ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Supply network operations

Okay kiddo, let me explain supply network operations to you. Imagine you are playing with toys and you want to have a toy that is not in your toy box. What do you do? You go to your parents or ask your friends if they have the toy you want. This is similar to how businesses work.

Supply network operations is all about making sure a company has the things it needs to make their products or provide their services. This includes things like raw materials, machines, and people to do the work. Just like you asked your parents or friends for help, companies have to ask other companies for help too.

A company might need to get raw materials from different places all over the world. For example, if they make clothes, they might need cotton from one country, buttons from another, and zippers from a different place. They also have to make sure they have enough of everything they need in case the demand for their products increases.

To make sure everything runs smoothly, companies have to work together and communicate with each other. This is like when your friends ask you to trade toys with them. The companies have to make sure they have enough of everything they need and that they are all working together. This is called a supply network.

So, supply network operations is all about making sure a company has the things it needs to stay in business. It's like playing with toys, where you have to ask your friends for help to get what you need to have fun.