Logistics Information Needs

Logistics is an information-based process of material movement wherein the flow of information is a key to the success of logistic operations. The starting point of the information in logistics is the customer order. The customer spells out his needs and passes it on to the supplier in the form of a document either

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Designing Logistics Information System

The information system is an interacting structure of people, equipment, methods and control, designed to create information fl ow in the required format for the user to make the decision to reduce the risk element. Like the management information system (MIS), which is designed more for general management information needs, the logistics information system

Desired Characteristics of LIS Logistics Information System

The need for information support of an organization, for planning and implementing logistics deci­sions, depends on the objectives. The quality of management decisions in logistics will depend on the quality of the information generated by the LIS. The criticality of a decision will determine the speed and accuracy needs of the desired information. However,

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CPMC Relocation and Logistics Pvt. Ltd. – Relocation Logistics

CPMC-RLPL, a Kolkata based specialized logistics service provider, was founded in the year 2000, keeping in mind the sweeping changes in the whole concept of re-location business globally. The company identified the need of this service in the given sector, particularly the relocation-related services. The company’s mission has been to become a lifetime packer

Nokia – Reverse Logistics Initiatives for Used Mobile Phones

Distribution centres face new challenges daily. One of the major challenges is how to handle the inflow of returns from retail vendors, seasonal goods, damages, excessive inventory and so on. Reverse logistics is an interesting area for mobile phones. In India every month 6-7 million new mobile handsets are added to the market. Even

Global Logistics Supply Chain Model for Value Creation

The firm, a European manufacturer of ready-made garments, is marketing the products in Ameri­can markets. It has a Hong Kong-based local coordination office to look into the movements of the inventory. The initial conceptualization and design of the garments is done in Hong Kong. The cotton yarn is brought from Korea and dyed and

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Role of Logistics in Distribution Channel

Distribution channels help in creating time and place utilities of the product, which are impor­tant for customer satisfaction. The channel will help the firm to make the product available at the right place and channel efficiency and effectiveness is greatly dependent on the logistics operation of the firm to fulfil the demand. However, logistics

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Distribution Channel Structure

The channel structure refers to the group of channel members to whom a set of distribution tasks has been allocated. The channel structure plays a vital role in the physical distribution of products. It primarily facilitates product flow from the manufacturer to the end consumer through a hierar­chy of channel members. The typical distribution

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Logistic Requirements of Channel Members

The role of a channel member is crucial in the distribution process. According to Alderson, the marketing channel takes care of the five gaps between production and manufacturing. First, the channel takes care of the time gap between the production activity and the purchase of products by the consumer at discreet intervals. Thus, the

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Channel Members

The marketing channel structure consists of a variety of intermediaries performing distribution tasks. These tasks differ in terms of financial involvement, relationship with manufacturer (place and time context) and the functions performed. 1. Wholesaler Wholesalers are quite common in consumer goods industry. They operate as full-fledged market­ing organizations, purchasing goods from the manufacturers in

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Channel Strategy

The design of the logistical program to serve a given channel structure depends on the channel strategy of the enterprise. The channel strategy is based on the broad principles through which the firm expects to achieve its distribution objectives for the target market. Depending on the nature of the product, industry practices and market

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Logistics Support to the Distribution Channel

The success of the distribution channel depends largely on the effectiveness and efficiency of logistic operations of the firm. Channel management is essentially involved in the control of prod­uct flow, information flow, promotional flow and ownership flow. However, the product flow and related information flow are taken care of by logistics management. The channel

Catalysts for Outsourcing Trends

Today, business organizations across the world are struggling to compete not only for growth but mere survival. The factors responsible for this are the liberalized economies of countries across the world, globalization of businesses and recessionary trends in the markets. Moreover, the customer has become more demanding and is looking more for value-added services

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Benefits of Logistics Outsourcing

In a logistics operation considerable quantities of materials are required to be transported and stored at various locations. Raw materials and components are to be moved over long distances from vendor supply points to production centres. Starting from outsourcing of IT and HR functions, Indian corporations have come a long way and understood the

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Third-Party Logistics

The trend of using a strategic partnership in integrated logistics has now become an accepted practice in the industry. These partners are called “third party service providers” or 3PL (short for third-party logistics) firms. These firms are external to the company and provide one or more aspects of their entire logistics service product portfolio.

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Fourth-Party Logistics

IT industry is playing a major role in logistics and supply chain management. Today, the integra­tion of logistics, which is a complex exercise, is totally dependent on the support of IT. Third-party logistics suppliers are providing logistics solutions to their clients, based on their experience and domain knowledge that they have acquired and developed

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Selection of Service Provider

The decision on the selection of the service provider is a strategic one and it has long-term effects on the customer service capabilities of the organization. In the Indian context, majority of corpora­tions still have a traditional outlook and want to perform all management functions by themselves, without losing control over any of the

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Value-Added Services of Logistics Outsourcing

Due to stiff competition for differentiation in the logistics industry, the service providers are now offering their clients some additional services, besides the regular logistic service offerings. The addition covers a whole gamut of specialized and customized processes, which are available to the customers. Some of the value addition functions are discussed below. Cross-Docking

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Logistics Service Contract

Corporations are outsourcing logistics operations to 3PL or 4PL firms to obtain cost and service benefits for building competitiveness. In addition to this, the other expectations are value addi­tion in customer value delivery process, diversion of risk and reduction of liabilities. The service supplier has to organize assets, add manpower, hire facility on lease

Critical Issues of Logistics Outsourcing

After liberalization of the Indian economy in 1991, entrepreneurial activities in India grew mani­fold. Many foreign companies began their trading activities on the Indian soil to get a share of the large, untapped Indian market. As a result, the heat of competition is being felt across all sectors of the economy. To counter competition,

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