- Supply network
A supply network is a pattern of
temporal andspatial processes carried out atfacility nodes and over distribution links, which adds value forcustomers through the manufacturing and delivery of products. It comprises the general state of business affairs in which all kinds of material (work-in-process material as well as finished products) are transformed and moved between variousvalue-add points to maximize thevalue added for customers.A
supply chain is a special instance of a supply network in whichraw materials , intermediate materials and finished goods are procured exclusively as products through a chain of processes that supply one another.In the semiconductors industry, for example, work-in-process moves from fabrication to assembly, and then to the test house. The term "supply network" refers to the high-tech phenomenon of contract manufacturing where the brand owner does not touch the product. Instead, she coordinates with contract manufacturers and component suppliers who ship components to the brand owner. This business practice requires the brand owner to stay in touch with multiple parties or "network" at once.
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