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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More than just purchasing the latest hardware, this means integrating systems that ensure seamless data flow across all segments of the supply chain. —

Jo Debecker, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025 This approach aligns with broader industry trends, as McKinsey reports that businesses utilizing AI for supply chain management during the pandemic achieved faster recovery rates and greater operational efficiency. —

Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2025 Also, California finding itself at the epicenter of a nationwide bird flu outbreak stresses the vulnerability of the food supply chain, raising questions about the state's readiness to handle agricultural crises. —

Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025 Law driving changes in baby food industry Bowen, of the Clean Label Project, says the requirement is already having an impact on manufacturers and putting pressure on the rest of the supply chain. —

Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for supply chain