Chief executive of Sainsbury's, Justin King, said Tesco's announcement "highlighted how important a detailed knowledge of and involvement in your supply chain is".

BBC: Tesco pledges to sell meat from 'closer to home'

Besides, a company might want to keep control of its supply chain to protect its brand and knowledge.

ECONOMIST: Re-engineering in real time

This is crucial knowledge for not only satisfying the demand, but also reducing supply chain costs and increasing margins.

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