STUDENTS' CORNER - 216

Fundamentals of Logistics 

Military logistics

It is said logistics was first used by the military organization.  It is a popular conception; but, as we saw earlier, no life has been possible without so-called logistics. Say, you want to buy a packet of coffee powder in the morning; you go to a grocery shop for it. How did the shop get it? Naturally, somebody sold it to the grocery shop. You can go on like this backward and ultimately you reach one who produces coffee seed and sells them. All these involve movement of both people and things from one place to another. No need to say, people used to take their morning cups of coffee or tea; they were enjoying the benefits of movements of things. It only proves that though out of habit and convention, it is said logistics began with the military connotation, logistics was very much there even before two countries were engaged in some confrontation necessitating movement of troop and other supplies to the troop. Now, of course, logistics is used not only by the distinguished military officers but also ordinary common people.

Let us see where the word comes from and with what meaning.  Tracing the origin of the word and the phases the word has passed through acquiring different meanings is called Semantics.  Let us not go deep into that semantic aspect of the word but just see one or two important points relating to the word.  The origin of the word is said to be in Greek language and it is said to have passed through French before it landed in English. In Greek, the root of the word, logos, meant ‘reason’. At some later phases, it acquired the meaning of ‘calculating’. When you take into account various shades of meanings the word has been associated with, we understand that it actually pointed to some planning. Say, when you want to organize a dinner for your close relatives for about 50 people, necessarily, you have to use reason and plan out the things required, food, place, persons to cook and last to serve. This is what we all do; we plan; and, logistics refers to careful planning. You plan to achieve something so that you have successfully carried out the task you planned.  If you have food only for 35 and not for 50 people you have invited for the dinner, you have not been successful in your aim; moreover, those people who could not get food, will be displeased with your arrangement, rather, your management of things. That is, you have not taken care to plan rightly; you have failed in logistics management.

It only shows you have not understood the significance of planning and there might have been too many assumptions on your part which ultimately deprived you of your goal; with the result, neither is happy; nor the guests and nor the hosts.  This example can be extended ultimately to all commercial activities nations across the globe propose to engage themselves with for the benefit of the people of the nations.

Now, we shall move on to the fundamentals of logistics in our next session.