'''Materials''' are physical substances used as inputs to [[Production, costs, and pricing|production]] or [[manufacturing]]. [[Raw material]]s are first extracted or harvested from the earth and divided into a form that can be easily transported and stored, then processed to produce "semi-finished materials". These can be input into a new cycle of production and [[finishing]] processes to create "finished materials", ready for [[Distribution (business)|distribution]] and [[Consumption (economics)|consumption]]. | '''Materials''' are physical substances used as inputs to [[Production, costs, and pricing|production]] or [[manufacturing]]. [[Raw material]]s are first extracted or harvested from the earth and divided into a form that can be easily transported and stored, then processed to produce "semi-finished materials". These can be input into a new cycle of production and [[finishing]] processes to create "finished materials", ready for [[Distribution (business)|distribution]] and [[Consumption (economics)|consumption]]. |