A healthy, predictable supply chain is one of the most important dimensions of profitability in many manufacturing businesses, especially for those of a larger size. In its simplest form, the supply chain can be defined as being the activities required by an organisation to deliver goods, or services, to the customer. Whilst over time the complexity, size and scale of supply chains has increased, this premise and purpose has remained the same. The absence of which would prevent consumers from receiving the luxuries and necessities their hearts desire. These being scenarios that have come a little too close for comfort in recent COVID-19 times.
So how exactly have supply chains developed and gone from simple village interactions to complex international operations? What caused supply chains to increase in size and become more complex as they scaled up over time?