A supply chain network can be strategically designed in such a way as to reduce the cost of the supply chain; it has been suggested by experts that 80% of supply chain costs are determined by location of facilities and the flow of product between the facilities [REF].
Companies have been led to modify their basic supply chain, investing in the tools and resources to develop an improved SCN design that takes into account taxation regulations, new entrants into their industry and availability of resources, has resulted in more complex network designs [REF].