Impact of Product Characteristics on Supply Chains: An Analytical Literature Review

Defining Supply Chain Management And A Framework For Analysis

Supply chains have been defined as consisting of vertically networked companies extending from raw material production to consumption by end-users. According to one of the first definitions given by Stevens (1989), a supply chain is a connected series of activities involving the planning, coordinating and controlling of materials, parts and finished goods in their journey from the supplier to the customer. It is concerned with two distinct flows – those of material and information – through the organization. Christopher (1992) also includes the service aspect in his definition, in which supply chains consist of networked organizations connected by up and downstream linkages, activities and processes to produce value in the form of products and services for ultimate customers.