供应链由直接或间接地满足顾客要求的各方组成，不仅包括制造商和供应商，而且包括运输商、仓储商、零售商，甚至包括顾客本身。
Supply chains consist of parties that directly or indirectly satisfy the requirements of customers, including not only manufacturers and suppliers, but also transporters, warehouses, retailers and even customers themselves.
供应链是动态的，包括不同环节间的信息流、产品流、资金流的持续流动，主要目的是为了满足顾客需求，并且在此基础上为自己创造利润，使供应链整体价值最大化。
The supply chain is dynamic, including the continuous flow of information, products and funds between different links, the main purpose is to meet the needs of customers, and on this basis to create their own profits, maximize the overall value of the supply chain.
供应链决策可分为供应链战略或设计、供应链计划、供应链运作三个阶段。供应链战略或设计阶段决定若干年内供应链的资源配置；供应链计划阶段决定未来一个季度到一年内的企业计划，在给定资源配置的条件下，预测市场需求，制定生产、营销、促销等计划，目标使供应链剩余最大化；供应链运作的时间是周或日，资源配置和计划都已确定，需求的不确定较低，根据顾客的订单做出决策，目标是以可能的最好方式来处理接踵而来的顾客订单。
Supply chain decision-making can be divided into three stages: supply chain strategy or design, supply chain planning and supply chain operation. The supply chain strategy or design stage determines the resource allocation of the supply chain for a number of years; the supply chain planning stage determines the next quarter to a year of enterprise planning, under given resource allocation conditions, forecasting market demand, make plans for production, marketing, promotion, etc. . The goal is to maximize the surplus of the supply chain. The time of operation of the supply chain is week or day. The resource allocation and plan have been determined, and the uncertainty of demand is lower, make decisions based on customer orders, with the goal of handling incoming customer orders in the best possible way.
以循环观点、推拉观点两个方面观察供应链。所有供应链可以分解为顾客订单循环、补货循环、制造循环、采购循环四个流程，每个循环包括六个子流程，然而每个流程的子流程存在不同的地方；拉动流程根据顾客订货执行订单；推动流程根据对顾客订货的预测执行订单。
The supply chain is observed from two aspects: circular view and push-pull view. All supply chains can be divided into four processes: Customer Order cycle, replenishment cycle, manufacturing cycle and purchasing cycle. Each cycle includes six sub-processes The pull process executes the order based on the customer order; the push process executes the order based on the forecast of the customer order.
企业中供应链可包括客户关系管理、内部供应链管理、供应商关系管理三个宏观流程。
The supply chain in an enterprise can include three macroscopical processes: Customer Relationship Management, internal supply chain management and supplier relationship management.
参考教材：《供应链管理》，苏尼尔乔普拉 彼得迈因德尔著。
翻译：360翻译
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