supply chain

noun

plural supply chains
: the chain of processes, businesses, etc. by which a commodity is produced and distributed : the companies, materials, and systems involved in manufacturing and delivering goods
The pandemic has disrupted nearly every aspect of the global supply chain—that's the usually invisible pathway of manufacturing, transportation and logistics that gets goods from where they are manufactured, mined or grown to where they are going. At the end of the chain is another company or a consumer who has paid for the finished product.Peter S. Goodman
Everyday life in the United States is acutely dependent on the perpetual motion of the supply chain, in which food and medicine and furniture and clothing all compete for many of the same logistical resources. … [W]hen a finite supply of packaging can't keep up with demand, when there aren't enough longshoremen or truck drivers or postal workers, when a container ship gets wedged sideways in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes—the effects ripple outward for weeks or months, emptying shelves and raising prices in ways that can seem random. All of a sudden, you can't buy kettlebells or canned seltzer.Amanda Mull

Examples of supply chain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Given the effectiveness of this tactic in the SolarWinds supply chain attack or Kaseya ransomware events, MSPs need robust approaches and investments in protecting software development life cycles, CI/CD pipelines and distribution networks in addition to general best practices. Sean McElroy, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024 On the other hand, setting up supply chains and factories to complete the entire manufacturing process separately in each country was impractical. Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 21 Nov. 2024 The filing also highlights risks related to market conditions, competition, supply chain challenges, and regulatory changes that could impact future performance. Quartz Bot, Quartz, 19 Nov. 2024 Our tools streamline production forecasts, optimize allocation and replenishment, and enhance supply chain efficiency, ensuring products reach the most profitable channels. Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 19 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for supply chain 

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of supply chain was in 1948

Dictionary Entries Near supply chain

Cite this Entry

“Supply chain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supply%20chain. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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