These features may be stated more generally
1. Supply chains consist of heterogeneous sets of agents, each acting on the basis (typically) of incomplete information.
2. Motivations are generally local--eg. Maximizing local profit or local efficacy. Efficacy of other elements of chain are typically discounted.
3. Supply chains are intrinsically dynamical.
5. There are inherent nonlinearities and feedback effects in dynamics and structure of supply chain.