Adaptive Coordination in Retail Networks: Parameterized Heuristics as Models of Coordination in Business Networks

Background: Shelf-space allocation primarily focuses on optimization models and solution procedures, while the implications of heuristic design for inter-organizational coordination remain underexplored. This study examines how parameterized shelf-space heuristics can be interpreted through the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) interaction perspective. Methods: A comparative conceptual analysis examines three heuristics: grass-mower, mushroom-picker, and flower-cutting. Their search logic, selection rules, parameter structures, and solution diversity are mapped onto theoretically defined coordination constructs. Results: The analysis develops a framework identifying three coordination logics: routinized, locally responsive, and selective coordination, balancing exploration and exploitation. The research proposes how heuristic configurations may relate to flexibility, stability, responsiveness, and competing organizational priorities, depending on how network actors interpret and use decision-support tools. Conclusions: The study bridges shelf-space optimization and IMP interaction theory by distinguishing algorithmic adaptation from organizational and relational adaptation. It conceptualizes parameterized heuristics as potential boundary objects supporting the comparison of allocation alternatives and negotiation of operational trade-offs. The framework provides a foundation for future computational and empirical research.