What encompasses planning activities related to transportation, warehousing, and inventory levels?

The correct choice, which focuses on the planning activities related to transportation, warehousing, and inventory levels, is distribution planning. This area is pivotal in supply chain management as it ensures that products are delivered to the right locations at the right time while optimizing costs and efficiency.

Distribution planning involves coordinating various logistical aspects, including determining the best transportation methods, managing warehouse operations, and maintaining optimal inventory levels to meet customer demand without incurring excess costs. This planning function ensures that there is a seamless flow of goods from suppliers through to customers, addressing critical factors like lead times, transportation routes, and storage capacities.

While sales and operations planning is essential for aligning supply and demand and scheduling production, it does not focus exclusively on the logistical aspects of distribution. Demand management is more about forecasting and understanding customer needs, which indirectly influences distribution but does not encompass the logistical planning functions. Resource planning typically refers to the broader scope of ensuring that all necessary resources, including materials and labor, are available for production and operations but does not specifically target distribution logistics.