What it consists of.
WHAT A SUPPLY CHAIN IS
Everything between the origin of what you sell and the customer receiving it.
WHAT IT INCLUDES
Suppliers, and their suppliers Transport and handling Storage Processing or assembly Distribution Information moving alongside the goods
WHY INFORMATION MATTERS AS MUCH AS GOODS
Most failures are failures of information rather than of physical movement.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
What your chain actually looks like, drawn out.
WHY DRAWN
Written as a sequence, the delays and dependencies become visible.
WHAT TO IDENTIFY
Where materials originate How many parties handle them Where they wait What the lead time is at each stage Where a failure would stop everything
WHY WAITING TIME MATTERS
Most of the total time is waiting, not moving.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Total lead time from order to availability.
WHY
It determines how far ahead you must commit.
WHAT MOST BUSINESSES DO NOT KNOW
Where their materials actually come from beyond the immediate supplier.
WHY IT MATTERS
Disruption originates upstream and arrives without warning.
WHAT DETERMINES SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE
Reliability of suppliers Accuracy of information Stock held at the right points Ability to respond when something fails
WHAT TO TREAT THIS CATEGORY AS
Practical guidance for businesses that buy, move, store or sell physical goods.
