Supply Chain Functional Roles - TX

Real-world context

The same company may design, make, pack and sell. Functional Roles describe activities, not company types or sites. They are independent of companies and sites, and one company can perform multiple functions within a single transaction.

Functional Roles

Related Definition: Sale Unit = Product (consumable, durable, disposable) + Packaging

Research

Exploratory work that does not directly yield a product, often enabling innovations.

Development

• Formulation/Recipe Development (Food, Pet Food, Home & Personal Care)
• Product Design & Engineering (3D structure of the product)
• Packaging Structural Design & Development (container bodies, closures)
• Artwork & Labelling Design & Development (graphics, claims, legals, languages)

Manufacturing

Making the Product without packaging.

Packing

Converting Product into sellable or shippable units by filling/assembling into Base Sales Units, Grouped or Transport packaging.

Distribution

Movement and storage of goods between facilities; includes E-commerce fulfilment as the last operational mile from fulfilment node to end user.

Wholesale

Selling goods to entities intending to resell (includes Cash-and-Carry wholesale to HoReCa).

Retail

Selling goods for consumption or use by the buyer (covers individuals/consumers and B2B purchasers for own use, e.g. office coffee at Cash-and-Carry; may apply at invoice line level).

Service

Refill/dispense at point of sale or on-premise use; includes repair, maintenance and installation services for durables.

Returns & Reverse logistics

Collection for returns, re-use and recycling, including deposit-return flows.

End-of-life processing

Sorting, recycling, recovery and disposal.

Sourcing & Procurement

Acquisition of ingredients, components and materials (cross-cutting but important for traceability).

Quality & Compliance

Cross-cutting governance for specifications, conformity, labelling and reporting.