Logistics Analysts

Operations & Service Delivery

Level 4476 of 1200 points

Job description

Logistics Analysts

Job purpose

To analyse product delivery and supply chain processes, monitor the flow of goods from origin to final delivery, and recommend improvements to logistics processes, costs and service levels, so that distribution is reliable, efficient and economically run.

Skills

Knowledge of transportation by air, rail, sea and road and their relative costs, of supply chain management, sourcing, distribution and inventory practice, and of the analytical methods applied to logistics data — data mining, modelling and cost-benefit analysis — with command of web-based logistics information systems, applied mathematics, and precise written English for procedures and reports. Bachelor's degree is the norm, with close to a quarter holding an associate's degree, together with several years of related experience and on-the-job training.
Communicates outside the organisation with ocean carriers, air freight forwarders, customs brokers, trucking companies and vendors — over rates, schedules, service monitoring and customer requirements — and inside it with logistics management teams on service levels, efficiency and cost. Interprets logistics data for others, trains and coaches colleagues, and settles disputes with carriers and suppliers, at times with parties who are angry or discourteous.
Interprets data on availability, reliability, sourcing, supplier management and transportation, applying analytic methods to predict and control logistics operations. Identifies the causes of cost, delay and inefficiency, finds opportunities for inventory reduction, and recommends process improvements; where a shipment is disrupted, judgements on rerouting and consolidation are made against live information under time pressure.
Reviews distribution and inventory procedures for efficiency and cost, reorganises shipping schedules to consolidate loads and limit the movement of empty vehicles, reroutes drivers in real time using positioning software, and writes or revises standard operating procedures. Determines own tasks and priorities within corporate policy, and coordinates or leads others in the work.
Work is carried out seated at a desk using logistics information systems, with repetitive keyboard work. No manual handling of goods.

Responsibilities

No formal line management is evidenced, though coordinates and leads others in accomplishing work activities, gives direction, and trains and coaches colleagues in logistics practice.
Analysis carries substantial financial weight: analysis of transportation costs, parts procurement, back orders and delivery processes; negotiation of rates with carriers; freight rate databases used to select the most economical mode; systems ensuring pricing structures reflect logistics costing; and payment systems ensuring vendor payments are accurate. Recommends and administers; approval of expenditure and contracts rests with logistics management.
No physical custody of stock or vehicles. Monitors vehicles, containers and inventory remotely through web-based logistics systems, and monitors inventory transactions at warehouse facilities to assess receiving, storage, shipping and inventory integrity. Determines packaging requirements. Ordinary care of a workstation.
Maintains the organisation's logistics databases and records in accordance with corporate policy, and keeps freight rate data current. Computes and reports the measures the function is judged by — on-time delivery, order fulfilment and inventory turns — maintains cost estimating and demand forecasting models, and records carbon-output data for environmental auditing. Structure and retention are set by corporate policy; accuracy determines whether the cost and service conclusions hold.

Effort required

Detailed and exacting analytical work — cost analysis, forecasting models, reconciliation of tracking data — carried out against a high volume of contact by e-mail, telephone and face-to-face discussion, frequent decisions under time pressure, and a significant element of repeated routine work. Decisions affect company results.
Handles disputes and conflict situations with carriers, suppliers and customers, including people who are unpleasant or discourteous, calling for composure and impartiality.
Predominantly seated indoor work at a screen with repetitive hand movement. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoor, environmentally controlled office work, with exposure to distracting noise and to close physical proximity to others. No outdoor, warehouse-floor or hazardous exposure is evidenced. Psychosocial demand comes from dealing with external customers and service providers in conflict situations and from working to time pressure.
Most incumbents work a regular established schedule, though a majority work beyond a standard week and a minority an irregular pattern varying with production demands or contract duration. Works with considerable freedom to make decisions and sets own priorities inside corporate logistics policy, answerable for the accuracy of the analysis produced.

Skills

40% · 245 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 4 of 8
72 of 144 points
Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work. The job requires a range of thinking and practical knowledge to find solutions to specific problems in the job or study area.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Effective communication and interpersonal relationships. The job holder is required to adapt communication to different audiences and foster trust, cooperation and positive working relationships.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Variable problems. The job involves dealing with different kinds of problems that require careful thinking, research into different options or adjusting existing ways of doing things. Guidance and resources may be limited.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate organisational skills required. The job requires the organising and prioritising of multiple tasks, with some level of adjustment to plans on the basis of changing circumstances or deadlines.
Physical skillsLevel 1 of 5
14 of 72 points
Minimal physical skills required. The job requires basic physical skills, such as handling light objects or using simple tools.

Responsibility

35% · 104 points▾

PeopleLevel 1 of 5
29 of 144 points
Very limited. Not required to supervise or perform a caregiving role. The job may involve providing basic guidance to or orientation for others, such as helping new colleagues settle in.
Goods and equipmentLevel 1 of 5
17 of 84 points
Limited responsibility for goods or equipment. The job involves the care and proper use of low-value tools or materials, with minimal responsibility for their maintenance or security.
InformationLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for information. The job involves managing information to ensure it is accurate, of high quality and secure. The job holder may make decisions about the handling of sensitive data.
Financial resourcesLevel 0 of 5
0 of 96 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any responsibility for financial resources.

Effort

15% · 79 points▾

Mental effortLevel 3 of 5
36 of 60 points
High level of mental effort. The job involves frequent concentration on complex tasks that require considerable mental effort, such as interpreting complex data.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate psychosocial and emotional effort. The job requires the regular management of emotional responses, such as dealing with sensitive or challenging individuals or situations.
Physical effortLevel 0 of 5
0 of 48 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any physical effort.

Working Conditions

10% · 48 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 2 of 5
34 of 84 points
Occasional exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves occasional exposure to mild physical risks (e.g. working with light machinery, occasional noise) or psychosocial risks (e.g. occasional interpersonal conflict or minor repetitive tasks). Exposure occurs two to three times a year.
Organisational environmentLevel 2 of 5
14 of 36 points
Occasional organisational demands. The job may involve occasional irregular hours (e.g. the requirement to work weekends or holidays), minimal travel or limited digital connectivity outside normal working hours.