Final answer:
The least intense form of supplier integration is a. collaborative forecasting, which involves businesses and suppliers predicting future inventory needs. This is less intense than other forms such as vendor managed inventory or early supplier involvement in new product development, which require more extensive collaboration and responsibility-sharing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The least intense form of supplier integration is often considered to be collaborative forecasting. Collaborative forecasting is a process where a business and its suppliers work together to predict future inventory needs. It's considered less intense because it involves sharing information and working together to anticipate demand rather than the supplier taking on additional responsibilities such as managing inventory levels or being involved directly in product development or manufacturing processes.
In comparison, vendor managed inventory (VMI) involves the supplier taking on the responsibility of managing the inventory levels for their products at the customer's location. Insourced warehousing pertains to a company maintaining control of its warehousing functions but it does not relate to integration with suppliers. Early supplier involvement in new product development (NPD) and supplier-integrated manufacturing both signify a greater level of collaboration and integration, with the suppliers getting involved early in the design phase or even becoming part of the manufacturing process.