In considering supply chain operations in pharmaceuticals businesses, the naïve amongst us might assume that the answers to the basic questions are clear. How much inventory is enough?  What does it cost to make a tablet? Which plants are the most efficient producers? How much capacity do we have? How should we plan and organise how demand hits operations? What doesit cost to serve the customer? Dr John Harhen at Orbsen Consulting discusses that there is a fundamental lack of clarity to these most basic of questions.