Chapter 2. Understanding the importance of Supply Chain to an Organization

Historical Perspective

Until after World War II, logistics was thought of in military terms for the most part as the link that supplied troops with rations, weapons and equipment. Up to that point, logistics was fragmented within business organizations, primarily focusing on transportation and purchasing. In educational institutions, there were no integrated programs. Instead individual courses were offered in transportation and purchasing.

After World War II, as businesses began to understand the relationships and tradeoffs involved such as inventory costs vs. transportation costs, which will be discussed later, logistics gained an important place in the business world ...

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