Principles of Supply Chain Management, Second Edition, 2nd Edition

68 Principles of Supply Chain Management

individual who buys the good or service for one’s own use, that is, a homemaker who buys

a vacuum cleaner for use at home or a company that buys an industrial vacuum cleaner

for its use in the ofce or plant.

Internal and external customers are involved at different stages of the supply chain and

have differing needs and wants. Classifying these needs based on product/service fea-

tures, economic needs, location needs, and service needs enhances an understanding of

their relative importance. There are direct and indirect methods for identifying customer’s

needs. Learning how to use these methods is the  ...