2)Second, a supply chain adds value to the product (or transformed inputs), but the consumer DON'T. Consumer consumes the product and depletes its market value. Used goods are always cheaper than the new ones. A supply chain and every member in i!t have the irrefutable duty to add values to the material flow, and they must learn how to improve the business and its management; but consumers will never need to do that Their job is to use the money to vote which supply chain best satisfy their demand.
3)Third, a supply chain is always specialised amd a consumer is always general. A computer manufacturing supply chain only produces computers, whilst a consumer will have to buy food, clothing, and automobile as well as computers. Due to the extremely divers nature of consumer's purchasing, to put the consumer
as part of a supply chain will not be helpful in understanding the nature of a supply chain and may cause considerable confusion theoretically and log;ically.
Based on these three fundamental differences between the nature of supply chain and that of the consumer, it is more appropriate and less confusion if we separate the consumer away from the concept of the supply chain. This definition of supply chain without consumer will not deprive the immense benefits that consumer may contribute to the supply chain. How the end-consumer plays this pivotal role in the existence and the management of supply chain is the core notion of supply chain management.
The end-consumer to a supply chain is perhaps the most important factor of all as far as its management is concerned. Everything a supply chain does is driven by the needs and wants of the end-consumer. The contents of SCM are populated with the approaches, activities as well as the strategies that are aiming at delivering the products and services to satisfy the end-consumer. Therefore, it is safe to say that the SCM should be and has always been a customer centred management. This reflects the typical characteristic of supply chain's customer orientation.