Well-developed logistics system has strategic importance in terms of efficient product distribution and supply chain management. However, although mass merchandizing technique allows ATB Manufacturing company to stand the fast-growing competition, it creates challenges for developing appropriate logistics system and inventory control.
Within a broader network of a supply chain management, logistics is a multi-stage process that involves a number of such important operations as warehousing, transportation, materials handling, inventory, and packaging that are integrated under unified production process. Therefore, it requires a great amount of resources, including recruiting more staff and developing new human resources strategies (Shapiro 314).
In addition, advances in technology can also eliminate the communication problem between the logistics warehouses and delivery destination points so that each unit will be able to share all necessary information in the most efficient and timely manner.
The ATB Manufacturing company is a bright example illustrating what challenges it should face while developing mass merchandising strategy through development high quality inventory control (Aliawadi and Singh 184). In this respect, there should be an integrated logistics department that could coordinate all deliveries irrespective of destination and schedule.
With the above-described logistics challenges, the mass merchandising strategy should be reconsidered to decide what should be made to improve logistics process, including warehouse storage and delivery terms. In this respect, the criteria for the decision-making process should correlate with both mass trading and logistics to adjust to high competition.
In this respect, the ATB Manufacturing company should be more concerned with efficient supply chain management principle that can introduce a harmonized system of logistics, serving the basis for mass merchandising. As soon as the company learns the main aspects of logistics, the managers will be able to meet the highest requirements of customers, as well as take control of the costs (Gattorna 567).
Logistics creativity is also critical for enhancing communication between various supply chains of production and points of mass merchandising (Fernie 88). The existence of diverse consumer sectors testifies to the diversity of demand for goods and services.
Mass customization constitutes strong evidence of movement toward shifts in terms of large marketing segments with a high variety of services. The decision-making process should be interrelated with logistics department and mass distribution of products.
The rapid growth of competition introduces the necessity of developing efficient logistics metrics that could define what strategies and frameworks should be implemented in future.
Due to the fact that mass merchandising and logistics are premised on common features including delivery of goods, warehouse storage, and inventory control, the monitoring of these areas is indispensible for sustaining high quality of products distribution (Gattorna 567).
The effectiveness of the monitoring and controlling these departments depends on the successful performance of employees. In this respect, testing procedures and training programs should be introduced to assess the overall corporate cultural, level of interpersonal communication, and employee competence. These measures will allow the managerial staff to highlight possible gaps and eliminate them in future.
Technological innovation is vital for ensuring high quality work of logistics department. Consequently, the analysis of these aspects is possible through presenting inspection control, which can also contribute to the image of the company in general. Therefore, mass merchandising can also be checked on the basis of logistics characteristics, as well as the level of employees’ engagement into the production and distribution processes.
Works Cited
Aliawadi, Satish C., and Rakesh Singh. Logistics Management. US: PHI Learning, n. d. Print.
Fernie, John. Logistics and Retail Management: Insights into Current Practice and Trends from Leading Experts. US: Kogan Page Publishers, 2004. Print.
Gattorna, John. Strategic Supply Chain Alignment: Best Practice in Supply Chain Management. US: Gower Publishing. 1998. Print.
Shapiro, Jeremy F. Modeling the Supply Chain. New York: Cengage Learning, 2007. Print.