Why Is There No Generalized Accepted Theory of Logistics

Supply Chain Management - Logistics The transitioning of the Defense Transportation System toward complementing best practices in supply chain management efficiently and securely. "Best practices in military logistics aren't about warehouse management systems, or load optimization processes," according to Roger Kallock, a private sector executive who was named the U.S. government's Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Logistics (Trunick, 2010). In fact military logisticians know how to accomplish strategic goals on time and under urgent conditions.

Military logistics staff also follow the same five R's of supply chain management (right product to the right place at the right time, right price and the right cost) as private sector logistics people. However a slip-up (failure) in the military supply chain could cost lives, not just time and money. Hence, military logisticians often think outside the box with more creativity than their private sector counterparts, Trunick explains.

According to a RAND National Defense Research Institute document, when the military approaches a best practices balance between the supply chain and the services available there are four goals: a) the goal has to be determined so the strategy can be understood and planned for; b) there must be an "agreement on what overall design or structure will best meet the goals" -- given the characteristics of the supply chain; c) in order to achieve "true supply chain integration" that focuses on an agreed-upon outcome, each unit must understand how it dovetails with the rest; and d) a mechanism must be established to ensure that the supply chain functions as intended (Peltz, et al., 2012).

In order for the supply chain management to be effective, the supply chain integration must pass "change management hurtles involving new technical capabilities, personnel capabilities and knowledge" and organizational structures and goals and incentives, Peltz writes in the RAND study. The bottom line for the U.S.

Department of Defense (DoD) is that it launched a "sustained effort to improve its supply chain in the mid-1990s" -- but since there were more opportunities for integrating the supply chain and that's why the DoD contracted with RAND to help develop a more integrated supply chain (Peltz). Part 2 -- Discuss the theory and politics of transportation and logistics management. An article by Adam Veitch (2011) explains that while the U.S.

and the EU have "the largest and most sophisticated" transportation trade link in the world, and it is growing stronger annually. The 42% increase in U.S. exports to the European Union and the 40% increase in U.S. imports from the EU between the years 2000 and 2010 reflect that strong trade relationship and well-established logistical links (Veitch). Supply chains would be creating jobs and a stronger economy. But the writer says in theory, if the two entities worked more closely together they could do a lot better.

The title of the article is "Why Logistics and Politics Need to Mix -- for the Economy's said," and Veitch explains that if certain political regulatory barriers were "fine-tuned" that would allow the EU to open its doors to all U.S. exports. The exports that have been blocked by the EU ("with no clear reasoning behind the decisions") included meant, poultry, rice and wheat (Veitch).

"Imagine what could be achieved" if political powers on both sides would move off the dime, the writer continues, then "the billions of dollars / Euros exchanging hands could almost be doubled," and hundreds of thousands of new jobs would be created. Meanwhile according to The Asian Journal of Shipping and Logistics, most logistics literature and research lack a "rigorous orientation toward theory development, testing and application" (Karatas-Cetin, 2013).

Hence, the authors claim few scholars have even attempted to develop a "unified theory of logistics"; when they reviewed 974 articles they found 462 of them had a.