A evolução da Logística

Matheus Moro - 2° IA - Matrícula: 1401465

Summary - The evolution and future of logistics and supply chain management

The article “The evolution and future of logistics and supply chain management “, by Ronald H. Ballou, is divided into three sections: past, present, and future. The past section traces significant events that created business logistics as it is practiced today. The present section attempts to summarize the state of business logistics nowadays. The future section makes some predictions as to the issues that need to be addressed and the events that will likely take place in the near term.

        Before the 1950’s logistics was thought of in military terms. Little of its knowledge was applied to enterprises and Supply Chain Management (a very recent term, so to speak). It had to do with procurement, maintenance, and transportation of military facilities, materiel, and personnel. According to Ballou, “although a few authors before this time began talking about trading one cost for another, such as transportation costs with inventory costs, and discussed the benefits to the firm of getting the right goods to the right place at the right time, the organization within the typical firm around the activities currently associated with logistics was fragmented.”

This fragmentation often led to conflicts among the areas responsible for logistics activities. While Marketing area wanted Field Warehousing, for instance, Finance area was looking for less warehousing and Production area, Plant Warehousing. It is clear that a company would have many problems with this fragmentation. The reasons for this fragmentation were said to be: A lack of understanding of key cost tradeoffs; The inertia of traditions and conventions; Areas other than logistics were thought to be more important and; The organization may have been in an evolutionary state.

Logistics as we know is a relatively recent area of study. The name Supply Chain Management (SCM) emerged recently. According to Ballou, “this name is taking the logistics area by storm since so many in various business fields seem to embrace it and see activities of their areas imbedded in it. The origin of the name seems a mystery and exactly what supply chain management is, compared with physical distribution and logistics, is being debated.”

        However, up to this day, many people still do not know what exactly supply chain management is to its proponents. According to the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), “Supply Chain Management encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing and procurement, conversion, and all Logistics Management activities. Importantly, it also includes coordination and collaboration with channel partners, which can be suppliers, intermediaries, third-party service providers, and customers. In essence, Supply Chain Management integrates supply and demand management within and across companies.”

Whereas, CSCMP defines logistics to be:  “Logistics Management is that part of SCM that plans, implements, and controls the efficient forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services, and related information between the point of origin and point of consumption in order to meet customer requirements.”

The trend toward increased globalization, free trade, and outsourcing all contribute to a continued and growing interest in logistics/SCM. According to a McKinsey & Company study, “…by the year 2020, 80% of the goods in the world will be manufactured in a country different from where they are consumed compared with 20% now.” In the future, we will experience a tremendous shift in the movement and consumption of goods, all of which will require ever better management of the associated supply chain processes, creating a shift in strategy as well.