What is a supply chain?

- What is a supply chain anyway? I think the best way to describe what a supply chain is is to start by talking about what a supply chain does and supply chains deliver value to people. Now, when you go into the grocery store you just think take the item you want, pay the cashier, and you're done. But the reality is a lot of work had to go in to making sure that that product was there for you. Somebody had to plan out a long time in advance and guess what you'd want to buy and when you'd want to buy it. Those products came from raw materials, they went to factories and distribution centers, they traveled on trains, and trucks, and airplanes, and there were thousands of people involved in the process. If any one of those pieces breaks down, we find the shelves a little bit emptier that we'd like. So, a supply chain is really a complex system made up of people, processes, and technologies that's engineered and managed to deliver…