Revolution in American Supply Chain Functions from 1860-1920 As businesses began to create standardized products and reproduce them in mass numbers through factories, the American consumer could benefit through the reduced prices from product specialization and purchase more. As factories increased, jobs and wages did too. In these ways, America became more urbanized as cities served as centers of trade and production. People were attracted to commerce and the opportunities industrial facilities offered. Moreover, new industry led to new buying power. Coupled with improved transportation services, manufacturers rushed to build popularity for their products and deliver them across the nation. The American supply chain no longer consisted of …show more content…
With over one-hundred thousand miles of track by 1920, productivity of the railways were able to double roughly every 20-30 years since their momentum in the 1840’s. This meant that consumers were delivered a wider variety of goods more price and time effectively with the advent of the railroads. Some rail cars even possessed mail sorting and refrigeration for these purposes. Potentially damaging to domestic agriculture, trans-continental railways could also provide grains and other products to consumers from foreign nations. Urban areas could ship manufactured products by train to rural areas and vice versa. Railroads ultimately connected businesses and consumers through their widespread reach and timely delivery. Likewise, automobiles connected American consumers to the products they desired. The Model T produced by Henry Ford was particularly notable because it provided a reliable and affordable form of transportation to Americans. This was especially helpful to rural Americans, as they could travel to more urbanized shopping centers. More importantly however, automobile technology introduced to Winton’s commercial truck in 1898. By 1917, the Wingfoot Express would be able to deliver products across the nation, leading to the formation of logistics