What is a supply chain?

The supply chain includes all of the organisations that the product or service flows through in getting to the person requiring it. It also includes the transactions that flow through the organisations involved along the way.

“Don’t think of it as a chain. Think of it as an intricate network of suppliers, distributors and customers who share information. Your ..(organisations’) success depends on it. ..Success for one part of the supply chain means success for all”. Hau Lee, Cisco.

“We understand that it is not just technology but the relationship between the people, process and technology”. David Johns, Owens Corning.

The supply chain (end-to-end) extends beyond the four walls of the hospital and includes manufacturers, distributors and suppliers, the internal hospital supply process, and the end consumer (patient).

The hospital supply chain is that part of the end-to-end supply chain process that resides within the four walls of the hospital.