A fundamental purpose of supply chain design for manufacturers is to

Answer: to control inventory by managing flow of materials.

Explanation:

Supply chain design is the designing of a company's's supply chain in order to achieve the competitive priorities of the company's operations strategy. Supply chain design includes the

placement of inventories, facility location, outsourcing, mass customization, supply chain collaboration, supplier selection, and closed-loop supply chains.

The fundamental purpose of the supply chain design is for the manufacturers to control inventory through the management of the flow of materials.