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There is significant potential for adding value by involving customer in the design process and delivery of logistic services. In order to add value to the overall logistic system, the purpose of this paper is to apply an integrated systems approach for the design of forward and reverse logistics services in order to build a self-organising service that can maximise efficiencies and in particular reduce reverse logistics costs.

Two exploratory case studies were conducted in the logistics systems of housing repair and maintenance sector in the UK. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, observations, and documented evidence.

The findings of the cross-case analysis suggests that systems approach expressed as the Vanguard Method (Seddon, 2008) has a direct impact on enhancing forward logistics performance and reducing reverse product flows by nourishing three dimensions for learning from demand-driven analysis; capturing customer clean information, demand predictability and categorisation, and failure demand analysis.

Findings from exploratory case studies cannot be easily generalised. Hence, further case studies are needed to enrich the findings, and to facilitate their industrial applications. Further, the paper explores the utilisation of the Vanguard Method only in the area of housing repairs and maintenance logistics services. It would be valuable for future studies to further investigate the utilisation of the Vanguard Method in other logistics services settings.

The paper demonstrates an important dynamics of how logistics services can incorporate customer demands into the logistics design process.

Logistics has been receiving increased attention in management literature in the past few years. In particular, logistics has been recognised not only as a group of important functions, but as functions that have important strategic impacts as well. Logistics, as demonstrated by many corporations, can either gain or lose leverage in the marketplace, and more firms are recognising its importance.

Sets out an exploratory study to give an alternative viewpoint of manufacturing logistics.

Based on causal analysis, the relationship between competitive strategy and manufacturing logistics was explored. Variables, including both positioning and competitive dimensions, in the competitive strategy that interacted with manufacturing logistics were identified. The elements of manufacturing logistics for this study included master production scheduling, capacity requirements planning, material planning, purchasing, and inventory control. A weighted business performance index was used to segregate the sample firms into three groups: high‐, average‐, and low‐performing organizations. For each of the performance group, the causal relationships between strategic elements and the performance of manufacturing logistics were then analyzed.

The results showed a significant relationship between competitive strategy and manufacturing logistics system performance.

Not all the elements in manufacturing logistics may contribute to the logistics performance. The construct of manufacturing logistics depends on a particular set of strategic variables that the organization designs.

Extends the study of manufacturing logistics beyond its boundary through a broader strategic perspective.

A Process Model During the last five years, American businesses have increasingly accepted the notion that product quality is necessary for them to compete in today′s world markets. Product quality, in the context here, can be defined by an agreed set of standards and tolerance limits between the firm and its customers. Quality is achieved through the successful creation of form, possession, time, place, and quantity utilities for the firm′s products. Control must be implemented in order to ensure that these utilities are created to meet the standards and tolerance limits agreed upon by the firm and its customers. The purpose of exercising control is to ensure that desired results are attained from an activity or process. As such, it is important to exercise control over the logistics activities to make sure that time, place, and quantity utilities are created in accordance with customer needs. The purpose of this monograph is to present a rather comprehensive discussion of the concept of control. Specific control concepts presented include a discussion of the link between control and quality, the development of the characteristics of control and levels of sophistication of control, the presentation of an eclectic process control model, and suggestions to managers on how to implement the control process over logistics activities.

The increased efficiencies to be gained in improving logistics has pushed managers to explore a number of new ideas, technologies, and methods of information management and computerization. However, many companies in Asia are indicating that responsiveness and flexibility are the keys to responding to markets which are rapidly changing and where customers are requiring a range of services. Studies several local and international logistics firms in Singapore and elsewhere as a way of developing a better understanding of their difficulties and reasons for success. Illustrates why certain larger companies which have the capability to develop more sophisticated information and computer systems do not; instead, they chose to rely on more flexible systems which allow for learning and adaptation.

Academicians and practitioners alike recognise that logistics services and operating systems are an integral part of the overall marketing strategy of firms. Consequently, there is a need for an ongoing, interactive review of actual logistics system performance, so that firms can achieve operating systems improvements as well as select and implement the most profitable corporate strategies.

In a logistics system the number of possible applications of qualitative and quantitative modelling efforts is practically infinite. The situations or problems which can be analysed range from micro operations (e.g., analysing alternative order picking systems) to macro planning issues (e.g., determining the number and location of warehouses to be employed in a future distribution system). This range of potential applications not only reflects the scope of the models (micro to macro) but it also incorporates another relevant dimension: planning. The planning axis is anchored at one end by operations models which are constructed to analyse daily operating practices. The other end of the continuum is represented by long range planning models. These models are used to aid logistics managers in their attempts to design systems to cope with the future. In many situations exact classification of individual models along these two dimensions is difficult. However, this categorisation is a useful framework within which to view the scope of the modelling discussed in this paper. This presentation will focus on the macro planning models that are being employed both in military and industrial logistics to aid the systems planner in his attempts to structure logistics systems for the future.

This paper seeks to address how firms may contribute to environmental improvement through structural changes of their logistics systems.

A comprehensive literature review discloses the low interest that has been directed to environmental issues in logistics, and findings relevant for structural issues at a firm level are described. Three cases where firms have implemented different types of structural changes to their logistics systems support the analysis.

A range of different measures to succeed in environmental as well as logistics performance are presented, comprising types of consolidation, logistics standardisation, and IS/IT solutions allowing a vast restructuring of logistics systems.

The discussion about logistics and the environment has mostly revolved around more environmental friendly technological solutions, concerning single firms as well as governmental support for technology development. The structural, more organisational issues, have been addressed on a societal level, where solutions concern infrastructure. There is a need to reduce the amount of transport in general. The paper discusses how logistics systems' environmental performance can be improved simultaneously with a non‐reduction of logistics performance in terms of costs and delivery service.

This monograph progresses from a consideration of definitional issues to the development of a conceptual model for marketing‐logistics interaction and finally to a discussion of the issues of implementation of the model within the context of marketing strategy. Thus, following an introduction, Part II begins with definition of the field and examines the position of physical distribution in relation to marketing. Part III discusses the relationship of physical distribution and macro‐marketing, and is thus concerned about the social, aggregative goals of logistics systems, including the costs of distribution. Part IV continues this argument, examining specifically the influence of physical distribution on channel structure. Part V then focuses on the assumptions underlying the customer service function, asking how physical distribution can influence final demand in the market place. Part VI presents a conceptual model of marketing‐logistics demand stimulation. The operational issues concerned with its implementation are shown in Part VII; and a summary of the relevant points is presented in Part VIII. The concern has been not with presenting either new computational models nor empirical data but with presenting a new perspective on the marketing‐logistics interface. There is a need to reduce the barriers between these fields and to present more useful ways for co‐operation.