Logistics

 

1.    The detailed coordination of a complex operation involving many people, facilities, or supplies

 

2.    The organization of moving, housing, and supplying troops and equipment

 

3.    The commercial activity of transporting goods to customers

Logistics is the management of the flow of resources, not only goods, between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportationinventorywarehousingmaterial handling, and packaging, and often security.This can involve anything from consumer goods such as food, to IT materials, to aerospace and defense equipment

Main logistics targets

Logistics is one of the main functions within a company. The main targets of logistics can be divided into performance related and cost related. They are high due date reliability, short delivery times, low inventory level and high capacity utilization. But when decisions need to be made, there is always a tradeoff between these targets. This is what makes being a logistician challenging and interesting.

Logistics fields

Given the services performed by logistics, one can distinguish the main fields of it as it follows:

§  Procurement Logistics

§  Production Logistics

§  Distribution Logistics

§  After sales Logistics

§  Disposal Logistics

Procurement Logistics consists of activities such as market research, requirements planning, make or buy decisions, supplier management, ordering, and order controlling. The targets in procurement logistics might be contradictory - maximize the efficiency by concentrating on core competences, outsourcing while maintaining the autonomy of the company, and minimization of procurement costs while maximizing the security within the supply process.

Production Logistics connects procurement to distribution logistics. The main function of production logistics is to use the available production capacities to produce the products needed in distribution logistics. Production logistics activities are related to organizational concepts, layout planning, production planning, and control.

Distribution Logistics has, as main tasks, the delivery of the finished products to the customer. It consists of order processing, warehousing, and transportation. Distribution logistics is necessary because the time, place, and quantity of production differs with the time, place, and quantity of consumption.

Disposal Logistics' main function is to reduce logistics cost(s), enhance service(s), related to the disposal of waste produced during the operation of a business.

Business logistics

 Business logistics can be defined as "having the right item in the right quantity at the right time at the right place for the right price in the right condition to the right customer", and is the science of process and incorporates all industry sectors. The goal of logistics work is to manage the fruition of project life cyclessupply chains and resultant efficiencies.