Logistics21世纪行业英语概要1.docxVIP

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT9 Logistics Learning objectives To understand the basics of logistics. To know about the components of a logistics system. To identify how third party logistics works. Text A Overview of Logistics Logistics Is Everywhere When was the last time that you made a purchase at McDonald’s? You may have not put much though as to where all of the ingredients came from that produced your sandwich. Depending on the restaurant’s location, McDonald’s sources its ingredients from both local and global suppliers. For example, a Big Mac sold Saudi Arabia has meat from Brazil, cheese from Europe and sesame seeds for its buns from Mexico. It sources these ingredients from parts of the world where it finds the best value in terms of quality and cost. It is the challenge for logistics supply chain management (SCM) to ensure that all restaurants in the McDonald’s network have enough ingredients to meet customer demand. In fact, every day, we come in contact with logistics, either directly, e.g., when the parcel carrier rings the doorbell and delivers merchandise we ordered the day before, or indirectly, e.g., when we see the word “logistics,” on a truck traveling down the highway. However, logistics is much more than parcel delivery or freight forwarding. Definition of Logistics Before we come to the definition of logistics, it is worth noting that there is a widespread misleading concept about logistics, especially among amateurs, that logistics is transport. True, transport is the core component of logistics and without it nothing can move. Nevertheless logistics means far more than transport alone can convey. According to the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), logistics is the part of the supply chain process that plans, implements and controls the efficient, effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services, and related information from point of origin to the point of consumption in order to meet customers’ requirement