Logistics is the activity that aims to manage physical flows and the data (information, customs and financial) relating to them, with the aim of making available the resources corresponding to (more or less) determined needs while respecting the economic and legal conditions, the degree of quality of service expected, and the conditions of security and safety deemed satisfactory.
The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals defines logistics as "the integration of two or more activities to plan, implement and control the efficient flow of raw materials, semi-finished and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption. These activities may include, but are not limited to, the type of service provided to customers, demand forecasting, distribution communications, inventory control, materials handling, order processing, after-sales and parts service, purchasing, packaging, processing of returned goods, negotiation or reuse of salvageable or discarded items, transportation arrangements and actual transportation of goods, and warehousing and storage.
For the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM), the previous definition is more like Supply Chain Management. Logistics is defined as "1) In an industrial context, the art and science of obtaining, producing, and distributing components and products to the right place and in the required quantities. 2) In a military context (which is the most common usage), it can also include the movement of personnel.
We can also recall the definition of Littré: "Logistics is the art of supplying armies in the field".
Source : Wikipedia
