Well Defined
Logistics: noun plural but singular or plural in construction
lo·gis·tics \lō-ˈjis-tiks, lə-\
1: the aspect of military science dealing with the procurement, maintenance, and transportation of military matériel, facilities, and personnel
2: the handling of the details of an operation
Interestingly, I came across this definition by accident, but it really hit home with me. Our distribution and warehouse operation is successful mainly because of the second definition. We pride ourselves on handling the details of the operations required to satisfy our customers' needs. Our reps go the extra mile to make sure things get ordered, picked up, delivered and shipped correctly and on time.
The first definition, though, made me smile. Our operation often resembles a complex military operation. It's not uncommon to be in the warehouse when all the forklifts are running, semis are backing in or out, loading or unloading, our warehouse people are running around with paperwork, and every human being in sight is in motion. Everyone is manning their battle stations. It's times like these that I truly appreciate the great people who make this company run.
It also makes me thankful for the system we have in place that enables us to service so many accounts concurrently. While moving thousands of troops from one place to another may be a daunting task, we have similar challenges in warehouse and distributing. Keeping tabs of thousands of products in motion from one corner of the country to the other takes the dedication of our great shipping and transportation staff.
Logistics - it's a good word!