Logistics:theModern Perspective
At its heart，logistics deals with satisfyingthe customer. This implies that management must first understand what thoserequirements are before a logistics strategy can be developed and implementedto meet them. Customer service is the most important output of anorganisation's logistics system.
In a more practical sense，logistics refersto the systematic management of the various activities required to movebenefits from their point of production to the customer. Often these benefitsare in the form of a tangible product that must be manufactured and moved tothe user; sometimes these benefits are intangible and are known as services.They too must be produced and made available to the final customer. But logisticsencompasses much more than just the transport of goods. The concept of benefitsis a multifaceted one that goes beyond the product or service itself to includeissues regarding timing，quantity，supporting services，location and cost. So abasic definition of logistics is the continuous
process of meeting customer needs by ensuring the availability ofthe right benefits for the right customer，in thequantity and condition desired by that customer，at thetime and place the customer wants them，all for a pricethe buyer is willing to pay. These concepts apply equally well to for-profitindustries and non-profit organisations.
However，logistics can mean different thingsto different organisations. Some firms are more concerned with producing 'thebenefits: their management focus is on the flow of raw materials into theproduction，process rather than on delivering the finalgoods to the user. Some companies are much `more concerned with the flow offinished goods from the end of the production line to the customer, Logisticsin this situation is sometimes referred to as physical distribution. Finally，some firms view logistics as embracing both material management andphysical distribution. This broader view of logistics integrates materialsmanagement and physical distribution, tasks into a single supply chain thatlinks the customer with all aspects of the firm，sometimesit is referred to as supply chain management.
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