Logistics

Logistics is a detailed and complex field that involves the management of the flow of things between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. The resources managed in logistics can include physical items, such as food, materials, animals, equipment, and liquids, as well as abstract items, such as time and information. The logistics of physical items usually involves the integration of information flow, materials handling, production, packaging, inventory, transportation, warehousing, and often security.

History

The term "logistics" is derived from the Greek word "logistikos," meaning "skilled in calculating." The first military use of the term was in Roman and Byzantine times when there was a military administrative official with the title Logista. At that time, the term was used to describe the process of supplying a war. The term was often used in the military context until the 1950s, when it began to be used in the field of complex industrial processes.

Logistics Management

Logistics management is a part of supply chain management; it plans, implements and controls the efficient, effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services, and related information between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet customer's requirements. Its complexity may be modeled, analyzed, visualized, and optimized by dedicated simulation software. The minimization of the use of resources is a common motivation in logistics for import and export.

Logistics Fields

Logistics can be split into several fields, such as procurement logistics, production logistics, distribution logistics, aftersales logistics, and disposal logistics. Each of these fields has different tasks and challenges, but they all aim to meet the customer's requirements as efficiently as possible.

See Also

• Supply chain management
• Inventory management
• Transportation engineering
• Warehouse management system
• Distribution (business)

References

Logistics Resources
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