The export packing list, which may be shown on the commercial invoice or separately, should contain item by item, the contents of cases or containers or of a shipment’s cases, with each item listed separately and with its weight and description set forth in such a manner as to permit a check of the contents by the customs on arrival at the port of destination as well as by the importer. The export packing list must be made in accordance with the instructions of the customer. Great care should be exercised to make certain that the contents of the packages are exactly as indicated in the export packing list. Any variation from what is shown in the export packing list, commercial invoice, or consular invoice may, and usually does, render the consignee liable to heavy fines. In short, in the matter of packing for overseas markets, the exporter should take Continue reading
Logistics Concepts
Transportation Cost Elements
Transportation is one of the most visible elements of logistics operations. Transportation provides two major functions namely product movement & product storage. The major objective is to move product from an origin location to a prescribed destination while minimizing temporal, financial and environmental resource costs. Loss and damage expenses must also be minimized. At the same time the movement must take place in such a manner that meets customer demands regarding delivery performance and shipment information availability. Following are the essential elements of transportation to be taken into account: 1. Transport Mode — The most critical decision is the selection of appropriate mode of transport. This fixes two basic elements of distribution function: Transit time or time lapse between production and sale; Level of transportation costs. There is an inverse relationship between transit time and transport cost — the lower the transit time, the higher the transport cost. However, a Continue reading
Logistics – Definition and Meaning
According to Council of logistics management: “Logistics is the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, effective flow and storage of goods, services and related information from point of origin to point of consumption for the purpose of conforming the customer requirement”. This definition clearly points out the inherent nature of logistics and it conveys that Logistics is concerned with getting products and services where they are needed whenever they are desired. In trade Logistics has been performed since the beginning of civilization: it’s hardly new. However implementing best practice of logistics has become one of the most exciting and challenging operational areas of business and public sector management. Logistics is unique, it never stops! Logistics is happening around the globe 24 hours a day’s Seven days a week during fifty-two weeks a year. Few areas of business involve the complexity or span the geography typical of logistics. Word, Continue reading
Logistical Organization and Development
Prior to the 1950s, functions now accepted as logistics were generally viewed as facilitating or support work. Organizational responsibility for logistics was dispersed throughout the firm. This fragmentation often meant that aspects of logistical work were performed without cross-functional coordination, often resulting in duplication and waste information was frequently distorted or delayed and lines of authority and responsibility were typically blurred. Managers recognizing the need for total cost control began to reorganize and combine logistics functions into a single managerial group. Structuring logistics as an integrated organization first appeared in the 1950s. The motivation behind functional aggregation was the belief that grouping logistics functions into a single organization would increase the likelihood of integration. The paradigm (model) was that functional proximity would facilitate improved understanding of how decisions and procedures in one area affect performance in other areas. The belief was that eventually all functions would begin to work as Continue reading
Use of Logistics Channel and Public and Private Distribution Facilities – For Material Sources
Use of Logistics Channel The procurement cycle occurs at the manufacturer/supplier interface and includes all processes necessary to ensure that materials are available for manufacturing to occur according to schedule. During the procurement cycle, the manufacturer orders the components from suppliers that replenish the component inventories. The relationship is quite similar to that between a distributor and manufacturer, with one significant difference: whereas retailer or distributor orders are triggered by uncertain customer demand, component orders can be determined precisely once the manufacturer has decided what the production schedule will be. Component orders are dependent on the production schedule. Of course, if a supplier’s lead times are long, the supplier has to produce to forecast because the manufacturer’s production schedule may not be fixed that far in advance. In practice, there are several tiers of suppliers, each producing a component for the next tier. A similar cycle would then flow back Continue reading
Integrated Logistics Management
Integrated Logistics is defined as “ the process of anticipating customer needs and wants; acquiring the capital, materials, people, technologies and information necessary to meet those needs and wants; optimizing the goods-or-service-producing a network to fulfill customer requests; and utilizing the network to fulfill customer request in a timely way.” Integrated logistics is a service-oriented process. It incorporates actions that help move the product from the raw material source to the final customer. Integrated Logistics Management The movement of raw materials and components to a manufacturing company must be managed. So must the movement of finished goods from the manufacturing plant to further processing, to the retail, or to the final consumer. The management of this movement is called integrated logistics management. Variables affecting the Evaluation and Growth of Integrated Logistic Many variables affected the evaluation and growth of integrated logistic. The first was the growth of the consumer awareness Continue reading