The functions of each logistics component within a supply chain frequently define the logistics tasks. The importance of logistics inside supply chains is difficult to understand in definitions and discussions of these networks, which is why the supply chain river is a convenient approach to illustrate this relationship. The logistics elements provide additional explanations of the procedures and activities that get used in a supply chain. In logistics, there are five components:
- Storage, warehousing, and materials handling
It gets done so that producers can supply a consistent flow of goods. Why is this crucial? Although consumers don’t typically purchase items at a rate that matches how quickly a manufacturer can produce them, manufacturers must work at maximum efficiency.
Between the consistent supply and the erratic demand, there is frequently an imbalance. The solution is to hold onto a manufacturer’s excess inventory until it gets needed by customers. Buildings for warehouses are required to do this. To transport them to the warehouse and load and unload delivery vehicles, special storage equipment, such as shelving or racks, is needed.
- Unitization and packaging
The care and condition of a product is a crucial definition and one of the four Rs of logistics. Packaging is a vital component of that. Unitization is also essential for storage and shipping reasons. A cube is the handiest product to transport and store, according to David goodnight of Austin, Texas. Hence packing and unitization aim to compress products of all sizes and shapes as closely as possible into a cuboid shape.
- Inventory
Storage and warehousing are two aspects of logistics that get strongly tied to inventory. It addresses the question of what stock to hold, where to find it, and how much stock to own. Inventory effectively regulates the flow of items entering and leaving a warehouse. How is that done? With prior order sales data and mathematical and statistical tools, one can try to forecast how much customer demand will be for a commodity. Although inventory management is not an exact science, it can be a valuable tool to help control the flow of items through the supply chain, depending on how varied the demand can be.
- Transport
Most people will be familiar with transportation as a component of logistics, according to David goodnight of Austin, Texas. That covers all forms of transportation, such as cars, freight trains, cargo ships, and airplanes. Without transport, items couldn’t travel along a supply chain from one stage to another. Foods, for example, have limited supply chains and don’t go very far. Some more complicated items get made up of numerous, globally transportable parts.
- Control and knowledge
All the elements require information and control to function as triggers for different operational operations. The data needed for inventory has to get mentioned. Order levels make it possible to plan and organize transportation and determine which orders must be collected and packed in warehouses. The purpose of information and control is to assist in the information systems that can regulate operational processes. As was already established, they are essential for estimating demand and inventories.
