A logistics management specialist is a professional who is charged with the responsibility of overseeing the inflow and outflow of goods from one point to another. Usually, the flow of goods spans from the point of production to the end user. The logistics management specialist is also responsible for ensuring that the raw materials and other items necessary for production get to the manufacturing plants as well as for coordinating the transfer of finished products from the factory to the warehouses. In addition, he or she is in charge of maintaining safety standards.
Companies rely on logistics management specialists to conduct an analysis of the routing channels with the aim of finding the most efficient and cost-effective routes for transporting the raw materials and finished goods. Logistics management specialists must also analyze the methods of transporting the goods so as to decide which methods will work best. For instance, a company may transport its finished products by truck from one point to another. The logistics management specialist may discover that it will be cheaper and faster to transport the goods by ship. After deciding on the best routes and methods of transportation, the logistics manager will meet with the heads of various departments in the organization so as to integrate the various systems for placing orders, accounting and managing sales.
Another function of the logistics management specialist is to maintain safety standards in the various warehouses by establishing and maintaining safety practices and guidelines. He or she must also ensure that the supply chain flows in a smooth manner. If there is any break in the chain, the manager must fix the broken link. For example, the goods may go from the production plant to three different warehouses located in three different cities. If there is a fire outbreak in one of the warehouses, the logistics manager must come up with a temporary alternative warehouse for the goods while the warehouse is inspected and repaired.
In order to maintain the efficient flow of goods, the logistic management specialist will have to relay information pertaining to the transportation of goods to the various distributors and suppliers. For instance, in the case of the fire outbreak, the manager would inform the various distributors of the location for the temporary warehouse. If the damage occurred in a warehouse for storing raw materials used in the production of goods, the manager would inform the suppliers of the location for the warehouse as well as coordinate the transportation of goods to the warehouse.