Logistics coordinates the movement and storage of resources such as goods, equipment and inventory. For manufacturers, logistics starts with the incoming supply of raw materials and carries through to the delivery of finished products to customers.

For example, a logistics department would receive supplies, give components to a production line, move finished goods to a distribution center, manage inventory and ship products to a customer.

Logistics teams are responsible for making sure each of these steps run smoothly, including purchasing, accepting inbound delivery, storage, packaging, inventory management, shipping, outbound transportation and delivery. Choreographing these processes gets complicated when volume grows and there are multiple products to manage. Companies that use several distribution channels and operate facilities in different locations face another layer of complexity.