Guidelines for management

Business regards the matter of logistics as important, but remains somewhat confused as to its meaning and how it should be implemented. Logistics is often defined as another function in the firm. The authors believe logistics should not be thought of as a function, but as a way of thinking about problems. It involves a systems view of the entire materials flow process. In this article, the concept is first examined historically and then within the framework of general systems theory. The matrix design is recommended for the operation of the logistics systems concept. Such a merging will help business meet the challenges of a dynamic environment, which is forcing change on organizational forms.