What is Supply Chain?

What is Supply Chain?

Supply Chain is a term that has been a hot topic over the last few years. The basic definition of a Supply Chain is, "a network of companies and people that are involved in the production and delivery of a product or service." A supply chain is every step of the way from the creation of a product or a service all the way to the end at the retailer and end consumer. It involves the procurement of raw materials and products, manufacturing and product creation, transportation, and the retailers. There are many different people and teams involved in every area of supply chain in order to keep it working seamlessly. Without any of these important pieces, a supply chain could not function the way that it is supposed to.

The global supply chain has developed immensely in the last century. Supply chains used to be regional and mostly limited to local areas as there was not a means to get goods to other places. As transportation and manufacturing systems have improved, supply chains grew and had more reach. So, in the last 40 years or so, supply chain has become a huge deal. Supply chain management has also become a large part of the world as global supply chains grow. Procurement, Logistics, and Supply Chain Management are some of the fastest growing fields nationwide. As global supply chains grow, there is more demand for people to manage them and dive in to each segment of supply chains.

Why I Chose Supply Chain

Supply Chain Management is never something that I thought of growing up or even understood. I saw the trucks on the road or the trains on the tracks and was interested in it but never understood how it all tied together. As I have learned more and more about each piece of supply chain, I can appreciate the intricate systems that it takes for each item of food to end up on the right shelf or any product to end up where it needs to be on time. Everyone from the farmers to the people stocking shelves are included in supply chains and it takes multitudes of people and equipment to get products and services to the consumer. As I have been able to observe the insides of supply chains and Supply Chain Management, it has shown me the amount of effort that goes into it and how large of a process it is, while most people overlook it everyday. I chose Supply Chain Management because it is always changing and can always be improved with new processes and technologies.

How I Have Seen Supply Chain in Action

As I have been working with Home City Ice inside of the supply chain world, it has shown me processes that I never would have known without this experience. Each and every company is different in their processes and I have seen how the ice world operates. The materials for creating ice include water and other components to filter and make clean ice. There are also huge machines needed to freeze and make large quantities of ice. Then, there are of course materials like bags and staples to put specific amounts in each bag. On the delivery side of the business, refrigerated trucks and drivers are needed in order to get pallets of ice to stores and businesses. All of this is being controlled by the management team in order to make sure that production is on pace, shipments are coming in on time, and quality control is up to par. Each and every part of the process needs to be checked daily in order to maintain a good business and supply chain.