Logistics Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Logistics Management - Essay Example You are a consultant who has been asked to write a report that discusses what logistic management would involve for clothing manufacturing firms sourcing in the Pacific Rim. The objectives of the report are to explain with reference to the literature the logistics requirements for getting the supplies from the Pacific Rim to Australia, write an action plan that lists the steps of logistics management, describe each of the steps by stating what will be done and why it will be done, and discuss the constraints of logistics management in meeting the clothing firms' sourcing needs. This is to be accomplished thorugh writing an academic report; providing an executive summary, introduction, and conclusion; using the report as a way to demonstrate knowledge of the course content, including the textbook and additional readings that have been utilized, using appropriate headings, using 8 references, using minimal direct quotes, using text referencing and a reference list; and ensuring all aspects of the marketing guide are satisfied. Global sourcing is a procurement strategy aimed at exploiting global efficiencies in production. While a global sourcing process is usually initiated as a mechanism of exploiting cross-geographic arbitrages (simply put, identifying cheaper global sources), it is now a standard step in the global expansion of firms. Global sourcing advantages extend to identifying alternate supplier sources, utilizing buffer capacities and taking advantage of specific geographical talent pools (Wikipedia 2008). The textbook containing this case study also encompasses the entire concept of the supply chain. The supply chain can be defined as: A supply chain, logistics network, or supply network is the system of organizations, people, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. Supply chain activities transform raw materials and components into a finished product that is delivered to the end customer. Supply chains link value chains. A typical supply chain begins with the extraction of raw material and includes several production links, for instance; component construction, assembly and merging before moving onto several layers of storage facilities of ever decreasing size and ever more remote geographical locations, and finally reaching the consumer. Many of the exchanges encountered in the supply chain will therefore be between different companies who will seek to maximize their revenue within their sphere of interest, but may have little or no knowledge or interest in the remaining players in the supply chain. (Wikipedia 2008) The purpose of this report is to discuss what logistics management would involve for clothing manufacturing firms sourcing in the Pacific Rim. In doing so, the purpose is to explain with reference to the literature the logistics requirements for getting the supplies from the Pacific Rim to Australia, write an Action Plan that lists the steps of logistics management, describe each of the steps by stating what will be done and why it will be done, and discuss the constraints of logistics management in meeting the clothing firms' sourcing needs. Given in the case study is that: Global sourcing has become a widely