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 And serving up millions of emergency meals isn’t a durable solution; Haiti’s whole supply chain needs overhauling, so its food can finally be grown at home. —

Catherine Norris, TIME, 20 July 2024 Rohit assisted them in optimizing their supply chain and inventory management by implementing advanced data engineering techniques, including real-time data integration and forecasting methods. —

Brianna Kamienski, USA TODAY, 20 July 2024 Under pressure to diversify supply chains away from China, U.S. companies have also increasingly turned to Vietnam as a nearby alternative. —

Rebecca Tan, Washington Post, 18 July 2024 Since joining the World Trade Organization in 2001, China has increased its role in global supply chains. —

Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 18 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for supply chain

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'supply chain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.