Explain the 3 decision phases (categories) that must be made in a successful supply chain.

The 3 decision phases that occur within a supply chain are supply chain strategy (or design), supply chain planning and supply chain operation. Decisions relate to the flow of information, product and funds. The difference between categories depends upon the frequency of each decision and the time frame over which it has an impact. During the supply chain strategy phase, a company determines what the chain's configurations will be, how resources will be allocated, and what processes each stage will perform. This will establish the structure of the supply chain for several years. Supply chain planning deals with decisions with a time frame from 3 months up to a year. The planning phase must work within the constraints established in the strategy phase. Planning decisions include which markets to supply from which locations, subcontracting of manufacturing, inventory policies and timing and size of marketing promotions. The supply chain operation phase operates on a weekly or daily time horizon and deals with decisions concerning individual customer orders.