A manufacturing firm is preparing a materials requirement plan for the next six weeks.

The bullwhip effect describes the phenomenon where order variability increases as it moves up the supply chain. In this case, XYZ Company's unpredictable order patterns cause Supplier A to maintain higher safety stock. This is due to demand fluctuations amplified by XYZ's overordering to compensate for stockouts, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs throughout the supply chain.