In commerce, supply chain management (SCM), the management of the flow of goods and services, between businesses and locations, and includes the movement and storage of raw materials, of work-in-process inventory, and of finished goods as well as end to end order fulfillment from point of origin to point of consumption. Interconnected, interrelated or interlinked networks, channels and node businesses combine in the provision of products and services required by end customers in a supply chain.
Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics is the management of the flow of things between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. The resources managed in logistics may include tangible goods such as materials, equipment, and supplies, as well as food and other consumable items.
Distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. Distribution is the process of making a product or service available for the consumer or business user who needs it. This can be done directly by the producer or service provider or using indirect channels with distributors or intermediaries. The other three elements of the marketing mix are product, pricing, and promotion.
Logistics automation is the application of computer software or automated machinery to improve the efficiency of logistics operations. Typically this refers to operations within a warehouse or distribution center, with broader tasks undertaken by supply chain engineering systems and enterprise resource planning systems.
WESCO International, Inc. is a publicly traded Fortune 500 holding company for WESCO Distribution, a multinational electrical distribution and services company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Essendant, formerly known as United Stationers, is a national wholesale distributor of office supplies, with consolidated net sales of $5.3 billion. Essendant stocks over 160,000 items including traditional office products, office furniture, janitorial and break room supplies, technology products, industrial supplies and automotive aftermarket tools and equipment. Essendant is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois and also has operations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The company operates as an online retailer and sells industrial tools direct to consumers. As of February 13, 2015, Essendant employed approximately 6,500 people.
Supply-chain optimization (SCO) aims to ensure the optimal operation of a manufacturing and distribution supply chain. This includes the optimal placement of inventory within the supply chain, minimizing operating costs including manufacturing costs, transportation costs, and distribution costs. Optimization often involves the application of mathematical modelling techniques using computer software. It is often considered to be part of supply chain engineering, although the latter is mainly focused on mathematical modelling approaches, whereas supply chain optimization can also be undertaken using qualitative, management based approaches.
Order fulfillment is in the most general sense the complete process from point of sales inquiry to delivery of a product to the customer. Sometimes order fulfillment is used to describe the more narrow act of distribution or the logistics function, however, in the broader sense it refers to the way firms respond to customer orders.
Wincanton plc is a British provider of logistics with its origins in milk haulage. The company provides transport and logistics services including specialist automated high bay, high capacity warehouses, and supply chain management for businesses. It also provides container transportation and storage, warehousing solutions and related services, such as health and safety, IT services and people transition to numerous industries.
Order processing is the process or work-flow associated with the picking, packing and delivery of the packed items to a shipping carrier and is a key element of order fulfillment. Order processing operations or facilities are commonly called "distribution centers" or "DC's". There are wide variances in the level of automation associating to the "pick-pack-and-ship" process, ranging from completely manual and paper-driven to highly automated and completely mechanized; computer systems overseeing this process are generally referred to as Warehouse Management Systems or "WMS".
VSE Corporation is a diversified products and services company providing repair services, distribution, logistics, supply chain management support and consulting services for land, sea and air transportation assets in the public and private sectors. VSE serves commercial customers as well as the United States Government, including the United States Department of Defense ("DoD"), federal civilian agencies and other customers. Operations include parts supply and distribution, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (“MRO”) services for ground transport and aviation; vehicle and equipment refurbishment; logistics; engineering; IT and health care IT solutions; and energy and mismanagement consulting services.
Codeworks, LLC is a privately held U.S. software company that specializes in warehouse management system and transportation management system software for the third party logistics industry.
Syncron is an after-sales service solution provider with a global presence. Syncron's global headquarters are located in Stockholm, Sweden, with major subsidiary office around the world located in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, India, and Poland. The company also has a network of partner companies in other markets such as China and the Middle-East. Syncron was ranked as the fastest growing supply chain management software supplier for 2007 and 2008, in the annual Deloitte Fast 500 Technology Awards, EMEA region.
Katoen Natie is an international logistics service provider and port operator. The company is present in 36 countries in five continents and employs about 15.000 people worldwide. In 2009 the company had 154 logistics platforms. Its headquarters are located in Antwerp, Belgium.
CommerceHub is a provider of hosted integration, drop ship fulfillment, and product content management for multi-channel e-commerce merchants. It provides integration and fulfillment services to both online and brick and mortar retailers, distributors, and supplier companies such Sears, MSC Industrial Direct, Kohl’s, Costco, QVC, Staples, Best Buy, Meijer, drugstore.com, Walgreens, Dell, Toshiba, Sanyo, Minolta, Gateway and Little Tikes.
FedEx Supply Chain, formerly known as GENCO is a major third-party logistics (3PL) provider in the United States and Canada. It serves various industries, including: technology & electronics, retail & e-commerce, consumer & industrial goods, and healthcare industries. The company was founded in the year 1898 by Hyman Shear as H. Shear Trucking Company in Pittsburgh. Currently it is a subsidiary of FedEx.
Third-party logistics in logistics and supply chain management is an organization's use of third-party businesses to outsource elements of its distribution, warehousing, and fulfillment services.
Honeywell Intelligrated [sic] is a material handling automation and software engineering company based in Mason, Ohio. In 2017, Honeywell Intelligrated reported revenue of $1 billion. Honeywell Intelligrated has production and service locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and China.
Cleo is an ecosystem integration software company that provides business-to-business (B2B), application-to-application (A2A), cloud integration and data movement and transformation solutions. The privately held company, formally known as Cleo Communications LLC, was founded in 1976, but goes by "Cleo."
Kenco Group, or Kenco, is a privately held Chattanooga, TN-based company that provides logistics services. Kenco specializes in distribution and fulfillment, transportation management, material handling services, and warehouse real estate management. The company is known for being the largest woman-owned third party logistics company in the United States. Its headquarters is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
