DEVELOPING SUPPLY CHAIN NETWORKS – STATUS AND TRENDS

Designing, establishing and functioning of supply chain networks are key issues of all participants in the supply chain and it must be viewed in the context of strategic, tactical and operational performance of individual part icipants. Development and functioning of all business systems takes place in conditions of increasing cost pressure, growing risks and market volatility, higher service requirements and stronger focus on sustainability. Business systems are therefore under constant pressure of making/changing strategic decisions that always involve setting and correction of strategic objectives and a multitude of analytical procedures that will support the decision. One of the strategic decisions of the growing importance that increasingly turns into a tactical decision-making is the construction of the supply network, or supply chains network. Formulation and implementation of supply chain networks and their optimal functioning depends on a number of internal and external factors that must be identified and measured and / or assessed in order to make sound decisions the area close to the optimum. The paper is based on previous theoretical knowledge and practical experience to explore criteria and optional performance for the design of supply chain network, and to present the context in which they develop. We proposed a contextual framework for SCN design and analsys that could help in revealing benefits and shortages of decisions made in SCN design and functionig. Using case study method, paper especially emphasizes trends of supply chain networks design for two groups of participants in the fast moving consumer goods area and ceramic industry area.