This document defines key concepts in supply chain management. It explains that a supply chain includes all parties involved in fulfilling a customer request. The objective is to maximize overall value by balancing revenue and costs across the supply chain. Decision making occurs in three phases: design, planning, and operations. Processes can be viewed as cycles between parties or as push/pull depending on whether they are reactive or speculative. Information sharing and collaborative practices like CPFR can help reduce the bullwhip effect of demand distortion up the supply chain.