Introduction A supply chain network design is an important consideration in any business organization. Leading organizations across the globe use their supply chains as strategic weapons for growth. Due to this, successful business organizations place significant emphasis on creating efficient supply chains (Walker 73). The goal of designing a supply chain network is to maximize returns while meeting the customer’s expectations. Factors to consider when developing a supply chain network design There are several factors to consider when developing a supply network design. These factors depend on the nature of various business operations (Walker 74). In addition, they also focus on the objective of developing the supply chain design. Some of the critical factors include the following. Function facility When developing a supply chain design, it is important to establish how the network will facilitate the company’s supply strategy. The role of this function is to establish the location of various facilities in relation to the network (Sople 187). In addition, this function helps the management to create a platform for designing a supply chain that will maximize profit. An efficient supply chain network will depend on the nature of business operations. Due to this, it is important to consider the nature of business operations when designing the network. This aspect will enable the developers to assign specific roles on various points of the network. Such a design provides the business managers with an opportunity to monitor progress within the supply chain. Facility location When designing a supply chain network, it is important to consider the location of essential resources and facilities. These facilities include the warehouse, operation offices and employee centers. Locations within a supply chain design have cost ramifications. As a result, it is important to consider locations that do not have major cost implications on the business. The location of various facilities within a supply chain has a significant impact on the employees and communities. Having the right location sustains the supply chain in accordance with the business or organizational objectives. Other necessary factors to consider when looking at the facility location include availability of infrastructure. The available infrastructure should address both the physical and informational aspects of the supply chain. Availability of resources is also a major factor to consider (Sople 190). This is because resources influence the sustainability of a supply chain. It is critical to establish the external or macroeconomic influences that enhance or hinder the network flow. These factors play a major role in determining cost implications of the supply chain. Network capacity allocation An effective network design should be able to sustain the required level of output. The capacity of a network design should ensure that the customers get the right allocation of products at the right time (Gattorna 221). Adequate planning ensures that the network design operates at an optimal level. An efficient network design avoids cases of underutilization and over allocation in the supply chain. Underutilization leads to lower returns on i