<s>
A	O
supply-chain	B-Device
network	I-Device
(	O
SCN	O
)	O
is	O
an	O
evolution	O
of	O
the	O
basic	O
supply	O
chain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
rapid	O
technological	O
advancement	O
,	O
organizations	O
with	O
a	O
basic	O
supply	O
chain	O
can	O
develop	O
this	O
chain	O
into	O
a	O
more	O
complex	O
structure	O
involving	O
a	O
higher	O
level	O
of	O
interdependence	O
and	O
connectivity	O
between	O
more	O
organizations	O
,	O
this	O
constitutes	O
a	O
supply-chain	B-Device
network	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
supply-chain	B-Device
network	I-Device
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
highlight	O
interactions	O
between	O
organizations	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
to	O
show	O
the	O
flow	O
of	O
information	O
and	O
materials	O
across	O
organizations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Supply-chain	B-Device
networks	I-Device
are	O
now	O
more	O
global	O
than	O
ever	O
and	O
are	O
typically	O
structured	O
with	O
five	O
key	O
areas	O
:	O
external	O
suppliers	O
,	O
production	O
centers	O
,	O
distribution	O
centers	O
(	O
DCs	O
)	O
,	O
demand	O
zones	O
,	O
and	O
transportation	O
assets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
organizations	O
can	O
purchase	O
the	O
components	O
to	O
build	O
a	O
supply-chain	B-Device
network	I-Device
,	O
it	O
is	O
the	O
collection	O
of	O
physical	O
locations	O
,	O
transportation	O
vehicles	O
and	O
supporting	O
systems	O
through	O
which	O
the	O
products	O
and	O
services	O
firm	O
markets	O
are	O
managed	O
and	O
ultimately	O
delivered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Physical	O
locations	O
included	O
in	O
a	O
supply-chain	B-Device
network	I-Device
can	O
be	O
manufacturing	O
plants	O
,	O
storage	O
warehouses	O
,	O
carrier	O
cross-docks	O
,	O
major	O
distribution	O
centers	O
,	O
ports	O
,	O
intermodal	O
terminals	O
whether	O
owned	O
by	O
a	O
company	O
,	O
suppliers	O
,	O
a	O
transport	O
carrier	O
,	O
a	O
third-party	O
logistics	O
provider	O
,	O
a	O
retail	O
store	O
or	O
an	O
end	O
customer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Transportation	O
modes	O
that	O
operate	O
within	O
a	O
supply-chain	B-Device
network	I-Device
can	O
include	O
the	O
many	O
different	O
types	O
of	O
trucks	O
,	O
trains	O
for	O
boxcar	O
or	O
intermodal	O
unit	O
movement	O
,	O
container	O
ships	O
or	O
cargo	O
planes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
many	O
systems	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
utilized	O
to	O
manage	O
and	O
improve	O
a	O
supply-chain	B-Device
network	I-Device
include	O
Order	O
Management	O
Systems	O
,	O
Warehouse	B-Device
Management	I-Device
System	I-Device
,	O
Transportation	O
Management	O
Systems	O
,	O
Strategic	O
Logistics	O
Modelling	O
,	O
Inventory	O
Management	O
Systems	O
,	O
Replenishment	O
Systems	O
,	O
Supply	O
Chain	O
Visibility	O
,	O
Optimization	O
Tools	O
and	O
more	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Emerging	O
technologies	O
and	O
standards	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
RFID	B-Application
and	O
the	O
GS1	O
Global	O
Standards	O
are	O
now	O
making	O
it	O
possible	O
to	O
automate	O
these	O
Supply	B-Device
Chain	I-Device
Networks	I-Device
in	O
a	O
real	O
time	O
manner	O
making	O
them	O
more	O
efficient	O
than	O
the	O
simple	O
supply	O
chain	O
of	O
the	O
past	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
supply-chain	B-Device
network	I-Device
can	O
be	O
strategically	O
designed	O
in	O
such	O
a	O
way	O
as	O
to	O
reduce	O
the	O
cost	O
of	O
the	O
supply	O
chain	O
;	O
it	O
has	O
been	O
suggested	O
by	O
experts	O
that	O
80%	O
of	O
supply	O
chain	O
costs	O
are	O
determined	O
by	O
location	O
of	O
facilities	O
and	O
the	O
flow	O
of	O
product	O
between	O
the	O
facilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Supply	B-Device
chain	I-Device
network	I-Device
design	O
is	O
sometimes	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
'	O
Network	O
Modelling	O
 '	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
fact	O
a	O
mathematical	O
model	O
can	O
be	O
created	O
to	O
optimize	O
the	O
supply-chain	B-Device
network	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Real-time	B-General_Concept
visibility	O
,	O
ETA	O
,	O
live	O
status	O
updates	O
-	O
with	O
freight	O
ecosystems	O
,	O
shippers	O
are	O
poised	O
to	O
be	O
close	O
with	O
their	O
orders	O
,	O
and	O
carriers	O
assume	O
greater	O
asset	O
control	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
new	O
requirement	O
for	O
'	O
reverse	O
supply-chain	B-Device
network	I-Device
design	O
 '	O
has	O
arisen	O
from	O
the	O
environmental	O
impact	O
of	O
end-of-life	O
goods	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
designing	O
a	O
supply-chain	B-Device
network	I-Device
can	O
cut	O
costs	O
within	O
a	O
company	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
important	O
to	O
note	O
the	O
supply	O
chain	O
is	O
not	O
static	O
but	O
rather	O
a	O
continually	O
improving	O
model	O
and	O
adapt	O
in	O
response	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
key	O
part	O
of	O
designing	O
the	O
supply-chain	B-Device
network	I-Device
is	O
ensuring	O
the	O
network	O
is	O
versatile	O
enough	O
to	O
cope	O
with	O
future	O
uncertainties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
there	O
is	O
inherent	O
uncertainty	O
about	O
the	O
future	O
,	O
a	O
supply	B-Device
chain	I-Device
network	I-Device
risk	O
analysis	O
can	O
be	O
conducted	O
;	O
by	O
using	O
information	O
available	O
,	O
the	O
future	O
business	O
environment	O
can	O
be	O
characterized	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
uncertainties	O
associated	O
with	O
supply-chain	B-Device
networks	I-Device
fall	O
within	O
two	O
categories	O
,	O
Endogenous	O
uncertainty	O
and	O
Exogenous	O
uncertainty	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
uncertainty	O
can	O
be	O
categorized	O
as	O
'	O
endogenous	O
 '	O
when	O
the	O
origin	O
of	O
the	O
risk	O
is	O
within	O
the	O
supply-chain	B-Device
network	I-Device
itself	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
market	O
volatility	O
or	O
technological	O
turbulence	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
uncertainty	O
can	O
be	O
categorized	O
as	O
'	O
exogenous	O
 '	O
when	O
the	O
origin	O
of	O
the	O
risk	O
is	O
external	O
to	O
the	O
supply-chain	B-Device
network	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
risk	O
to	O
the	O
supply-chain	B-Device
network	I-Device
can	O
be	O
minimized	O
by	O
being	O
well	O
prepared	O
for	O
potential	O
events	O
.	O
</s>
