Resources
Supply chain and transit
Running a supply chain means holding three constraints together: the lead time promised to the customer, the full cost of transport and storage, and the traceability of every batch. All three are measured and traded off.
Full cost, the only useful arbiter
Transport price alone cannot compare two solutions: you must add stock tied up during the journey, insurance cost, handling charges, duties paid and the risk of stockout. A slower, cheaper mode becomes expensive as soon as a stockout forces an emergency resupply. The full-cost calculation, set once per flow, turns that intuition into a documented decision.
- A full cost per flow: transport, tied-up stock, handling, duties
- A lead time promised to the customer, held by a sized safety stock
- Batch-level traceability, from supplier to end customer
- A controlled and recorded cold chain, when the goods require it
- Tracked service indicators: service level, actual lead time, damage rate
Four modes, four trade-offs
The choice is made per flow and per product, never once and for all. The transport and logistics block builds that grid on the real flows participants bring.
| Mode | What it brings | What it requires you to anticipate |
|---|---|---|
| Sea | The lowest unit cost over long distances | A long lead time, therefore a sized safety stock |
| Road | Door-to-door flexibility | Route conditions and rotation planning |
| Air | The shortest lead time | A cost that assumes high-value goods |
| Multimodal | The cheapest combination at equal service | Transhipment points, therefore stronger traceability |
The scale of the logistics track
- taught hours of logistics
- 220
- hours of the supply chain manager title
- 800
- hours of the director title
- 700
Modes, chartering, warehousing, traceability, full cost.
Level 6, 5 competence blocks.
Level 7, 70 credits.
Logistics questions
How is a safety stock sized?
On the observed variability of the replenishment lead time and on the target service level. Both parameters are measured from history, and their product gives a volume defensible to the finance department.
Which indicators should be tracked first?
Service level, actual end-to-end lead time and damage rate. Three figures are enough to describe a chain's performance and to pinpoint the link that needs action.
How is a batch traced across the whole chain?
Through a unique identifier assigned at source and carried through every transhipment, from supplier to end customer. That traceability governs batch recall and cold chain control.
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