What do we mean by history, deeper meaning and main types of logistics?

What is the meaninig of logistics?

For many people, the exact meaning of logistics is not clear. While package delivery highlights speed and reliability as fundamental requirements in the commercial process, the concept of logistics goes beyond that, involving infrastructure, information systems, and resource management as equally crucial components.

The term "logistics" comes from the Greek word "logos," which can mean "calculation" or "planning." Additionally, it can be traced back to the Latin word "locus," meaning "place," indicating the transportation of objects, materials, information, and people from one place to another. Another perspective suggests that ensuring flawless connectivity between procurement and sales is also within its scope.

The Concept of a Logistician

By logistician, we refer to a transportation coordinator who manages the swift and efficient execution of logistic processes. Typically, this professional deals with organizing the delivery of specific products, which can encompass everything from database management to maintaining relationships with courier service partners. A good logistician should ideally possess the following qualities:

• Communication skills and customer focus
• System-oriented and analytical thinking
• Strong problem-solving abilities
• Precise and prompt work execution
• Outstanding resilience and stress tolerance

The Meaning and Brief History of Logistics

The meaning of logistics was already known in ancient empires. There were officers responsible for the storage and transportation of military supplies in ancient armies. During the 18th-century battles, ensuring an adequate supply of food and materials became even more crucial. Finally, during World War I, the majority of soldiers were not engaged in combat but rather took care of the logistics of military equipment.

What about today?

In modern times, parcel lockers, especially, have gained significant popularity. The primary reason for this is the widespread adoption of hybrid and home office work. Thanks to these structures, the concept of shipping can be reevaluated as they offer much more flexible delivery options. You can come across lockers with temperature control, refrigeration, and even biometric identification.

Main Components of Logistics

Logistic processes can be broadly categorized into two main groups: coordinating transportation and storage and managing resources. The former ensures the safe and fast flow of shipments, which includes overseeing storage facilities such as warehouse containers, mobile garages, and shipping routes. The latter involves the overall planning, execution, and control of the entire project, with its main components.

• Procurement and raw material supply,
• Plant and warehouse placement,
• Packaging,
• Traffic forecasting,
• Material handling,
• Order processing,
• Operation of customer service,
• Return handling and disposal.

What types of logistics do we know?

The meaning of logistics applies to the entire supply chain. The participants in this chain are the manufacturing company, the customer company, the courier service partner, the end consumer, and the product itself. The four areas of transportation are sales, production, procurement, and waste management, with sales, particularly the activities of e-commerce webshops, being the most dynamically developing segment.

Sales Transportation

After the production of a product or service, it needs to be delivered to the customer. At this point, there are numerous essential considerations. First and foremost, the transportation of goods must be flawless from inventory to the buyer. Sales channels and logistics centers play a crucial role in this process, and their coordination falls under the responsibility of sales logistics.

What is the meaning of logistics in the supply chain?

The meaning of logistics is closely related to procurement. Supply ensures the availability of materials and assets for companies. To ensure that production or services are not hindered, the availability of the right quantity and quality of materials is crucial. It is advisable to choose a source with an impeccable reputation in the market for this purpose.

The necessity of manufacturing logistics

Manufacturing transportation plans, organizes, and executes the movement of raw materials to the warehouse in the form of finished products. In this sense, it plays an essential role in ensuring a continuous supply. To achieve this smoothly, collaboration with production management is essential since we are talking about two complementary areas.

Transportation in waste management?

Logistics is essential for sustainability. Waste management logistics refers to material handling tasks related to collection, sorting, and recycling. This field contributes to filtering out and excluding hazardous waste, ultimately helping recycled materials return to production as finished goods.

The meaning of logistics: methods

In the case of dropshipping, it is not the intermediary company but the manufacturer or wholesaler, i.e., the supplier, that sends the order to the customer. In cross-shipping, the product first goes to the intermediary company, from where it is further sent to the buyer's address. Finally, it is worth mentioning fulfillment services, which take over the burden of logistics processes from webshop owners: including storage, packaging, and delivery.

Mobilainer places importance on continuous innovation in the field of logistics, constantly developing its product and service offerings to provide truly revolutionary solutions to its customers.