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General Description

This is an ideal career for logical thinkers. Logistics is the efficient flow and storage of goods and services from the manufacturer to the consumer. Logistics is a part of the supply chain process which plans, implements and controls the movement of goods.

Career Advice - Logistic Manager Career

You co-ordinate transportation, shipping and receiving, as well as storage and despatch and import/export operations.

You work in areas but really operationally manage staff involved in inventory procurement, storage, warehousing, distribution, materials handling, transportation, 3rd party providers, customer services. As a logistics manager, you liaise with a number of people involved in a supply chain, including suppliers of materials, demand managers, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers.

Logistics has a high focus on customer satisfaction. You must ensure the goods get to the right place, at the right time, in a state of high quality and appropriate quantity. You will need to consider external influences such as legislation, fuel costs, delivery delays, and environmental pressures when managing the flow of goods.

Whilst logistics has a high focus on customer satisfaction it is more likely a business to business operation rather than a business to retail. There is a higher focus on cost verses demand. You also need to consider the external influence of demand, and the operational network components, i.e. demographics internally.

Logistics is also about managing the demand, forecasting demand. A logistics manager works within the supply chain process and manages a large degree of it operationally. Apart from transport and shipping, you also consider IT solutions, process and systems, materials handling and warehousing and storage solutions, the supply network.

What you do every day

Your day to day business is managing the operational supply and demand of the products within your business involving all the partners in the supply chain. This may involve a range of tasks during a standard working day.

You may:

• monitor the quality, quantity, cost, and efficiency of the movement and storage of goods;
• solve problems that arise in the supply chain;
• develop customer contracts to minimise costs and maximise efficiency;
• determine supply chain costs for proposed products;
• discuss whether orders should be put to tender with colleagues;
• manage the order cycle and related information systems;
• study data to monitor performance and make improvements;
• manage the allocation of staff and workforce;
• liaise and negotiate with customers and suppliers;
• design new business schemes, and
• Stay up to date with new developments that may affect the future purchase and movement of goods and services.

You may also have to do a number of managerial tasks, depending on your position. These tasks may include: ensuring that health and safety procedures are followed; handling staff training issues; motivating and encouraging employees; undertaking project management responsibilities; and setting objectives.     

Personality that best fits this career

Logistics requires a strong understanding of the transportation industry, including purchasing, financial management, stock control, storage and transportation. You will need strength in business, technology, with good analytical and problem solving skills. You approach your work in a logical manner.

Depending on your role, you will need a well-developed sense of managerial responsibility, with an aptitude for time and project management. It’s important for you to understand how logistics fits in with the rest of the business.

The best logistics managers have good communication skills, not only when dealing with other departments, suppliers, and customers, but also to motivate and encourage staff. They demonstrate fflexibility, adaptability, analytical, organising and controlling, planning skills. You will also need to be able to remain calm under pressure, display good judgment, confidence, and a strong service ethic to guarantee that the needs of manufacturers and customers are met. 

Best thing about this career

The best thing about this career is that it is a well kept secret. There is a skills shortage, a need for young recruits, that can take up the challenge of change in it and systems and processes and this will formulate a definite career path. There is room to start at the bottom and go further up the ladder.

The diversity of the industry is attractive you could work from mining, to beer and wine, to fashion, and be a logistics manager of any one of these operations at one time or another while retaining a career. You are in charge of the quality and quantity of products, not to mention the most cost and time effective flow of goods and services.

You are in a department of importance within a manufacturing company, and fulfil a necessary role. When you meet a deadline and a product reaches customers on time and in good condition, you can breathe a large sigh of relief and have pride in the successful coordination of logistics.

Worst thing about this career

A logistics manager is a typical management job, with a degree of responsibility and therefore problem solving, evolving change and a myriad of issues to face on a day to day basis. It is never boring. You work under busy, loud and often stressful conditions.

The logistics process can be demanding and hectic, with many glitches in need of attention. If there is a problem with product quantity, storage, or transportation, then it must be solved immediately before the flow can continue. Customer satisfaction is vital to the continued success the company.

Meeting the deadline is your responsibility, and if you are in the position of logistics manger, when overtime is needed from the workers, you cop the blame and resentment for not managing the schedule better in the first place.