The increasing rate of change in technologies and markets and the search for competitive advantage, have led to a new focus on logistics strategy and management. In the dynamic, competitive environment of the 1990s, the successful companies will be those who recognize and take advantage of the...

Deals with the structural problem of how to allocate work to sub‐units or departments within physical distribution organizations. Asks what bases or criteria should be followed in assigning duties to the various parts of physical distribution structures. Concludes with managerial implications.

Presents an exploratory study to define the organizational approaches available to multinational corporations in their attempt to optimize their global PD operations.

The problems and drawbacks of the Physical Distribution System (PDS) of a production company are described. A simulation model which takes into consideration the activities of the PDS and some part of the production system of the company are presented. Using this simulation model, experiments...

Physical distribution management in New Zealand, is still, in many companies, subordinate to other functions in the corporate organisational hierarchy. In this study of three industries (Menswear, Foodstuffs and Pharmaceuticals) it was found that most distribution executives were responsible for...

Analyses the operational implications of marketing strategies that try to distinguish between high‐ and low‐priority customers. For a high‐priority customer, the distributor is willing to expedite an order from any emergency source. For a low‐priority customer, on the other hand,...

Recent trends in logistics and the impact that they are having on retailing and physical distribution are described. Logistics is viewed as a holistic science, concerned with the ways in which the parts of a logistic system or supply chain are connected and integrated. The aim is to make the...

Developments in UK grocery distribution are reviewed; namely centralised networks, composite networks and the increasing use of third party contract distributors. Issues likely to affect the future development of physical distribution are also discussed, such as the quality of operations, customer...

A review of recent literature in this subject area shows that the word “logistics” is the accepted term for what was previously referred to as “physical distribution management”; and covers all aspects from procurement through to after‐sales service. There is a growing recognition that...

Physical Distribution Systems are reviewed in the book of that title, in which marketing and physical distribution channels, warehouse and transport considerations in physical distribution management (PDM), international distribution and the environmental impact of freight movements are...