Distribution Management
Description
Distribution management is the analysis, planning, and control of activities concerned with the procurement and distribution of goods. The activities include transportation, warehousing, forecasting, order processing, inventory control, production planning, site selection, and customer service. Logistics management employs the total cost approach to make analyses of the combined costs of various activities to obtain the most satisfactory level of customer service at the lowest total cost. The distribution domain is an extensive and diverse area concerned not only with the physical transportation of products, but also with various purchasing, selling, and channel management functions.
Career Opportunities
Careers in distribution management provide an individual with the potential for rapid advancement within a firm. Distribution managers must, by necessity, interact with managers in all other functions areas of the firm and with outside firms. This broad exposure to business provides many opportunities for career advancement.
Entry Level Positions
Distribution firms are increasingly looking to hire individuals at both the undergraduate and MBA levels. Entry level positions dealing primarily with distribution logistics include: Physical distribution manager, inventory control manager, traffic manager, distribution center manager, distribution planning analyst, and customer service manager. Distribution management positions are also available in the transportation industry in the areas of transportation marketing and operations management.
Requisite Personal Qualities
Distribution management positions typically require the interpersonal leadership skills for effectively dealing with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Also useful are strong analytical and communication skills, and the ability to take a broad systems viewpoint of management.
Academic Preparation
Distribution management requires a broad background in the core functional areas of business, with particular emphasis in distribution-related topics such as logistics, transportation, purchasing, and negotiation.