Institute of Logistical Management

Objectives:

1. Understand the major aspects of transportation and logistics in the context of the current business environment.
2. Have a general sense of the various historical, legislative and practical issues associated with the movement of freight within the United States.
3. Develop a familiarity with the issues involved in the transport of cargo internationally.
4. Have an awareness of the legal, documentary and mechanical aspects of international trade from the perspective of doing business from the United Sates.
5. Become familiar with the general issues concerning the management of a warehouse. These include site selection, warehouse layout, safety and security measures, cost drivers, shipping and receiving, packaging, inventory management principles, and just-in-time fulfillment.
6. Acquire a general understanding of the major technology issues facing the logistician. These include such topics as PC’s, computer languages, the Internet, networks, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), AutoID technologies, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Transportation Management Systems (TMS), Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), and international trade software.
7. Gain familiarity with the concept of logistics outsourcing. Understand which logistics functions are more successfully outsourced. What factors must be considered before undertaking an outsourcing relationship.
8. Become familiar with some basic strategies for conducting a successful negotiation.
9. Coursework is described in a practical, “hands-on” approach, so that each learning module can be utilized in the student’s current or future positions as a quick-reference for transportation and business logistics problem solving.

Learning Outcome:

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to understand at a high level, the major functional pieces of business logistics. The student will be able to: describe in detail the various modes of transportation and types of carriers; understand and explain the use of the various documents used in the transportation of goods; understand and explain terms of sale; have an understanding of the process for successful rate negotiation; speak with authority on the basics of warehouse operations; have a general understanding of the principles of inventory management; be familiar with current information technology concepts within the context of a logistics operation.

Instruction:

Major topics covered in this course are the various modes of transportation and their application, rate development and negotiation, shipping documents – their purpose and use, domestic and international terms of sale/freight terms, export compliance requirements, international transportation documentary requirements, importing, warehouse fundamentals, inventory management principles, Information Technology (IT) as it applies within a logistics functional setting, logistics outsourcing and negotiation strategies.

* Estimated maximum hours (140 total hours) for assignments. Hours vary depending upon experience and reading levels. The majority of students complete the assignments in less time than allocated.

Textbook:

Stroh, Michael B. A Practical Guide to Transportation and Logistics, 3rd Edition. Dumont, NJ: Logistics Network, Inc., 2006. ISBN: 970811519