Warehousing and logistics industry
Warehousing is the movement of goods and the management of warehouse and cool store operations. Logistics is the generic term for the flow and storage of goods and materials from where they were produced to where they are needed.
Logistics covers:
- procurement (purchasing) and supply
- inventory management
- distribution centre or warehouse management
- cool store operations
- freight-forwarding and the transport and delivery of materials, goods and services to the consumer.
Storekeeping and warehousing activities are crucial to the success of supply, manufacturing, processing and transportation.
The logistics industry has undergone dramatic changes over the years, where customer demand for product has seen an increase in stock-keeping units and minimum order quantities stretched across international supply chains.
Interesting facts about the industry:
- global supply dynamics mean operations staff need to have a broad range of skills and knowledge
- sophisticated information systems are embedded within procurement, purchasing, receiving, storage, human resource management, inventory management, customer order processing, selection and distribution
- logistics and transport are increasingly recognised as a career choice and as a major component that is highly relevant to the successful performance of organisations
- logistics managers increasingly report directly to chief executives
- logistics managers frequently have a shared responsibility for sales forecasting and customer services.
Warehousing and logistics qualifications
For more information - industry profiles
Read our profiles of the warehousing and logistics industry. They are based on 2006 Census data. These profiles provide an insight into the unique characteristics of the industries we support.
Industory profiles for Warehousing and storage Industries [PDF: 1.47Mb, 37 pages]
Industory research profile for all Tranzqual Industries (NEW) [PDF: 800KB, 37 pages]