Supply chain configuration decision variables

The decisions listed above do not provide an exhaustive list of all supply chain configuration decisions. That, especially, applies to policy decisions. Decisions relevant to a particular decision-making problem, and decision variables characterizing these decisimis, are defined during the supply chain configuration problemsolving process. 

The literature on including policy-related variables in the quantitative supply chain configuration models is scarce. Truong and Azadivar (2005) include a decision variable representing a choice between using push and pull manufacturing policies. 

Supply Chains (SC), which started to be studied in the early 90s, include several decision variables strategic, tactical and operational. Strategic decisions include the supply chain design, which consists of the determination of the optimal configuration of an entire SC network number, location and capacity of plants, warehouses and distribution centers to be set up, the transportation links and the flows and production rates of materials. 

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