Logistics Managers
Transportation, Distribution & Logistics > Logistics Planning and Management ServicesProjected Growth: Average
Projected Job Openings
Considerable Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Plan, direct, or coordinate purchasing, warehousing, distribution, forecasting, customer service, or planning services. Manage logistics personnel and logistics systems and direct daily operations.
Common job titles of Logistics Managers include:
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Experience and Education
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for this occupation. For example, a person in this occupation must complete four years of college and work for several years in industry to be considered qualified.
60% said they needed a Bachelor's Degree.
16.67% said they needed a Master's Degree.
Tasks & Responsibilities
Essential Tasks
Establish or monitor specific supply chain-based performance measurement systems.
Direct inbound or outbound logistics operations, such as transportation or warehouse activities, safety performance, or logistics quality management.
Direct or coordinate comprehensive logistical or reverse logistical functions for product life cycles, including acquisition, distribution, internal allocation, delivery, recycling, reuse, or final disposal of resources.
Resolve problems concerning transportation, logistics systems, imports or exports, or customer issues.
Analyze all aspects of corporate logistics to determine the most cost-effective or efficient means of transporting products or supplies.
Supervise the work of logistics specialists, planners, or schedulers.
Communicate freight transportation information to customers or suppliers, using transportation management, electronic logistics marketplace, or electronic freight information systems, to improve efficiency, speed, or quality of transportation services.
Direct distribution center operation to ensure achievement of cost, productivity, accuracy, or timeliness objectives.
Regular Tasks
Maintain metrics, reports, process documentation, customer service logs, or training or safety records.
Review global, national, or regional transportation or logistics reports for ways to improve efficiency or minimize the environmental impact of logistics activities.
Negotiate with suppliers or customers to improve supply chain efficiency or sustainability.
Analyze the financial impact of proposed logistics changes, such as routing, shipping modes, product volumes or mixes, or carriers.
Collaborate with other departments to integrate logistics with business systems or processes, such as customer sales, order management, accounting, or shipping.
Create policies or procedures for logistics activities.
Ensure carrier compliance with company policies or procedures for product transit or delivery.
Monitor product import or export processes to ensure compliance with regulatory or legal requirements.
Recommend optimal transportation modes, routing, equipment, or frequency.
Implement specific customer requirements, such as internal reporting or customized transportation metrics.
Occasional Tasks
Prepare or file environmental certification applications.
Plan or implement material flow management systems to meet production requirements.
Design models for use in evaluating logistics programs or services.
Negotiate transportation rates or services.
Participate in carrier management processes, such as selection, qualification, or performance evaluation.
Plan or implement improvements to internal or external logistics systems or processes.
Train shipping department personnel in roles or responsibilities regarding global logistics strategies.
Develop plans or set goals to reduce carbon emissions associated with storage or transport activities.
Implement or monitor carbon or environmental management, accounting, or audit systems.
Conduct or review environmental audits for logistics activities, such as storage, distribution, or transportation.
Develop risk management programs to ensure continuity of supply in emergency scenarios.
Recommend purchase of new or improved technology, such as automated systems.
What Tools and Technologies do Logistics Managers use?
Tools
Photocopiers
Personal protective equipment
Multi-line telephone systems
Laser facsimile machines
Technologies
Infor ERP Baan
Microsoft Dynamics AX
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management
SAP Business Objects
SAP ERP Operations
Transtek Compass ERP
3PL Central
All TechnologiesCadre Technologies Accuplus Integrated Distribution Logistics System
ESRI ArcLogistics
FedEx Ship Manager
Four Soft 4S eLog
Four Soft 4S VisiLog
IBM Power Systems software
IntelliTrack 3PL
Inventory control software
Logisuite Enterprise
Logisuite Forwarder
Materials resource planning MRP software
Optimization software
Oracle E-Business Suite Logistics
Presentation software
Scheduling software
Spreadsheet software
Transportation management system TMS software
UPS WorldShip
USPS.com
Warehouse management system WMS
What Skills Do Logistics Managers Need to Have?
Skills
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Management of Material Resources
Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Management of Financial Resources
Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
Abilities
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Comprehension
Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Expression
Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Problem Sensitivity
Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Deductive Reasoning
Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Everything Logistics Managers Should Know…
Knowledge
Transportation
Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Administration and Management
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Personnel and Human Resources
Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Production and Processing
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Law and Government
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Economics and Accounting
Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Education and Training
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.