The business networks within APTA provide examples of management
strategies undertaken in response to the technical challenges of the cold chain
in the developing countries. Several alternative types of supply networks
co-exist. While products must be high-value in order to bear the cost of
maintaining a global cold chain, the same product can be well-managed under
different types of network arrangements. Even among the multinational
corporations marketing a Western-style product in Asia, different forms of cold
chain networks were observed. Scale economies present a common limiting
factor for the capital-intensive infrastructure, particularly cold storage
warehouses. The more scale-neutral transportation linkages allow firms to
reach more distant locations. The flexible nature of cold chain assets enables
workable arrangements during a phase in which new markets are developing.