Managing logistics successfully requires a trained and experienced view of the outside world: it is about meshing in with external events and conditions. Logistics recruitment specialist BiS Henderson is equipped to recognise a competent distribution manager from the outset. Such a key employee will be aware of outside factors such as legislation, operating costs, fuel costs etc.
The job description can include any or all of the following functions: managing transport; controlling stock levels for both inbound and outbound inventory; keeping track of warehouse and pallet locations, as well as ensuring that management structures exist to optimise all these elements.
As with every other working environment, there is a heavy commitment to using information technology, without being a slave to the software. There can be judgement calls to make, although knowing when to trust human judgement over software predictions is an art in itself.
Suffice to say, though, that for a supermarket chain the forecast of a heat wave over a bank holiday weekend may be a more reliable indicator to stock up on barbecue goods than the previous year’s sales slump following a washout weekend.
Logistics Recruitment for manufacturers, retailers or third party logistics providers will each come with a subtly different mix of requirements for distribution managers, but the core skills will ensure that goods are handled cost effectively, in sufficient quantity and are of adequate quality to meet planning requirements elsewhere in the business. This requires the Distribution Manager to have a clear grasp of managing the order cycle and correctly interpreting the data coming back from the associated information systems. Using this information correctly will ensure that staff are allocated in a timely way to respond to changing workloads, as circumstances require.
Doing this requires constant and ongoing contact and dialogue with both customers and suppliers, so that both ends of the supply chain are fully up to date with any changes elsewhere in the operation.
There is also the additional challenge of developing the business and working with either new partners or working in new ways to solve or prevent problems arising in the first place. But that is the difference between being good and being special: BiS Henderson is constantly on the lookout for special candidates for key logistics vacancies.
If you would like more information about BiS Henderson’s Specialist Logistics Recruitment services please leave a comment below or call us on 01604 876345
