inventory model with learning and forgetting effects, rework and scrap","volume":"64","year":"2013","journal-title":"Computers & Industrial Engineering"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref035","volume-title":"Produktionswirtschaft \u2013 Controlling Industrieller Produktion","year":"1993"},{"issue":"5","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref036","first-page":"56","article-title":"Stiefkind Serien-Auslauf","volume":"2006","year":"2006","journal-title":"Automobil Industrie"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref037","volume-title":"Auslaufmanagement in Produktionsnetzen","year":"2012"},{"issue":"12","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref038","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1158","DOI":"10.3139\/104.110215","article-title":"Terminierung von Produktausl\u00e4ufen in Lieferketten in der Elektronikindustrie","volume":"104","year":"2009","journal-title":"Zeitschrift f\u00fcr wirtschaftlichen Fabrikbetrieb"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref039","volume-title":"Planung und Steuerung von Produktionsausl\u00e4ufen in der Elektronikindustrie","year":"2009"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref040","first-page":"49","article-title":"Der \u2018geordnete\u2019 Produktauslauf","volume":"65","year":"1996","journal-title":"IO Management"},{"issue":"5","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref041","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"531","DOI":"10.1007\/s11747-009-0174-9","article-title":"A customer perspective on product eliminations: how the removal of products affects customers and business relationships","volume":"38","year":"2010","journal-title":"Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref042","article-title":"Business strategies for problem products: a research report from the conference board\u2019s division of management research","year":"1977"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref043","volume-title":"Achieving Successful Product Change: A Handbook","year":"1994"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref044","article-title":"Guidance on project management","author":"ISO 21500","year":"2012"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref045","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kaya, M. and Himme, A. (2009), \u201cM\u00f6glichkeiten der Stichprobenbildung\u201d, in Albers, S., Klapper, D., Konradt, U., Walter, A. and Wolf, J. (Eds), Methodik der empirischen Forschung, Gabler, Wiesbaden, pp. 79-88.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-322-96406-9_6"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref046","first-page":"69","article-title":"Forschung ist harte Arbeit, es ist immer ein St\u00fcck Leiden damit verbunden. Deshalb muss es auf der anderen Seite Spa\u00df machen \u2013 interview mit Anselm Strauss","volume":"5","year":"2004","journal-title":"Forum: Qualitative Sozialforschung"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref047","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"142","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1937-5956.2009.01091.x","article-title":"Optimal planning quantities for product transition","volume":"19","year":"2010","journal-title":"Production and Operations Management"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref048","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"319","DOI":"10.1016\/0019-8501(73)90001-1","article-title":"A product evaluation, improvement and removal model","volume":"2","year":"1973","journal-title":"Industrial Marketing Management"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref049","volume-title":"Einf\u00fchrung in die Qualitative Sozialforschung: eine Anleitung zu qualitativem Denken","year":"2002","edition":"5th ed."},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref050","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1108\/eb047360","article-title":"Product elimination decisions: a comparison of American and British manufacturing firms","volume":"8","year":"1998","journal-title":"International Journal of Commerce and Management"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref051","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1177\/030630701103700102","article-title":"Product deletion: a critical overview and empirical insight into this process","volume":"37","year":"2011","journal-title":"Journal of General Management"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref052","volume-title":"Auslaufmanagement \u2013 Konzept zur Abwicklung des Serienauslaufs in der Produktion","year":"2009"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref053","volume-title":"Supply-Chain-Koordination im Auslauf in der Automobilindustrie","year":"2008"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref054","volume-title":"Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods","year":"1990","edition":"2nd ed."},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref055","volume-title":"Gestaltung und Auswirkungen von Produkteliminationen im Business-to-Business-Umfeld: eine empirische Betrachtung aus Anbieter- und Kundensicht","year":"2008"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref056","first-page":"45","article-title":"The product elimination decision","volume":"18","year":"1970","journal-title":"MSU Business Topics"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref057","article-title":"Product phasing: the synchronous deletion and replacement of products","year":"1986"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref058","volume-title":"Research Methods for Business Students","year":"2012","edition":"6th ed."},{"issue":"9","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref059","first-page":"1","article-title":"Den Rest will keiner haben","volume":"4","year":"2006","journal-title":"Zeitschrift f\u00fcr die gesamte Wertsch\u00f6pfungskette Automobilwirtschaft"},{"issue":"5","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref060","first-page":"74","article-title":"Integriertes Auslaufmanagement \u2013 Anforderungen an ein zielorientiertes Kennzahlensystem zur effizienten Durchf\u00fchrung von Produktausl\u00e4ufen","volume":"24","year":"2008","journal-title":"Industrie Management"},{"issue":"16","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref061","first-page":"1","article-title":"Complexity-oriented ramp-up of assembly systems","volume":"10","year":"2015","journal-title":"CIRP Journal of Manufacturing Science and Technology"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref062","volume-title":"Produktwechsel als Problem im Konzept der Mass Customization: theoretische \u00dcberlegungen und empirische Befunde","year":"2011"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref063","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.1108\/14637150610657495","article-title":"Standardization through process documentation","volume":"12","year":"2006","journal-title":"Business Process Management Journal"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref064","first-page":"217","article-title":"Telephone survey: answering the seven r\u2019s to logistics research","volume":"18","year":"1997","journal-title":"Journal of Business Logistics"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020120519070785400_ref065","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"25","DOI":"10.1080\/0141192870130103","article-title":"More than the sum of the parts: research methods in group interviewing","volume":"13","year":"1987","journal-title":"British Educational Research Journal"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref066","volume-title":"Anlaufmanagement: Leitfaden zur Verk\u00fcrzung der Hochlaufzeit und Optimierung der An- und Auslaufphase","year":"2006"},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref067","unstructured":"Winkler, J. (1975), Company Survival During Inflation: A Systematic Approach to Profit Improvement, Wiley, New York, NY."},{"key":"key2020120519070785400_ref068","volume-title":"Corporate Turnaround: How Managers Turn Losers into Winners","year":"1982"}],"container-title":["Business Process Management Journal"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/BPMJ-05-2016-0104\/full\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/BPMJ-05-2016-0104\/full\/html","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,24]],"date-time":"2025-07-24T23:15:05Z","timestamp":1753398905000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emerald.com\/bpmj\/article\/23\/5\/1000-1017\/258670"}},"subtitle":["A human factor perspective"],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,4]]},"references-count":68,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,4]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1108\/BPMJ-05-2016-0104"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/bpmj-05-2016-0104","relation":{},"ISSN":["1463-7154"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1463-7154","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,4]]}}}