The predictable demand of functional products makes market mediation easy because a nearly perfect
match between supply and demand can be achieved. Companies that make such products are thus free to focus almost exclusively on minimizing physical costs – a crucial goal, given the price sensitivity of most functional products. To that
end, companies usually create a schedule for assembling finished goods for at least the next month and commit themselves to abide by it. Freezing the schedule in this way allows companies to employ manufacturing-resource-planning software, which orchestrates the ordering, production, and delivery of supplies, thereby enabling the entire supply
chain to minimize inventory and maximize production efficiency. In this instance, the important flow of information is the one that occurs within the chain as suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers coordinate their activities in order to meet predictable demand at the lowest cost.