Definitive Guides for Supply Chain Management Professionals (Collection)

2. Supply Chain Structure, Processes, and Trade-Offs

A true supply chain is a network of organizations that provides seamless flows via effective processes. When these capabilities are not present, the supply chain exists in name only, and the outcome is a makeshift collection of activities that will be susceptible to errors, disruptions, and outright failure. Hence, supply chain managers must work to continuously improve each process and integrate them to ensure that products, information, and payments move efficiently across the network.

The importance of flows and processes are highlighted throughout the opening chapter in relation to supply chain definitions, goals, and value propositions. They are more than abstract concepts; flows and processes ...