Интересные логистические факты

Для логистики, транспорт – это движение товара средствами и конечно же людьми из точки А к точке В по воздуху, морю, железной дороге, трассе. Без этого процесса наш современный ритм жизни не был бы таковым. И чтобы все было доставлено в неиспорченном первоначальном виде, работники этой сферы серьезно заботятся о Ваших грузах. Так, например, в Японии все мелкие грузы перевозят в емкостях наполненных нежнейшей рисовой шелухой. Сложно представить добычу этого сырья. Но это не самая большая забота, проявленная по отношению к товарам. В США сделаны 600 специальных железнодорожных грузовых путей протяженностью более 173 000 миль (Мексика, США и Канада). По этим рельсам отправляют 70% произведенных Северной Америкой автомобилей. Общий объем дохода равен $42 млрд. в год. А первое место среди продуктов питания занимает замороженный картофель, его 95% от общего объема перевозок. А если смотреть на всю логистику в мире, и собрать цепочку всех перевозимых колбас, то длина превысит 400 000 км. Это расстояние от Земли до Луны и немного обратно.

Text 6. Pressures to Improve Logistics

1. Make sure you know the following words and word combinations.

Savings, encourage, pressure, knowledgeable, quality, fierce, competition, remain competitive, opportunity, customization, growth, encourage, improvement, offer, pollution, congestion on roads, concern, environmental, privatization, deregulation, fluctuate, exchange rate, respond.

2. Read the text and do the tasks that follow.

As well as potential savings, many other factors are encouraging organizations to improve the management of their supply chains. The following list suggests some of these pressures:

◊ Customers are more knowledgeable, and demand higher quality, lower costs and better service.

◊ Competition is getting fiercer, and organizations must look at every opportunity to remain competitive.

◊ There is changing power in the supply chain. Very large retail chains, such as Wal-Mart, Tesco, Toys-R-Us and McDonald's, demand customized logistics from their suppliers.

◊ Other changes in retail markets include the growth of 24-hour opening, home deliveries, out-of-town malls, retail parks, telephone and on-line shopping.

◊ International trade continues to grow. This is encouraged by free trade areas such as the European Union and North American Free Trade Area.

◊ Organizations are introducing new types of operation, such as just-in-time, lean operations, time compression, flexible manufacturing, mass customization, virtual operations, and so on.

◊ Some organizations are turning from a product focus (where they concentrate on the end products) to a process focus (where they concentrate on the way products are made). This encourages improvement to operations, including logistics.

◊ There have been considerable improvements in communication. These allow electronic data interchange (EDI), item coding, electronic fund transfer (EFT), e-commerce, shared knowledge systems, and other new practices.

◊ Organizations are outsourcing peripheral activities and concentrating on their core operations. Logistics is a useful area for third-party operators, with specialized companies offering a range of services.

◊ Organizations are increasing co-operation through alliances, partnerships, and other arrangements. This integration is important for logistics, which is usually the main link between organizations in a supply chain.

◊ Managers are recognizing the strategic importance of the supply chain.

◊ Attitudes towards transport are changing, because of increased congestion on roads, concerns about air quality and pollution, broader environmental issues, government policies for the real cost of road transport, privatization of rail services, deregulation of transport, and a host of other changes.

This is, of course, only a partial list and there are many other pressures for change, including uncertain market conditions, political change, deregulation of business, rising costs, shortage of skilled staff, fluctuating exchange rates, and so on. In the next section, we will see how logistics is responding to these pressures.

3. Answer the questions.

1. Are there are any factors that encourage improvement in supply chain? 2. What do customers demand? 3. What encourages internal trade? 4. What other changes in retail markets occur? 5. What improvements in communication do we witness now? 6. What are the attitudes to import determined by? 7. How do companies increase their cooperation? 8. What other pressures can you add to the list which may help improve logistics?

4. Work in pairs. Speak on the pressures that may help improve an organization’s logistics.

POINTS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Is it true that every organization has to move materials to support its operations? What do service companies like Internet service providers move? Give some examples from different types of organization to support your views.

2. How important is logistics to the national economy? What proportion of employment and gross domestic product is due to logistics? How has this proportion changed over time?