Design and analysis of different stages of supply chain: models and methods

There can be little dispute that supply chain management and design is an area of importance in the field of engineering, yet there have been few literature reviews on this topic. Over the past decade, the traditional purchasing and logistics functions have evolved into a broader strategic approach to materials and distribution management in engineering, known as supply chain management. This paper sets out not to review the work carried out for different stages in supply chain per se, but rather to contribute to a critical theory debate through the presentation and use of a framework for the categorisation of literature linked to various stages of supply chain management and design. In addition, this paper attempts to clearly describe supply chain management since the literature is replete with buzzwords that address elements or stages of this new management philosophy. The present study is based on the analysis of a large number of publications on supply chain management and design.