The concept of Supply Chain Management is relatively new and in
this article we seek to provide a basic understanding of the
origins and components of Supply Chain Management. Supply Chain
Management as a concept has been widely accredited to a Booz
Allen consultant named Keith Oliver who in 1982 defined the
concept as follows: “Supply chain management (SCM) is the
process of planning, implementing, and controlling the
operations of the supply chain with the purpose to satisfy
customer requirements as efficiently as possible. Supply chain
management spans all movement and storage of raw materials,
work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point-of-
origin to point-of-consumption”. This seems to be the earliest
published definition and therefore places the concept of Supply
Chain Management at approximately 26 years old. We can see that
“Supply Chain” without the “Management” is referenced in the
definition, so we know that the general idea of a supply flow
through a business was recognised prior to Ol