Introduction to Supply Chain Management(SCM)

The supply chain includes all activities and processes to supply a product or service to the final customer. Often, the supply chain includes more than one company in a series of supplier–customer relationships. Supply chains usually include four functional components: (1) demand planning, (2) manufacturing Planning and scheduling, (3) supply planning, and (4) transportation planning. Supply chain management is the act of optimizing all activities throughout the supply chain, so that products and services are supplied in the right quantity, to the right location, at the right time, and at the optimal cost.