ARTICLE: Value chain analysis in interfirm relationships: a field study and Interorganizational cost management and relational context.

Introduction
A value chain is a chain of activities for a firm operating in a specific industry. The business unit is the appropriate level for construction of a value chain, not the divisional level or corporate level. Products pass through all activities of the chain in order, and at each activity the product gains some value. The chain of activities gives the products more added value than the sum of the independent activity's value. It is important not to mix the concept of the value chain with the costs occurring throughout the activities. A diamond cutter, as a profession, can be used to illustrate the difference of cost and the value chain. The cutting activity may have a low cost, but the activity adds much of the value to the end product, since a rough diamond is significantly less valuable than a cut diamond. Typically, the described value chain and the documentation of processes, assessment and auditing of adherence to the process routines are at the core of the quality certification of the business, e.g. ISO 9001. Diagram 1 The goal of these activities is to create value that exceeds the costs of providing the product or service and next generating a profit margin. A Value Chain Analysis (VCA) has five parts including: a) inbound logistics; include the receiving, warehousing, and inventory control of input materials. b) Operations; the value-creating activities that transform the inputs into the final product. c) Outbound Logistics; the activities required to get the finished product to the customer, including warehousing, order fulfillment d) Marketing and Sales; those activities associated with getting buyers to purchase the product, including channel selection, advertising, pricing and e) Services; those that