Logistics like business strategic factor
César Castle López, director of Learning in the
Something Is moving in the economy. The logistics has turned into the last years in the differential competitive advantage of the companies successfully. The main change comes by the strategic paper that plays the logistics in the company. Before, for the general director, the logistical department was an area in which it could take part to reduce costs and obtain competitive gains in function of the reduction of costs. Nowadays, it does not treat only of a strategy of costs, is essential part of the business strategy.
The companies that attain to include the chain of supply like main axis of his business strategy, will attain a differential competitive advantage that will allow them be still in the market. Increasingly companies are including to his directors of Supply inside the boards of directors. The success of the strategy of a company, depends to a large extent of the strategy of his Chain of Supply.
To give reply to the new requirements of the markets, the companies have to prepare and know which are his specific needs. The needs every time look more to the globalisation, but without neglecting the microcapilaridad that supposes to take into account the requirements of the final consumer.
The situation of the logistics to national level
The logistics is in continuous change. Every year we have to update the knowledges of the new processes, systems, tools and actors of the sector. From the revolution that supposed the introduction of the container in the trade, the logistics has not left to be an engine in the innovation of the company. Beyond all doubt, the big improvements for exploring will come by the new technologies and the systems that allow to create processes even more efficient.
The development of new tools is constant, from new types of packaging until elements for the transport of all type of commodities inside the company as it was in the distribution ‘Business to Business' or ‘Business to Consumer'. Internet has supposed an improvement in the conditions to control the commodity, and the new computer systems learn of the advantages of Internet to convert the logistics in the competitive advantage that said.
The main lack in the sector of the national logistics continue being the learning. The importance that has purchased the logistics in the world-wide economic activity, does not see accompanied of an increasing importance in the ruled academic plans. The private enterprise keeps covered the formative needs of the companies, but every time is more urgent that to university level, begin to flower the degrees related with the Chain of Supply. It is not normal that a country like Spain that aspires to be the south logistical door of Europe with the recently approved “Mediterranean runner”, only have of an only university career in all the territory. We have to be honest and say, that already are giving the steps in the good way. There are initiatives to cover these deficits.
The improvements come of the hand of the collaboration and the cooperation that so much costs us in our country from the point of view of companies. Every time there are more projects of collaboration between companies that allow to obtain positive synergies so much for them same, as for the surroundings of the territory.
Countries like Holland, from does centuries one of the centres of the world-wide trade, created the suitable infrastructures to cause the growth in the country of the hand of the logistical operations. If for real we want to be a world-wide logistical centre, the collaborations can not come only of the private sector. The State also has to collaborate.
The logistical has to collect the relief of the best practices and be socially and corporately responsible with his surroundings. The best form of concienciar to the companies of the advantages of a sustainable logistics is his impact in the account of losses and gains of the company. The companies that, for example, have gone integrating the protocol of the footprint of the CO2 in his processes, have to do it with a clear vocation of responsibility. They make a mistake if they do it like an obligation that supposes a greater cost. The sustainability is a thing of all. Like company, have to look for the social sustainability with the improvement of the efficiency of our processes, no simply like fulfillment of a determinate rule. Have social responsibility like company, does not involve to renounce to make money
The hour of the logistics. What can contribute me?
Any strategy of exit to international markets has to go accompanied of a strategic plan of the logistical needs to give answer to the market. Export is not to put a web page with our products and a conversor of currencies in the prices of the same. Export wants to say put the commodity in hands of a customer of out of the country in the conditions of service that have pactado with him.
The learning is essential. The manufacturing to be able to include the chain of supply like strategic element in the company, will allow me know better the needs of the customer and how can fulfil them in the best conditions being competitive in the global market. The put to the day from a technical perspective in Chain of Supply, will have to complete with the knowledge of the market to the that wishes export to all the levels, from the cultural vision, to the vision more purely strategic of entrance in the country that was acting .
The new circumstances of the economy, mark the imperiosa need of experts in all the Chain of Supply. They have to be expert qualified and with powerful profiles. In a recent study realizar from Stock exchange of Work of ICIL, have detected the most sued places in the national logistical sector arriving to the following conclusion. It requires commercial logistical experts. That is to say, logistical technicians with a commercial strategic vision, to be able to answer better to the needs of the customer. It treats of experts with a transversal vision of the business. The director of logistics has to turn into a species of ‘Business Development', as the companies require of professionals with an integrated vision of the chain of supplies like developer of the business.
Increasingly the knowledge of the international market turns into an essential attribute for the logistical professional, as well as the command of several languages. The knowledge of tools READ, according to the results of the quoted study, associates with people that develop agile processes with fast deliveries and constant quality.