Disintegration and Re‐Integration: Logistics of the Twenty‐First Century

The traditional hierarchical model of command and control that served through the U.S. Industrial Revolution has undergone significant change in the past decade. Part of the changes have been prompted by global alliances of business partners. Other changes are the result of new enabling information technology that dramatically alters the role of information in the corporation. Still other changes are the result of new cycle‐time‐to‐market metrics on the part of buyer and seller. The re‐integration of the channel will present significant, new challenges and opportunities to the corporate logistics function. The logistics function of the firm will provide the ideal “boundary spanning” role to re‐integrate and position the firm for global competitiveness in the 21st century. However, new skill, new knowledge bases, new technology and new performance metrics will be required to meet the objective.