The aim of the study was to identify the main issues and key areas typical for decisions taken in supply chains, demonstrating a new approach to inventory management as a process of value added creation. The problems discussed by the authors have been identified as several key areas requiring a more profound analysis in order to understand the modern approach to inventory management in supply chains and distribution networks. The range of analysed problems is really wide: from the inventory strategy of postponement and speculation in modern supply chains, through forecasting and planning as the direct tools of realization of the strategic decision concerning the location of Material Decoupling Point, to the issues of trade-offs between lean and agile operations in supply chains, supporting different patterns of inventory efficiency. Finally, a large part of the study has been dealing with new modern concepts of supply chain management, resulting from the growing complexity of business processes and their increased discontinuity.