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This brief introductory module defines the supply chain and provides background information to introduce the concepts in the course. For those with little experience in supply chain management, this module should be reviewed before moving on to the others. The Course Introduction cannot be purchased alone; it must be purchased with another module.

Since its inception in the early 1990's, the field of supply chain management has become tremendously important to companies in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. The term supply chain refers to the entire network of companies that work together to design, produce, deliver, and service products. In the past, companies focused primarily on manufacturing and quality improvements within their four walls; now their efforts extend beyond those walls to encompass the entire supply chain.

Why do this? Most of the gains achievable from an internal focus have been realized, while the opportunities that exist through cooperation and collaboration are the new frontier! This module will take you through key elements of supply chain management and provide a background for the concepts covered in our full-length modules.

Objectives

• Define a supply chain and understand material, information, and capital flows
• Understand major challenges to effective supply chain management, including variability, organizational silos, the Bullwhip Effect, and tradeoffs
• Recognize the importance of product design and manufacturing in the supply chain process
• Learn the importance of metrics (supply chain performance measures), including chain-wide metrics