Marketing logistics
involve the transportation of goods in a planned manner which offers control over the distribution mechanism. It involves mainly planning, actual delivery, and marketing information flow. This is mainly a combination of marketing and operations. Every business requires both the functions to operate with a profit. Marketing creates a demand and logistics fills that demand through an effective flow of goods/services. Together they are referred to as Marketing Logistics. (Definition credit: https://www.mbaskool.com/business-concepts/marketing-and-strategy-terms/3954-marketing-logistics.html)
Indian marketplace
is complex, evolving and is tough to forecast. Joan Schneider and Julie Hall, Co-authors of “The New Launch Plan” says “Less than 3% of new consumer packaged goods exceed first-year sales of $ 50 million – considered the benchmark of highly successful launch”.
The customer preference is dynamic and while it changes with time for a few products, it remains rigid and loyal to a few brands for a very long time. It is possible to sit back and do the analysis but it is more important to forecast the preferences, create demand and to ensure delivery.
Logistics effectiveness has a major impact on consumer satisfaction and company costs. To a few managers, marketing logistics means only trucks and warehouses. But modern logistics is much more than that. Companies are placing greater emphasis nowadays on logistics for several reasons, as you can gain a powerful competitive advantage. Also, because you can yield tremendous cost savings by optimizing the logistics.
Presently, there is a huge explosion in the number of SKUs due to product variety, size, flavor, color, etc which has created a need to improve logistics management. Also, the effects that the logistics have in the environment, in view of the same businesses will like to sustainable efforts from the environment point of view.
The main functions of logistics management are
warehousing, inventory management, transportation & logistics,
and information management.
Warehousing – The production and consumption cycles, rarely match. So companies need to store goods, and to wait for a moment they are sold.
Inventory Management – It is required to get a balance between carrying either too much or too less of it, there are different systems, processes to handle it and to ensure compliance with the regulating law. We can have just in time, frequency, there’s smart tag technology, automation, etc.
Transportation – depends on the type and value of the product to be transported. At times there are regulations which govern the transport choice like in case of foods, FSSAI guidelines are applicable.
Logistic information management – Companies manage the supply chain through information. So channel partners often link up and they share information to make a much better joint logistic decision. Nowadays there is a concept that is used widely that is called integrated logistics management which helps in reducing the costs and increasing the efficiency.
Route2Market™ is a specialized company that provides an integrated supply chain solution to businesses planning to enter India. With its own warehouses, storage management, distribution channel, online sales, shared office and business advisory. It also equipped to build custom channels which are most suitable and efficient to their clients. They work with the client and study their needs and requirements to build a channel just for them.
