Supply chain
German: Lieferkette Also known as: Supply Chain, Lieferketten
The path of a drink from raw material via bottler, wholesaler and retailer to the customer.
The supply chain covers all stages a drink passes through: agriculture and raw materials, production and bottling, storage, wholesale, retail or hospitality, and finally the customer. For reusable packaging the return path of empties is added.
Disruptions at one point, such as shortages of glass, cans or transport, affect all following stages. Good records of supplier, batch and delivery date make tracing and recalls easier. For regional products the routes are short; for imports, customs, sea freight and longer storage times are added.
Related terms
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Cold chainKeg / caskOrder pickingListingEmptiesBeverage store