The Top 5 Logistics Skills

The Top 5 Logistics Skills. Warehouse management is an important part of a company's logistics plan. George Doyle/Stockbyte/Getty Images. Related Articles. 1 What Is a Logistics & Operations Manager? 2 How Much Money Can I Make With a Logistics Degree? 3 Fleet Manager Responsibilities in a Logistics Company 4 What Is a Logistics Analyst? A logistics manager is responsible for handling the company's physical resources. Typical logistics activities include procurement of materials, storage, transportation and distribution of the finished product. This can be a hidden area of cost savings for companies that do not currently have a logistics department. You may be hired directly onto a company's payroll or work as an outside consultant. To work in logistics, you must understand all aspects of the supply chain. You will be expected to use your knowledge to spot problems and eliminate inefficient processes in the chain. Communication. You must be able to communicate with vendors and employees at each step of the process. Success in logistics depends on the ability to coordinate various parties to complete a transaction. You must be able to keep your cool in a fast-paced environment and remain polite under stressful conditions. You may also be expected to be on call during your off hours to respond to problems as soon as they arise. Procurement. You must locate sources for materials, negotiate prices with vendors and find backup sources quickly when problems arise. After the initial contracts are set up, you will need to monitor your suppliers to make sure they are keeping up with the current demand. Quality control is also vital to an effective supply chain. You must keep an eye on the shipments you are receiving from your suppliers. If you notice a sudden decline in quality, you may need to withhold payment for the defective goods or terminate the supplier's contract completely. Shipping and Receiving. The logistics department unloads and unpacks new shipments of materials, checks the contents against the applicable purchase order and updates the company's inventory system. When new orders are placed, you must evaluate the available packaging options for maximum efficiency and brand awareness at the lowest possible price. You will also be expected to develop appropriate safety procedures for the warehouse and train your employees on their use. Inventory Management. If your company sells physical products, the logistics department also performs demand planning to predict future inventory needs. This ensures that you do not waste money on excess products you cannot sell or run out of products when demand is high. This aspect of the job requires strong math and analytical skills, along with training on how to use SAP, Oracle or another enterprise resource management program. Distribution. The final phase of logistics involves getting the finished product out of the warehouse and in front of your customers. Common distribution activities include managing warehouse employees and contacting retailers to assess the supply and demand so your products are consistently stocked on store shelves. The company must also decide whether to purchase its own in-house delivery vehicles or outsource this aspect of distribution to a transportation company. If your company owns a fleet of vehicles, you will be responsible for maintenance, repairs and licensing. References (2) About the Author. Denise Sullivan has been writing professionally for more than five years after a long career in business. She has been published on Yahoo! Voices and other publications. Her areas of expertise are business, law, gaming, home renovations, gardening, sports and exercise.