[E-Commerce] Supply Chain: Basics and Tips
A supply chain is an interconnected system of people, resources, activities, organizations, information and technologies that are involved in directing a product or service from supplier to customer. The term supply chain brings up pictures of different items being directed from suppliers to manufacturers, distributors, retailers and clients all along the chain. This term may also refer to the fact that a single player is involved at every stage. For example, a manufacturer may be supplied with material by a few providers and supply a few more distributors. Therefore, supply chains are basically networks, and the term supply network would describe the structure of most supply chains far more accurately.