Definitions of the supply chain and supply chain management reflecting this broader scope are:
“The supply chain (SC) encompasses all activities associated with the flow and transformation
of goods from the raw materials stage (extraction), through to the end user, as well as the
associated information flows. Materials and information flow both up and down the supply
chain.”
“Supply chain management (SCM) is the integration of these activities, through improved supply
chain relationships, to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.”
After careful study of the various definitions being offered, Mentzer and other writers propose the
broad and rather general definition as follows