Emerging Concepts, Essay Example

Transportation and logistics is a highly sensitive functional area of most industries and markets. This is because transportation and logistics management (TLM) continues to experience constant transformation and improvements as a result of technological advances that influence processes and systems employed in TLM.

Root Network and Asset Optimization

In the recent past, there has been a continued focus on optimization tools that ensure predictability. This major trend is defined and characterized by four micro trends;

1. Predictive analytics based on booking demand data/booking velocity
2. Network Optimization and Simulation
3. Empty asset optimization and simulation for liner and logistics companies
4. Mobile Asset Management to enable real time re-routing/milk run scenario(Liu, 2012)
5. Master Data Management

There has been an increasing need for managing partner and client information while integrating identity resolution capabilities, credit rating and cleansing. The information age necessitates optimal data management to ensure optimal performance in TLM

Green Logistics

The supply chain has become concerned about the environment, a factor that did not exists about a decade ago. By applying environmentally friendly techniques, green logistics aims at mitigating the carbon print its functions and operations have on the environment (McKinnon, 2014). Green Logistics is essential in ensuring sustainability and will become integral in the next decade.

Project Essential Elements

The project will essentially focus on one company that has a supply chain that extends outside the markets within which it markets its products. The project will aim at determining the efficiency of Starbuck’s supply chain through analyzing the critical elements that influence and affect its supply chain, relative to its operations and industry. They include;

• Environmental uncertainty
• Government policy and support
• Information technology
• Value-added process (manufacturing)

References

Liu, J. J. (2012). Supply chain management and transport logistics. Milton Park: Routledge.

McKinnon, A. C. (2014). Green Logistics: Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Logistics (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Kogan Page Limited.