At the most fundamental level, supply chain management (SCM) is management of the flow of goods, data, and finances related to a product or service, from the procurement of raw materials to the delivery of the product at its final destination.
The five most critical phases of SCM are planning, sourcing, production, distribution, and returns.
A supply chain manager is tasked with controlling and reducing costs and avoiding supply shortages.
A Supply Chain Manager is a professional who is in charge of every stage of an organization's supply chain, from purchasing raw materials to production.
They must ensure that the product comes at just the right time and coordinate storage for it, so nothing goes missing or gets damaged along this complex process.