Research Paper on:
Optimizing the Supply Chain

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
chains with increasing numbers of links. The process will often see the primary products transferred to another area where they are processed and then shipped to the final destination. The  longer and more complex the supply chain the greater the difficulty in managing it to gain optimum output. This is also increased in complexity as there will be numerous managers  responsible for the different stages of the supply chain. In order to appreciate the complexity of the value and creation of optimal supply chains we can look at a fictitious  example. This example is that of chocolates, where the raw coca is sourced in Ghana, shipped to a specialist manufacturer near Chicago and where it is processed and made into  the finished chocolate before being shipped to Moscow in Russia. In this case we will also assume that the Chicago chocolate manufacturer has either control or influence over the supply  chain and may use this to try and optimise the chain. 2. Managing the Supply Chain To begin with we need to consider the concept of a value chain, this  may be seen as an optimised supply chain and then look at this example and the different elements of this fictitious example as it applies to the different countries.  In any business the supply chain is the chain from the production of the raw material through to the end user, for  example a supply chain in practical for a supermarket buying tomatoes to sell to its customers may be an upstream chain with the wholesaler first in the line upwards and  at the source the farmer. As more and more choices and supply chains have been created there has also be a continual