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

In addition to the most recent production slowdowns precipitated by issues with Boeing aircraft, supply chain slowdowns have contributed to a backlog of orders. —Marnie Hunter, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024

Finland's government keeps extremely close tabs on and has partnerships with about 1,500 private companies deemed to be critical for supply chains. —Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024

Rising oil prices, geopolitical tensions that are forcing supply chains to reroute, and record government spending are all driving prices higher, even after the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes in 2022 and 2023. —Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024

More efficient battery technology could also lessen the strain on supply chains by reducing the amount of raw materials necessary for production. —William Gavin, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024

Broken supply chains sent prices up for all kinds of goods as people rushed to buy used cars, at-home office equipment and backyard furniture. —Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024

But inflation can also rise and fall based on developments that have little to do with economic conditions, such as limited oil production and supply chain problems. —Talmon Joseph Smith, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024

With an industry-leading supply chain management system boasting multiple international certifications, including SMETA and other prestigious accreditations, Karat Home is setting new standards in product quality, operational efficiencies, and cost reduction. —Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2024

Samara has put a strong focus on the manufacturing and supply chain processes to enable on-site construction in as few as 30 days, according to the company. —David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above