What is logistics management?
Many operational processes interlock, especially in the context of managing inventory. Logistics management is therefore understood to mean the holistic management of the flow of materials and goods within an organizational unit - depending on the degree of development, this also includes aspects such as recycling, which is being assigned to an ever greater extent to the actual value chain.
In order to gain a better understanding of the relevance of the individual management tasks or functions in logistics, we explain the five central task areas below:
Planning
What goals or benchmark should logistics meet? And what options for action are available? In the context of logistics management, this refers primarily to a transport or transshipment network that ensures that goods and merchandise reach their destination within a defined period of time. Such an action plan is part of the organizational structure planning, which in turn sets specific requirements for the operational intralogistics.
Organization
Who takes on which tasks? Answers to this strongly depend on whether logistics is treated as part of a central department or is decentralized. Within the framework of a process organization, procedures and processes are then defined to ensure that all necessary tasks are performed by the responsible task managers. This affects aspects such as the formation of logistical units, a definition of the functions of technical logistics, etc.
Leadership
How much man power is needed to perform all logistics tasks? Within logistics management, leadership and personnel deployment are considered together. Among other things, this involves filling positions adequately and training employees (especially with a view to the digital processes that are shaping intralogistics).
Information Management
How is waste, surplus raw materials, etc. handled? Such issues are also increasingly being discussed at management level. Here, the focus is then on environmental and business analyses as well as holistic knowledge and data management, among other things. Ideally, this creates a big picture of resource use and its potential economic or logistical utilization.
Control
Are target and actual data in line with each other? Are logistics goals being achieved? Such questions, as well as revisions or corrections derived from the answers, are part of a permanent comparison of different data. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are used in logistics management to define key figures, assign them to specific costs and services, and transfer them to internal processes and areas such as the supply chain.
Conclusion: Logistics management ensures the distribution of goods to the market
Efficient, modern logistics management requires not only high functional planning and the use of modern technology, but also the permanent questioning of the status quo. Planning, management, organization, processing and control are not considered separately, but integratively already at the operational organizational level. The goal of logistics management is to ensure the effective and cost-efficient flow of goods and materials, to optimize logistics processes and, above all, to deal with intra- and extra-logistics in a holistic manner.
