Editing Supply chain management (section)

===Specialization era (phase I): outsourced manufacturing and distribution===
In the 1990s, companies began to focus on "core competencies" and specialization. They abandoned vertical integration, sold off non-core operations, and outsourced those functions to other companies. This changed management requirements, as the supply chain extended beyond the company walls and management was distributed across specialized supply chain partnerships.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

This transition also refocused the fundamental perspectives of each organization. [[Original equipment manufacturer]]s (OEMs) became brand owners that required visibility deep into their supply base. They had to control the entire supply chain from above, instead of from within. Contract manufacturers had to manage bills of material with different part-numbering schemes from multiple OEMs and support customer requests for work-in-process visibility and [[vendor-managed inventory]] (VMI).{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

The specialization model creates manufacturing and distribution networks composed of several individual supply chains specific to producers, suppliers, and customers that work together to design, manufacture, distribute, market, sell, and service a product. This set of partners may change according to a given market, region, or channel, resulting in a proliferation of trading partner environments, each with its own unique characteristics and demands.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}