Logistics as a set of activities of linking the producers and consumers has good many functional elements. LOGISTICS, ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT has given a beautiful account of each which is worthwhile to go through.
These elements are:
- Logistics and Maintenance Support Planning
Interactive planning, organization and management activities are necessary to ensure that logistics requirements for any given program are properly coordinated and implemented. Initial planning and analysis lead to the establishment of requirements for logistics and the overall support of the system throughout its life cycle.
Maintenance planning for those activities related to the reverse flow convinces with the definition of maintenance concept and continues through supportability analysis to the ultimate development of a maintenance plan.
A comprehensive logistics plan needs to be implemented through the establishment and control functions to ensure that the plan is properly carried out.
- Logistics Maintenance and Support Personnel
The personal required to perform unique logistics and system maintenance activities are covered in this category.
Such activities include the initial provision and procurement of items of support, production related logistics functions, the installation and checkout of the system and its elements at the user’s operational sites customer service functions, the sustaining support of the system throughout its planned period of use, and those functions required for the retirement and recycling or disposal of material.
Personnel at all levels of maintenance mobile teams, and operation or maintenance at special test facilities and calibration laboratories are included. It is important to include only those who can be directly attributed to the support of that system in evaluation of a particular system.
- Training and Training Support
This category includes all personnel, equipment, facilities data or documentation and associated resources necessary for the training of operational and maintenance personnel to include both initial and replenishment or replacement training.
Training equipment say simulators, mock-ups, special devices, training manuals and computer resources Software are developed and utilized as necessary to support the day-to-day-site training, distance education of a more formal nature.
- Supply Support—Spares or repair parts and associated inventories
This elements covers all spares say, repairable units, assemblies, modules and the like, repair parts say, non-repairable pasts or components, Censurable, liquids, lubricants, gases disposable items special supplies, and related inventories needed to maintain the prime mission related equipment computers and software, test and support equipment, transportation and handling equipment, training equipment, communications equipment and facilities or utilities.
Spares or repair parts are required throughout the system operational share and in support of the retirement and recycling or disposal of system components.
- Computer Resources
This category covers all computers, associated software connecting components networks, and interfaces necessary to support the day-to-day flow of information for all logistics functions, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance activities and special monitoring and reporting requirements such as those pertaining to CAD/CAM/CAS data the implementation of condition monitoring programs and in support of system diagnostic capabilities.
- Technical data, Reports and Documentation
Technical data may include system installation and check out procedures operating and maintenance instructions inspection and calibration procedures, overhaul instruction, facilities data, system modification’s engineering data such as specifications, drawings, materials and parts list, CAD/CAM/CAS data, special reports Logistics provisioning and procurement data, Supplier data, system operational and maintenance data, and supporting data bases. Included in this category is the on-going and interactive process of data collection, analysis and reporting covering the system throughout its life- cycle,
- Maintenance and Support Facilities and Utilities
This category covers all special facilities that are unique and are required to support logistics activities, to include storage buildings and warehouses and maintenance facilities at all levels.
Physical plant, portable buildings, mobile vans, personnel housing structures, intermediate level maintenance shops, calibration laboratories and special repair shops such as depots, overhaul material suppliers are considered.
Capital equipment and utilities heat, power, energy requirements, environmental controls, communications, safety and security provisions and the like are generally included as the part of facilities.
- Packaging, Handling, Storage or ware housing and Transportation
This category logistics includes all materials, equipment special provisions, containers both resistible and disposable and supplies necessary to support the packages, safety and preservation, storage, handling and or transportation of the prime mission related elements of the system, personnel spares and repair parts, test and support equipment technical data, computer resources and mobile facilities.
Covered in this group are the initial and sustaining transportation requirements for the distribution of materials and for the maintenance and support activities throughout the system life cycle. The primary modes of transportation—air, highways, pipelines railways and water ways and intermodal, truck, rail, truck, waters, rail, water, truck, air and the like are considered.
- Test, Measurement, Handling and Support Equipment
This category includes all tools, condition monitoring equipment, diagnostic and checkout equipment, special test equipment, metrology and calibration equipment, maintenance fixtures and stands and special handling equipment required to support operational and maintenance functions through-out the forward and reverse flows, Test and support equipment requirements at each level of maintenance must be considered as well as the overall traceability of test requirement or measures to a secondary standard, a transfer standard and finally to a primary standard.
- Logistic Information
This refers to the resources necessary to ensure that an effective and efficient logistics information flow is provided throughout and to the organizations responsible for all the activities that come within its focus. This flow includes the necessary, communication links among the customer, producer or prime contractor, sub-contractors, sup-priors and supporting maintenance organizations.
Importance of Logistics
Any successful business leader will acknowledge the crucial importance of effectively organized logistics. They understand that implementing seamless logistics is a key element in keeping pace with customer demands and outperforming competitors.
Whatever the size of your business, you will want to grow and expand. That probably means expanding on a regional, international or global level. Whatever your business location or industry, logistics can help cut on the costs and time you spend to move products from one point to another.
Supply chains are complex and sensitive as they depend on always-changing customer demands. A supply chain cannot ensure high value if it is without effectively organized transport. For this reason, logistics is one of the most crucial factors in the quality of any supply chain.
If you look at effective transport done right, you might get the impression that it “seems simple”. It actually requires a lot of special knowledge, skills and professional management to get it look so “effortless. Don’t let the end result of good logistics fool you – it takes a lot of specialized assistance to get it to flow so smoothly.
Effective transport improves a supply chain by decreasing (if not avoiding) waste of materials and time. This helps supply chain professionals transport products and deliver them to the right location, on time – which is a priority for any successful business.
Following points are important in logistics:
- Logistics helps businesses create value
Providing value to customers does not only refer to quality or quantity. It also refers to availability. As better logistics makes your products more available to an increasing group of people, wise business leaders consider it a very important tool in creating value for customers.
Logistics creates and increases the value businesses offer by improving merchandise, and ensuring the availability of products. In order to provide more value, businesses either work on improving their own logistic activities or rely on professionals.
- Logistics helps in reducing costs and improves efficiency
With global trade growing more popular, logistics has become the heart of supply chains. Business leaders have realized they can reduce their costs by establishing partnerships with other businesses which offer transportation and warehousing.
When businesses start using such services to outsource transport and warehousing, they improve their overall business efficiency, sometimes dramatically. If they let these partners take charge of shipping their goods to end customers, this results in a better reputation and a stronger brand.
By working with highly professional and reliable logistics companies such as A&A, many businesses have improved their efficiency by providing faster delivery of product. This leads to an improved customer experience and higher working efficiency in general.
- Logistics helps delivering your product at the right place timely
Logistics is firmly and clearly defined within a supply chain. However, due to differing customer demands, it has to be constantly evolving in order to provide better results. Customers nowadays are more likely to impulse shop using a smartphone, and be equally as impatient about receiving their order.
With professionally organized logistics, businesses are able to answer short-time requirements. By choosing an experienced team of professionals, business entrepreneurs can ensure quick and safe shipping, warehousing and delivery of their products to customers. They can incorporate these services in a way that adds value to their offers, and ensure their products get to the right place on time.
- Logistics is the key to success with supply chains
Supply chains are unique networks between businesses that deal with the production, shipment, warehousing and delivery of products. These networks are very important to businesses as they largely affect sales and profits. However, without effective and well-organized logistics, supply chains can’t help your business gain a clear advantage over the competition.
While a good marketing strategy can “open many doors” and attract customers, a reliable logistics service can help your business build and maintain a positive public image. Meanwhile, poorly organized logistics can lead to losing customers and decreased sales.
- Keep your customers satisfied, rely on experienced logistic professionals
Satisfied customers are the most precious asset for any business. They are the main drive for the supply chains in each of the three phases: manufacturing, marketing and logistics. For this reason, it is a priority for each business owner to clearly understand customer needs, preferences and demands, and then work relentlessly to meet them.
When successful business leaders acknowledge the needs and requirements of their existing and potential customers, they develop a strategy. Whether the business is small, middle-sized or large, strategies rely on effective logistics.
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