Logistics

Logistics represents a wide and diverse range of activities supporting the availability of goods, products and services to the market. See Logistics: Definition and Context. It is appropriate to discuss Logistics here partly as background to the various domains of knowledge, but also in an attempt to provide a complete overview of the various aspects associated with Logistics

Finding significantly more manager positions than director positions is consistent with structure of a traditional hierarchical organisation. However, finding more manager positions than logistics operational positions is not consistent with a traditional hierarchical organisation structure. Theoretically, a hierarchical organisation should have more buyers than managers. It could be argued that perceptions of the importance of Logistics roles have not changed during the last years.

Changes in job duties and skill requirements are important indicators of the status and importance of the Logistics function in an organisation. Significant changes in Logistics job duties and skills have occurred in the last decade or so. There was a period of significant change in the Logistics field. It is therefore important to understand the background to the development of logistics.

The application of the principles of Logistics is commonly grouped into sectoral applications, often referred to as subsets of the broader Logistics profession, which together provide availability within particular sector or market applications.

A few examples of Logistics in its sectoral context are Conversion Logistics, Military Logistics, Support or Life Cycle Logistics, Retail Logistics, Cold Chain Logistics and many more.

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Last updated Tuesday May 22nd, 2007 by Pieter Nagel