Unit 1 Logistics_

Unit One

Logistics

Part

One

Text

The Nature and Importance of Logistics

What is logistics?

Logistics is defined as the process of planning, implementing and controlling the

efficient

and

cost-effective

flow

and

storage

of

raw

materials,

in-process

inventory,

finished

goods

and

related

information

from

the

point

of

origin

to

the

point

of

consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer requirements

⒈

More simply, it is the science (and art ) of ensuring that the right products reach

the

right

place

in

the

right

quantity

at

the

right

time

to

satisfy

customer

demand

⒉

The UK Institute of Logistics and Transport defines it even more succinctly as:

―

the

time-

related positioning of resource‖

⒊

. It has also been defined as

―

the management

of

inventory

in

motion

and

at

rest.

‖

⒋

Its

marketing

discipline

encompasses

a

warehousing,

distribution

and

information

management.

It

has

also

includes

international supply chain management and added-value/pre- retailing services.

Logistics

is

the

universal

thread

or

―pipeline‖

that

plans

and

coordinates

the

delivery

of

products

and

services

to

customers

all

over

the

world.

Logistics

professionals

manage

and

coordinate

activities

in

this

global

pipeline

to

ensure

an

effective and efficient flow of materials and information from the time a need arises

until

it

is

satisfied

and

beyond.

Some

of

the

many

activities

involved

in

logistics

include:

customer

service,

warehousing,

inventory

control,

transportation,

materials handling, forecasting, purchasing and strategic planning

⒌

The goal of

these logistics activities is to satisfy the needs of the ultimate consumer

—

you. Simply

stated,

logistics

managers

ensure

that

the

right

product,

in

the

right

quantity,

in

the

right condition, is delivered to the right customer at the right place, at the right time,

at the right cost

⒍

A more comprehensive definition of logistics adopted by the Council of Logistics

Management(CLM) includes inbound, outbound, internal, and external movements

⒎

Logistics is that part of the supply chain process that plans, implements, and controls

the

efficient,

effective

flow

and

storage

of

goods,

services,

and

related

information

from the point of origin to the point of consumption t

o meet customers’

requirements.

Logistics

is

a

challenging

and

important

activity

because

it

serves

as

an

integrating

or

boundary

spanning

function .It

links

suppliers

with

customers

and

it

integrates functional entities across a company. With the ever-growing competition in

today’s market place it becomes necessary for a firm to use its resources to focus on

strategic opportunities. This includes several internal factors like management style,

culture,

human

resources,

facilities

and

several

external

factors

like

technology,

globalization

and

competition.

This

is

where

the

concept

of

logistics

plays

a

major

role, i. e. it helps to leverage certain advantages the firm has in the marketplace.

Logistics

is

involved

every

time

you

purchase

a

pro

duct,

whether

it’s

food,

medicine,

or

clothing.

It

doesn’t

matter

how

you

shop—

at

a

store,

by

mail

order,

through direct sales, or via the Internet

—

you are being served by the logistics pipeline.

The items you purchase have been transported from manufacturers near and far to get

to you

—

and logistics professionals have managed each of these journeys.

Consider the last shirt that

you purchased. The cotton may have been

grown and

processed

in

Georgia.

Then

it

was

shipped

to

South

Korea

where

it

was

spun

into

fabric.

The

bolts

of

fabric

were

sent

to

Guatemala

for

cutting

and

assembly.

The

completed shirt was then transported to the U.S. retailer that sold it

to you. And, that’s

not

all!

The

buttons,

thread,

packaging

and

labels

all

went

through

similar

international logistical paths to become part of your shirt as well.

Every product in your home has in some way been touched by this incredible field

⒏

Pick up a soft drink, styling gel, a computer, or a CD player and consider the path

each of these items has travel

ed to get to you. You’ve been depending

on logistics all

of your life to provide the best that the world has to offer

⒐

How important is logistics?

Logistics

has

a

huge

impact

on

the

domestic

and

global

economy.

Logistics

facilitates market exchanges, provides a major source of employment, and is a major

purchaser of assets and materials

⒑

. In the process of these activities, organizations in

the

United

States

spend

nearly

$$800

billion

on

logistics

each

year

—

up

from

$$678

billion in 1990. That is nearly three times the combined annual revenues of General

Motors,

IBM,

and

Proctor

&

Gamble!

Worldwide,

more

than

$$1.4

trillion

is

spent

annually on logistics and the amount will grow with the continued expansion of the

global marketplace.

Logistics is of critical importance to human survival. The logistics system provides

the continuous availability of food, water, medicine, and other key materials that you

need to survive

⒒

. A prime example is the food you ate at

your last meal. It’s very

likely

that

the

materials

used

to

prepare

that

meal

came

quite

a

distance…perhaps

from the other side of the planet! In order for that meal to fulfill your needs, you were

dependent

on

logistics

professionals

to

provide

safe

storage

and

transportation

of

those items.

Logistics greatly impacts our quality of life.

The logistics industry employs people

worldwide,

providing

a

cost-effective

means

of

distributing

goods

locally

and

globally. The more affordable the goods, the higher the standard of living for you

⒓

Consider

the

last

pair

of

athletic

shoes

that

you

purchased.

They

were

probably

manufactured in Southeast Asia, yet the exact pair (the right size, color, and style) that

you wanted was available for purchase the day you walked into the store

⒔

Logistics

affects

our

success

in

a

wide

variety

of

endeavors.

Logistics

greatly

impacts activities other than the flow of industrial and consumer products. Here are

just a few examples:

Relief

organizations

like

the

American

Red

Cross

Disaster

Service

and

the

International Red Cross provide logistics support in life-threatening situations such as

floods,

hurricanes,

and

earthquakes.

They

operate

like

a

huge

mobile

warehouse,

setting

up

temporary

facilities

and

shelters

on

a

moment’s

notice

to

efficiently

distribute food, supplies, and equipment to disaster victims.

The

U.S.

military

relies

on

logistics

to

determine

the

feasibility

of

a

mission

—

whether it is military or humanitarian in nature. Logistics also provides the flexibility

to move personnel, equipment, and supplies wherever they are needed in the world.

Major

productions

like

rock

concerts

and

sporting

events

also

require

logistics.

More

than

$$25

million

was

spent

on

logistics

for

the

Summer

Olympic

Games

in

Atlanta, Georgia.

During the Games, more than 1,200 logistics staff members were

needed

to

receive,

set

up,

resupply

and

recover

assets

at

143

competition

venues,

training facilities and other sites

⒕

What is the role of logistics in the organization?

Logistics

is

critical

to

the

success

of

every

organization.

Once

considered

an

important,

behind-the-scenes

operational

activity,

logistics

is

now

recognized

as

a

strategic

tool

for

creating

customer

value

and

loyalty.

Companies

like

Wal-Mart,

Coca

Cola,

and

Nike

attribute

a

great

deal

of

their

success

to

their

global

logistics

systems. They realize that integrating activities within the organization and across the

logistics

pipeline,

building

strong

relationships

with

product

suppliers, and

working

with

customer-focused

logistics

service

providers

are

all

critical

to

building

a

competitive advantage through logistics.

The

scope

of

opportunities

for

logistics

professionals

is

expanding.

Logistics

managers

are

involved

in

boundary

and

organization-spanning

teams,

strategic

planning,

alliance

building,

and

a

host

of

other

activities

that

directly

impact

the

success of their organizations worldwide. Because these roles are expanding, a career

in

logistics

management

can

lead

in

many

directions

—< /p>

including

to

the

top

of

the

company!

Who works in logistics management?

The

demand

for

logistics

managers

at

all

levels

is

excellent

.

The

Collegiate

Employment

Research

Institute

reports

that

logistics

is

a

field

with

more

positions

than

graduates

each

year.

The

Wall

Street

Journal

reports

that

senior

logistics

management talen

t is also in short supply. As logistics managers’

roles and value have

grown, the need for well-educated, talented professionals with a diverse array of skills

has emerged.

The increasing importance of analytical, strategic, and technological activities also

makes

logistics

an

attractive

career

to

more

people.

As

a

result,

the

number

of

minorities and women entering the field of logistics directly from high school, college,

and

from

other

fields

is

increasing

rapidly.

Another

factor

which

contributes

to

the

changing face of logistics is the value that organizations are placing on diversity today

⒖

.

Successful

organizations

realize

that

diversity

gives

them

an

edge

in

the

highly

competitive global marketplace

⒗

. As a result they are recruiting a variety of people

from

all

walks

of

life

for

their

logistics

management

positions.

This

strategy

is

highlighted

here

by

two

companies:

“

It

makes

good

business

sense

to

have

a

workforce

that

reflects

the

marketplace

at

large

⒘

.

We

recognize

the

value

that

a

diverse

management

team

brings

to

our

company

—

the

ability

to

reach

out

to

the

entire world.‖

―We recruit f

rom a wide pool because we need all the skills that are out

there.

The

bottom

line

is

that

our

organization

wants

people

with

excellent

skills,

regardless of their ethnic background, gender, or age.

”

According to recent surveys,

women

and

minorities

are

discovering

logistics

and

enrolling

in

degree

programs

across

the

nation.

For

example,

at

the

University

of

Nevada-Reno,

45

percent

of

graduates are female, compared to zero just six years ago. The number of women and

minorities in logistics management positions and professional organizations is on the

rise as well.

Clearly,

logistics

is

a

discipline

worthy

of

attracting

the

best

and

the

brightest

people from all walks of life. Anyone with the education, skills, and drive to succeed

can build a prosperous career in logistics management

What kinds of organizations employ logistics managers?

Logistics involves so many critical business activities that nearly every Fortune 500

and

Global

500

company

can

be

considered

a

potential

employer

for

logistics

managers. The same can be said for smaller public and private companies around the

world.

From

the

largest

automobile

manufacturers

to

the

smallest

zipper

producers,

any

company

that

purchases

and/or

sells

products

has

a

need

for

logistics

professionals to manage the flow of product and information locally, nationally, and

internationally.

Service

firms

like

hospitals

and

restaurant

chains

like

McDonald’s

must also manage logistics activities. Here is a sample of the types of businesses and

organizations that you could work for as a logistics manager.

Words and Expressions:

alliance

[

?

ˊ

lai

?

ns]

n.

a close association of nations or other groups, formed to

advance common interests or causes:.

联盟；

联合

analytical [,?n

?

ˊ

litik

?

l]

adj.

of or using analysis

分析的；

解析的

array

[

?

ˊ

rei]

n.

an impressively large number, as of persons or objects:

大量；令人瞩目的大数量，如人或物：

(an array of heavily armed troops, an array of spare parts

大批全

副武装的部队

,

大批零配件

)

availability [

?

．< /p>

veil

?

ˊ

b iliti]

n.

ability that sth can be used or obtained

可用性；

可得性；有效性；实用性

bolt

[b

?

ult]

n.

quantity of cloth, etc wound in roll

一匹；

一卷

discipline [

ˊ

disiplin] n.

1. a branch of knowledge or teaching.

学科；

科目；

知识

或

教

学

的

分

支

2.

control

obtained

by

enforcing

compliance or order.

规律；纪律

encompass

[in

ˊ

k

?

mp

?

s]

vt. 1. to constitute or include:

构成，

包括

enclose;

envelop.

包围；

包装

endeavor

[in

ˊ

dev

?

]

n.

attempt

，

effort

努力；

尽力

feasibility

[

．

fi: z

?

`bil

?

ti]

n. practicability

possibility

可行性

;

可能性；

现实性

gel

[

?

el]

n. semi-solid jelly-like substance

凝胶；

冻胶；

形成

(

肉、鱼、果子等

的

)

冻

humanitarian [hju(:)

．

m?ni`te

?

ri

?

n] n. one who is devoted to the promotion of human

welfare

and

the

advancement

of

social

reforms;

a

philanthropist.

人道主义者：

献身于人类福利的提高和社会改革

的进步的人；慈善家

hurricane

[`h< /p>

?

rik

?

n,

-kin]

n.

storm with a violent wind

飓风；

龙卷风；

暴

风

(

雨

)

inbound, [`inbaund]

adj.

bound inward; incoming:

归航的；开回的

inventory

[

invent

?

ri] n.

the quantity of goods and materials on hand; stock.

存货

总值；

库存；存货

,

leverage

[`li:v

?

ri

?

] vt

1.

to supplement (money, for example) with leverage.

补充（如金钱）支持

2. to affect as if by leverage:

杠

杆作用；好象通过杠杆作用进行影响

outbound

[`autbaund]

adj. outward bound; headed away:

向外去的

,

向外开的：

recruit [ri`kru:t]

vt.

to supply with new members or employees.

招收；补充：

retailer

[ri:

ˊ

teil

?

] n.

tradesman who sells by retail

零售商人

,

succinctly [s

?

k

ˊ

si

?

ktli ]

adv. briefly, clearly, concisely

简明地；简洁地；简便地

spin

[spin]

v.

to draw out and twist (fibers) into thread.

纺织；纺纱

victim [`viktim] n.

one who is harmed or killed by another:

受害人；牺牲者；

牺牲品

zipper [`zip

?

] n.

a fastening device consisting of parallel rows of metal, plastic,

or

nylon

teeth

on

adjacent

edges

of

an

opening

that

are

interlocked by a sliding tab.

拉链

an array of

an impressively large number of

大量的

at large

as a whole, in general

全部的；

整个的；全体的

behind-the-scenes

out of sight of the audience

；

behind the stage

在台后；在幕后

boundary spanning function

across-boundary function

跨边界作用

in short supply.

not plentiful; scarce

不充裕；供应不足

on a moment’s notice

very soon

一会儿；立刻；马上

organization-spanning team

across- organization team

跨组织团队

to conform to

agree or be consistent with

与

相符合；

与

相一致

to focus on

to concentrate

集中于

to have(make) an impact on

to have an effect (influence) on

对

有（产生）影响

Special Terms:

added-value/pre-retailing services

增值

/

零售前服务

customer service

客户服务

distribution and information management.

配送与信息管理

forecasting

预测

in-process inventory

在制品库存

在制品

inventory control

库存控制

materials handling

物料搬运

purchasing and strategic planning

采购和战略计划

supply chain management

供应链管理

transportation

运输

warehousing

仓储

Notes to the Text:

1. Logistics is defined as the process of planning, implementing and controlling

the efficient and cost-effective flow and storage of raw materials, in-process inventory,

finished

goods

and

related

information

from

the

point

of

origin

to

the

point

of

consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer requirements

⒈

物流被 定义为：

是为了满足顾客要求而对原材料、

在制品库存、

产成品及相

关信息从起源地到消费地的有效率的、

成本有效益的流动和储存进行计划、

执行

和控制的过程。< /p>

2.

More

simply,

it

is

the

science

(and

art

)

of

ensuring

that

the

right

products

reach the right place in the right quantity at the right time to satisfy customer demand

更简单地说

,