What are the top skills for a logistics manager?

Strong influence skills, communication, engaging the team, data analytics, ESG driven and compliant. Must be regularly on field and walk side by side with operations and sales

I believe that a good logistics manager has the ability to improvise and provide simple solutions for complex problems during times of stress. A talented and experienced manager can predict most problems and pre-arrange solutions. To gain this experience, they must be open-minded, alert to their surroundings, and work without ego. It's not a shame to ask for help or clarification when needed.

Emotional intelligence. Logistics is a highly pressured space, with a lot of humans occupying said, the ability to remain calm and take reasoned decisions is critical. Technical knowledge is secondary to this ability. I have both 😡 😂

Resilience, strong analytical skills, predictive, communication, linked to the IA and automation, but the most important: like people! Develop new leaders

Lead by example, not afraid to ask for help and trust others. Lead by example: have the knowledge of the business and its process. Ask for help: no one is perfect and knows all the details of a company. Trust: yes to overlooking processes, but trust others to reach the company goals together.

The ability to communicate in stressful situations is key to your success in logistics. Both giving and receiving messages. Can you hold space for the emotions of the day and re-direct conversations to productive spaces? Can you manage all the different ways you will receive this information? Can you access it when appropriate? Can you manage your own emotions and stress such that you can still facilitate productive conversations? Success in logistics is first and foremost about leading people through complex and emotional challenges.

Other skills required by logistics manager: - Attention to detail: This skill involves the ability to be accurate and meticulous with numbers and details. Attention to detail is crucial for managing inventory, tracking shipments, and ensuring quality control - Ability to adapt to changes: This skill involves the ability to cope with uncertainties and disruptions in the supply chain. Ability to adapt to changes is important for finding solutions, implementing contingency plans, and minimising losses - Technological aptitude: This skill involves the ability to use and learn various software and tools that facilitate logistics operations. Technological aptitude is beneficial for automating tasks, optimising workflows and enhancing performance

I cannot agree more - whether it is good news or bad news, communication is so important- and it should be transparent and in a timely manner. Information is crucial and important

I'd reckon it's best to approach this one knowing why leaders often fail in communication. Besides good ol' EGO, reasons can range from due to unclear messages, poor listening, and an inability to adapt styles. Inconsistency, lack of empathy, and ignoring non-verbal cues contribute. Leaders must provide constructive feedback, navigate cultural differences, and embrace difficult conversations. Inspiring and motivating through effective communication is crucial for fostering a positive work environment and team cohesion. Continuous self-awareness and learning are key to improving leadership communication skills.

It is always advantageous to approach each logistical challenge with a Plan A, Plan B, up to Plan Z as needful. Especially for new projects...having a set of options allow projecting, dissecting, and deciding which approach applies to specifics. Being exposed to land, sea and air logistics for quite a while, simple note-taking either on paper or on your phone apps helps much as well. Time is an essential element in logistics. Never let an opportunity slip by.

Strong leadership skills are incredibly important in logistics. Logistics is an often thankless job where the results of any and all mistakes upstream land at the feet of your team. Burnout and disengagement is a huge risk. This risk can be mitigated by a good leader. A leader who cares for their team as people and works to move the team forward.

A logistics manager needs to have strong leadership skills to motivate, inspire, and guide a team of logistics professionals. Leadership skills help a logistics manager to establish a vision, set goals, delegate tasks, resolve conflicts, and provide support. A logistics manager should be able to demonstrate qualities such as integrity, accountability, adaptability, and innovation.

The best trait of a logistician is to always be a problem solver. All other perspectives fall in to support solving the problems. It’s the old saying, I am a loggie and I am solving problems you don’t know you have yet and with methods that you don’t understand.

I think for me it's understanding your drivers, what they want, their aspersions and morals. If you don't understand them, you can't drive them forward whilst inspiring them to hold their integrity. Communication and clear leadership are the skills I believe to be most important.

Leadership skills are indeed vital for a logistics manager. Strong leadership skills enable you to motivate, inspire, and guide your team of logistics professionals. They help you establish a clear vision, set goals, delegate tasks, resolve conflicts, and provide support. As a logistics manager, it's important to demonstrate qualities like integrity, accountability, adaptability, and innovation. By embodying these qualities, you can create a positive work environment, foster teamwork, and drive success in your logistics operations. Remember, leadership is not just about giving orders, but also about empowering and developing your team members to reach their full potential

Negotiation of new agreements but also the higher stress negotiation when problems occur will be a key job responsibility. First things first, you need to understand how the pricing works, what levers can be pulled, and the terms/conditions in your agreements. It is incredibly easy to have two similar proposals with a seemingly minor difference that makes a huge impact on price or service. Ensuring you understand and compare carriers apples to apples will be the negotiation process so much easier. Lastly, as capacity gets more crunched, ensuring you negotiate in good faith and don't try to put your carrier out of business with unsustainable pricing is going to be key for long term success.

Negotiation is always good but in logistic the most important is plan B so when we negotiate we always keep L1 L2 L3 as option 1 2 3 .this approach help is managing crisis . Logistic negotiation need to be understood with clarity . When you are finalizing a sea freight container the 80% value will go shipping company but we are negotiating with freight company who are just a middle service company. Once you are dealing with carriers scenario are different. Negotiation is not to get cheapest price . Cheapest is not always best and highest does not give assurance to deliver always best. So negotiation should be based on win / win situation for both party with mutual respect.

Negotiation is a critical skill to have as a Logistics Manager. The skill can be learned over time as you gain experience under Logistics Managers and Directors. If you want to fast track your development, consider furthering your education by taking training courses and even workshops. If you have someone that is willing to role-play with you, this is also another way to refine the skillset in a constructive manner.

Reading about negotiation and understanding what exactly it is a great place to start, as it's often misunderstood. There is an image that it's two people sitting across from each other at a table, tensions may he higher than normal, however, that's not the ideal scenario. Negotiation should be a collaboration as much as possible. We should scoot our chair around to the side of the table with whom we are negotiating, and start to listen to them, asking discovery questions along the way to learn more about their position. Prior research is important so that when at the table, the right questions can be asked and the information can be gleaned. Lastly, the best negotiators understand the power of having a team around them for discernment!

Negotiating is not a win or lose mindset, it is an easy or hard mindset. Regardless of the situational results, an operation does not cease until the contract is completed. Finding a way to mutually understand the sacrifices of each party can lead to a cohesive plan that enables success all around. Always think team, not us or them.

Technology is growing in logistics, but so often it boils back down to an Excel spreadsheet. So before you spend time honing your skills with industry specific tools, get your Excel skills going. We just don't have the integration we need yet between the TMS/WMS/ERP etc. So you will have to learn your way around a spreadsheet. Most valuable formulas (Xlookup, Vlookup, If) and most valuable functions (Goal Seek, Filters). Most of use spend hours in front a screen every day, since almost birth. But honing your general computer navigation skills is key as well. I've seen a lot of leaders struggle with simple filtering. Nail the fundamentals and the rest will come.

Technology is definately a game changer. The use of automation, big data and analytics, cloud computing and internet of things have already revolutionized how cargo is moved from point A to B. I also think that artificial intelligence, blockchain, and virtual and augmented reality are the next wave, including the use of predictive analytics resulting in greater security and transparency. Logistics managent needs to be able to leverage on this massive change in the industry.

I agree, Knowledge of logistics software, inventory management systems, and other related technologies is crucial. As technology continues to evolve, staying up-to-date with the latest advancements can help improve efficiency and reduce costs.

I wish that was true - and even though we need more logistics managers to take a real interest and invest in technology skills, I dont see it as needed to work in logistics today unfortunately… most of out business run on either Excel spreadsheets or archaic systems (still se mainframes around!). In the future this will change - logtech is here to stay and the opportunities are massive for those who lean into technology in this field!

Use of technology in logistic management is need of day..logistic manager should have country , project logistic profile which should have all actionable information. Having real time information is key . AI is going add lots of value in logistic movement .logistic key function to make project successful. If we don't deliver material on time no matter how good we project will loose money . So logistic function is key and need to he supported with technology

One other important skill that a Logistics manager is being an adaptive project leader with agility to adapt to the ever changing scenarios that evolve in the supply chain. This also calls for leading with empathy in ensuring the frontline staff have the full support and tools to perform at optimal levels.

As logistics are the last step from the organization towards the customer, all steps within the organization executed before logistics, must be in favor of that last logistic step. As a logistic manager you need to get all information right at that point. Wrong information should be pointed out and improved for the next same situation, back into the organization. How easy and perfect the last steps towards clients are made is another main logistic topic, ensuring added value towards clients is in constant progress. Skills needed: - communicator - analytic on proces, masterdata, stock, warehousing and transport. - respectful towards people - Problem solving

People management empowerment Team building Supplier relationships Adaptability Critical thinking 🤔 Continuous improvement and Optimisation mindset Customer focus

Logistics means proper movement of goods and services from the point of production to the last mile customers efficiently. Logistics Manager must have good knowledge of 7Rs of logistics, that's deliver the right product, In the right quantity, in right quality, at a right place, on right time to the right customer at a right price. he should be a good player and work as a bridge between supplier and clients. Besides other skills,He must have good communication skills, interpersonal skills and above all he should be more vigilant and problem solvers. Thanks

A must have for a logistics manager is being predictive with alternative and functional scenarios for not interrupting the Supply Chain, besides other soft skills such as communication, resilience, empowerment, motivation and of course, working side by side with technology