Logistics is the management of the flow of goods and services between the point of origin and the point of use in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and even security. Logistics is a channel of the supply chain which adds the value of time and place utility. Today, the complexity of production logistics can be modeled, analyzed, visualized, and optimized by plant simulation software, but is constantly changing. In the Textile Industry where so many stages are needed to pass from Raw materials to finished goods and then to reach at customers end within stipulated time frame, the logistics management plays a vital role in satisfying customers need and brings delighters in the business circle.

The word logistics has its origin in the French verb loger to lodge or to quarter. Its original use was to describe the science of movement, supplying & maintenance of military forces in the field. Later on, it was used to describe the management of materials flow through an organization, from raw materials through to finished goods. It means for giving inputs which ultimately work for the final consumer or to delivery.

According to the Council of Logistics Management, logistics contains the integrated planning, control, realization, and monitoring of all internal and network-wide material, part- and product flow including the necessary information flow in industrial and trading companies along the complete value-added chain (and product life cycle) for the purpose of confirming to customer requirements.

It can be divided in Performance and cost related to fulfill the target. For the viewpoints, the inbound logistics concentrates on purchasing to manufacturing or assembly plants. Outbound logistics is related to storage to the end user with information flow.

The main fields are:

  • Procurement Logistics
  • Production Logistics
  • Distribution Logistics
  • After sales Logistics
  • Disposal Logistics

Procurement Logistics consists of activities such as market research, requirements planning, make or buy decisions, supplier management, ordering, and order controlling. The targets in procurement logistics might be contradictory - maximize the efficiency by concentrating on core competences, outsourcing while maintaining the autonomy of the company, and minimization of procurement costs while maximizing the security within the supply process.

Production logistics

The term production logistics is used to describe logistic processes within The Textile industry. The purpose of production logistics is to ensure that each machine and workstation is being fed with the right product in the right quantity and quality at the right time. The concern is not the transportation itself, but to streamline and control the flow through value-adding processes and eliminate nonvalue-adding ones. Production logistics can be applied to existing as well as new plants. Manufacturing in an existing plant is a constantly changing process. Machines are exchanged and new ones added, which gives the opportunity to improve the production logistics system accordingly. Production logistics provides the means to achieve customer response and capital efficiency.

Production logistics is becoming more important with decreasing batch sizes. In many Textile industries a batch size of one is the short-term aim, allowing even a single customer's demand to be fulfilled efficiently. Track and tracing, which is an essential part of production logisticsdue to product safety and product reliability issuesis also gaining importance, especially in the automotive and medical industries.


Distribution Logistics has, as main tasks, the delivery of the finished products to the customer. It consists of order processing, warehousing, and transportation. Distribution logistics is necessary because the time, place, and quantity of production differ with the time, place, and quantity of consumption.


Disposal Logistics' main function is to reduce logistics cost(s), enhance service(s), and save natural resources.


Business logistics can be defined as "having the right item in the right quantity at the right time at the right place for the right price in the right condition to the right customer", and is the science of process and incorporates all industry sectors. The goal of logistics work is to manage the fruition of project life cycles, supply chains and resultant efficiencies.


Logistics management is that part of the supply chain which plans, implements and controls the efficient, effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services and related information between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet customer and legal requirements. A professional working in the field of logistics management is called a logistician.


Logistics management is known by many names, the most common are as follows:


          *  Materials Management
          *  Channel Management
          *  Distribution (or Physical Distribution)
          *  Business or Logistics Management or
          *  Supply Chain Management


Third-party logistics: According to this definition, third-party logistics includes any form of outsourcing of logistics activities previously performed in-house. If, for example, a company with its own warehousing facilities decides to employ external transportation, this would be an example of third-party logistics. Logistics is an emerging business area in many countries.


Fourth-Party Logistics (4PL) targets management of the entire process. Some have described a 4PL as a general contractor who manages other 3PLs, truckers, forwarders, custom house agents, and others, essentially taking responsibility of a complete process for the customer.


There is Emergency Logistics which means to move goods or objects rapidly in the event of any emergency which could be due to production delay or communication failure.

The Professional logistics are known as Shipping, Airport, and freight forwarder. It is:

 

* Cargo
* Document automation in supply chain management & logistics
* Inventory
* Inventory management software
* Performance-based logistics
* Returns management system
* Reverse logistics
* Sales territory
* Supply chain management