Principles of Logistics

          The crucial role of the supply chain may not be overlooked in the assessment and planning phase, and in a larger operation with a strong logistics component the participation of a logistics specialist is highly recommended in an assessment mission, and during the initial stage of planning the operation. The more remote the location of the displaced, often the more complex will be the logistical challenges, yet these are the situations where logistics support or lack of same becomes a determining factor to the success or failure.

Assessment/feasibility/planning:-
          Draft a logistics plan covering the supply chain and other relevant aspects based on the operation. Three key aspects of a good supply chain are rapidity, flexibility and security. Rapidity as the commodities are in most instances urgently needed to save lives, flexibility because circumstances change and there frequently is an urgent need to adapt to a changed situation, and security to reduce hazards for staff and so as to reduce theft and looting.

         The logistics plan should provide an overview of the whole operation, planning for and managing services, materials, staff and time. The plan additionally needs to take into account the need for spare capacity and build in ways of ensuring cost-effectiveness.
         A comprehensive understanding of the overall requirements of the activities is crucial. Needs assessment should be carried out in cooperation with the most important actors/colleagues. As part of this, a comprehensive list of requirements for meeting the basic needs of the displaced population et al is essential.
         A mapping of the transport corridors with their limits and possibilities, existing storage facilities and possibilities for local procurement is very important.
         Further to this a strong element of coordination is crucial to ensure that there is no duplication of interventions.

Implementation:-

         Ensure that all procurement adheres to the DRC Procurement Guidelines, as well as the more specific donor guidelines of concern. As part of this, it is worth noticing that DRC by UNHCR has been received a Pre-qualification of Implementing Partner Procurement Procedures, and by ECHO has been given a Partner Status. This implies, that DRC is authorized to follow our standard procurement procedures.
         Assess the local markets and do local procurement where commodities are available in acceptable quality and price.
         Vehicle fleets should be standardized.
         Ensure that the relevant partners and colleagues are fully informed on the stock holdings, lead time on ordered commodities and any delays in deliveries that might occur.
         Build capacity of relevant partners, and hand over activities when relevant and possible.

Monitoring and Evaluation:-

         Ensure proper storage, stock management and distribution procedures, including checks and balances, with proper documentation of all movements.
         Confirm that national regulation on distribution, storage and control systems are observed. This is especially relevant concerning food, pharmaceuticals, petrol, chemicals and other items with special requirements for storage and handling.
         Ensure in cooperation with the relevant project sectors that comprehensive distribution and post-distribution monitoring are in place, this to ensure that misappropriation of relief items is not taking place, all legible beneficiaries receive the stipulated items, and most importantly to prevent and ascertain that no exploitation (sexual and other) of beneficiaries is taking place.
         Ensure that you receive feed-back from partners and colleagues on the performance of the logistics and transport unit, and put corrective measures in place as needed.

Consolidation Services, Transportation Services in India, Cargo Handling Services

Partnership:-
          DRC in many operations links up to the UN supply chain and logistics set-up.

Capacity Development:-
          Advocate emergency preparedness towards government institutions, train counterparts and partners and hand over tasks and assets to national actors when feasible and relevant.

Do-No-Harm:-
          Local procurement has a lot of advantages. However, it is crucial to be aware of the risk of distorting the market by buying commodities in too large quantities. This can have the unintended consequences of leading to price increases, to the detriment of the local population.

Emergency logistics and transport Management

Humanitarian operations are based on the timely provision of supplies and services, without which the entire operation might fail. As humanitarian emergencies often take place in areas far from main sources of supply and communication, the establishment of a relevant, efficient and flexible emergency logistics and transport system is paramount to the success of the operation.
          For DRC the definition of emergency logistics and transport management is:
                    Emergency logistics and transport management is the support function ensuring the timely delivery of supplies and services needed for the humanitarian operation.
Central to the timely delivery of supplies and services is the “supply chain” with standardized procedures and coordinated with colleagues in other departments and external partner agencies.
                    Logistics and transport management is a cornerstone in all DRC programmes as a support function to the operation. DRC also provides emergency logistics and transport management services and support to partner agencies in the UN. DRC has substantial experience with this kind of provision of logistics and transport services in large-scale and complex emergencies. In Bosnia, DRC managed all aspects of a fleet comprising more than 100 trucks and in Kosovo DRC managed workshops maintaining 360 light vehicles and 50 buses/trucks at the height of the operation. Through our Stand-by Roster, DRC has constant access to a large pool of human resources with relevant competencies and experience from complex emergencies.
                    DRC operates in partnership with various UN agencies in emergencies, with DRC operationally responsible for either part of, or the entire logistics set-up in the relief operations. Regardless of the set-up, the implementation of any given project is closely coordinated with the donors involved and the designated UN lead-agency.

Logistics outsourcing

          Logistics outsourcing involves a relationship between a company and an LSP which, compared with basic logistics services, has more customized offerings, encompasses a broad number of service activities, is characterized by a long-term orientation, and, thus, has a rather strategic nature.

Third-party logistics:-
          Third-party logistics (3PL) involves using external organizations to execute logistics activities that have traditionally been performed within an organization itself. According to this definition, third-party logistics includes any form of outsourcing of logistics activities previously performed in-house. If, for example, a company with its own warehousing facilities decides to employ external transportation, this would be an example of third-party logistics. Logistics is an emerging business area in many countries.

Fourth-party logistics:-
          The concept of Fourth-Party Logistics (4PL) provider was first defined by Andersen Consulting (Now Accenture) as an integrator that assembles the resources, capabilities and technology of its own organization and other organizations to design, build, and run comprehensive supply chain solutions. Whereas a third party logistics (3PL) service provider targets a function, a 4PL targets management of the entire process. Some have described a 4PL as a general contractor who manages other 3PLs, truckers, forwarders, custom house agents, and others, essentially taking responsibility of a complete process for the customer.

What is Logistics?

Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and often security. Today the complexity of production logistics can be modeled, analyzed, visualized and optimized by plant simulation software, but is constantly changing. This can involve anything from consumer goods such as food, to IT materials, to aerospace and defense equipment.

Origins and Definition:-
          The term logistics comes from the Greek logos (λόγος), meaning "speech, reason, ratio, rationality, language, phrase", and more specifically from the Greek word logistiki (λογιστική), meaning accounting and financial organization.

Logistics is considered to have originated in the military's need to supply themselves with arms, ammunition and rations as they moved from their base to a forward position. In ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine empires, military officers with the title Logistikas were responsible for financial and supply distribution matters.
          The Oxford English Dictionary defines logistics as "the branch of military science relating to procuring, maintaining and transporting material, personnel and facilities." Another dictionary definition is "the time-related positioning of resources." As such, logistics is commonly seen as a branch of engineering that creates "people systems" rather than "machine systems". When talking in terms of human resources management, logistics means giving inputs, i.e. "recruiting manpowers", which ultimately work for the final consumer or to delivery.
          According to the Council of Logistics Management, logistics contains the integrated planning, control, realization and monitoring of all internal and network-wide material-, part- and product flow including the necessary information flow in industrial and trading companies along the complete value-added chain (and product life cycle) for the purpose of conforming to customer requirements.

Logistics Fields:-
          Given the services performed by logistics, one can distinguish the main fields of it as it follows:
                   1. Procurement Logistics
                   2. Production Logistics
                   3. Distribution Logistics
                   4. After sales Logistics
                   5. Disposal Logistics

Export Import Services

This term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer". In International Trade, "exports" refers to selling goods and services produced in home country to other markets.

Any good or commodity, transported from one country to another country in a legitimate fashion, typically for use in trade. Export goods or services are provided to foreign consumers by domestic producers.

Export of commercial quantities of goods normally requires involvement of the customs authorities in both the country of export and the country of import. The advent of small trades over the internet such as through Amazon and eBay have largely bypassed the involvement of Customs in many countries because of the low individual values of these trades[citation needed]. Nonetheless, these small exports are still subject to legal restrictions applied by the country of export. An export's counterpart is an import.

Logistics Service Providers

The Naigai Trans Line Group (Japan) as well as the Logistics plus Group (USA), we have the unique advantage of having a close and vast network of offices and agents across the world and can serve our customers with a tailored solution at any location in the world.