Do you always wonder how organizations manage to execute large logistics projects despite its size and complexity? Study this article and you are good.
Project Logistics involves the management of everything to do with the logistics of your building or construction project, throughout complex supply chains. From getting items ready to be moved, to arranging transportation via sea, air or land freight, storage, onwards travel and unloading at the final destination.
This often involves moving large, heavy, expensive and even hazardous items around the world, sometimes to hard-to-reach locations, and dealing with all the associated paperwork. This includes import and export documents, customs clearance, insurance and hazardous materials documents, as well as dealing with freight charge negotiations, freight consolidation, tracking and supervision and more.
To effectively execute project logistics, it takes meticulous planning and execution; these article writes thus;
1. Define:
Defining your project logistics requires creating value by timing and positioning inventory; it is the combination of a firm’s order management, inventory, transportation, warehousing, materials handling, and packaging as integrated throughout a facility network. Defining your project logistics serves to link and synchronize the overall supply chain as a continuous process and is essential for effective supply chain connectivity.
The key objective of project logistics definition is to provide customer satisfaction by having the correct product in the correct place at the correct time. Creating customer satisfaction is important to most companies. The concept of satisfaction has multiple dimensions. These dimensions contribute to a feeling of overall satisfaction and are made up of:
- Cost – what customers receive for what they paid
- Convenience – the effort expended to achieve the purchase
- Confidence in the support services both included and promised
Logistics definition is the ability to satisfy and retain customer.
2. Plan:
Project Logistics planning should be initiated at the project outset to achieve the greatest material savings. Ideally the client should develop and maintain a clear strategy for best practice logistics planning based on their corporate goals and policies. Consider the following when planning;
• Identify responsible persons and their roles
• Implement a training and communication plan
• Determine material types and quantities from the detailed design and establish KPIs
• Plan for material receipt and storage
• Implement procedures to manage subcontractors
Once the design of the project has been agreed, the material types and quantities should be built into the Project Logistics planning(PLP), together with a programme specifying the project phase for which they are required. It is important to identify and understand how materials will be procured, delivered, stored and handled onsite and incorporate these procedures into the PLP so that they can be communicated to all relevant parties.
3. Implement:
Implementation is the section whereby the execution of the project is carried out. Sub-contractors should be effectively prepared, managed and monitored so that they are aware of their responsibilities under the project requirements and are able to supply the required information and adhere to the plan.
Where feasible, contracts should include a specification that requires sub-contractors to implement the relevant aspects of the project requirements. Their capability to do this can be accessed through their tender response where material usage and supply has been identified as a selection criteria.
The plan should give room for identification of any changes occurring during Site implementation which might impact on the timelines, and the plan should be amended accordingly. Changes which also affect working practices should be communicated to the relevant personnel.
4. Control:
Control is very critical in project logistics. At every point in time, the parameters for execution earlier spelt out during the planning stage must be assessed to ensure that they are maintained. Have a dedicated quality officer or personnel for this purpose. In logistics, meeting timelines, working within budgets and providing feedbacks are quality assessment parameters you can’t go wrong with.
Logistics principles are not difficult in themselves, but putting them into practice takes commitment, effort and attention to detail, with an emphasis on manageability.
Do you need project logistics services?
Edas Global Supply Chain Limited has the reputation of delivering even the most challenging of project logistics. It could be time bound or equipment specific, we are able to deliver successfully.
With partners all over the globe, we can respond to your needs anytime and anywhere.
Some of the industries that rely on our project logistics services include;
- Oil and gas
- Mining and Resources
- Construction
- Wind and Solar Energy companies
We provide you with;
- End to end solutions
- Cost modeling
- Route Planning
- Off wharf freight handling
Send us an email via info@edasglobalsupplychain.com or call +2347089921886