Supply Chains have been aptly defined as a “. . . network of organizations that are involved,
through upstream and downstream linkages, in the different processes and activities that produce
value in the form of products and services in the hands of the ultimate consumer” [23] and is
therefore the sum total of efforts in integrating a network of firms and coordination as regards
information, material and financial flows. Interestingly, the top two supply chain goals have
shifted, from reducing operating costs and overall inventory levels, to concerns of how to
improve customer service and speed of product delivery to markets [24].