…requires a logistic manual!

 

What is reported within the logistic manual?

The logistic manual illustrates the main aspects of a business logistic system:

  • The fundamental strategic choices of logistics;
  • The consequent logistic organizational structure of the business;
  • The processes and responsibilities of the logistics and shipments department;
  • The criteria to select services and partners that fit at best the business requirements, 
  • Methods of verifying, monitoring and updating the system itself.

 

An accurate elaboration of a logistic manual and even its renovation are often undervalued by the businesses.

A precise drafting process provides either the interaction of the whole implicated functions, or at least those related to the logistic processes with a specialized consultant, and it shall not avoid to perform a previous independent assessment of the processes.

Assigning the manual drafting to a single professional internal figure, there may emerge the risk of finalizing a document unbalanced between the interests and responsibilities of each function. On the opposite, delegating the drafting to a consultant without the active participation of the different business functions, may lead to a document conceptually unobjectionable, but less precise on the business reality.

 

On the operative level, the work arrangements for the different technical and managerial activities that influence the logistics are indicated within a set of procedures, coherent with the manual criteria and the overall business strategy.

 

For the various working processes, the procedures shall indicate:

  • The objective of the procedure,
  • The description of the process of the work considered,
  • The techniques to execute the different activities,
  • The investigations and controls performed,
  • The development of documents and their management,
  • Competences and responsibilities of each activity.

 

Assembling all of it in a single document implies an analysis of the processes themselves, and as a consequence it leads to their rationalization: this task shall not be done without the direct participation of the interested business functions, on both levels of drafting and double-checking.

 

What are the advantages resulting from the application of the logistic manual?

 

We can determine “internal” and “external” benefits.

Some examples of internal benefits:

  • It is an occasion to execute an organizational “check-up”,
  • The responsibilities are settled, the “who does what” based on the business’ characteristics,
  • There is the possibility of continuous reviews and implementations of the procedures, because the logistic manual shall always be enforceable and workable (it is a dynamic document),
  • There are involved operators of different functions: logistics, purchasing, production, commercial, finance and control. Everyone and at every level shall be informed on the business logistic strategy, it influences the firm’s objectives and the way to achieve them,
  • The prospect to exercise both preventive and corrective actions to progressively reduce issues and cost rises, 
  • The professional growth of all of the involved actors,
  • The risk reduction for the transportation developer (joint-responsibility for the transportation pathway).

 

Some examples of external benefits:

  • Ensuring the compliance to norms and laws already in force or on their way to be issued,
  • A step to increase the service qualitative standards for both the clients and the internal sectors,
  • The application of an improvement of the business external image
  • It is functional for the reduction costs (extra-costs for the vectors waiting times, the usage of transportation methods with higher than asked service and cost,…).

 

Since when the business logistic manual has not been updated?

 

PFor a  free check-up, contact us: sales@smartvco.com