MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics

Before entering this vibrant marketplace, trade experts advise logistics managers to conduct a very careful examination of the region’s transportation and regulatory infrastructure.

Career paths are not narrow, ladder-like pathways; they consist of broad, irregular landscapes. Along the way, you will almost certainly make lateral moves in response to unexpected obstacles, opportunities, and shifting ambitions.

Ongoing economic “volatility” and the growing global focus on sustainability are placing more pressure on logistics managers to establish a strategic, alternative distribution network. Here’s some food for thought before establishing yours.

Our preliminary analyses suggest that the biggest gain could come from initiatives to build trust among the team members. Managers should also make an effort to nurture this trusting environment over time.

Improving organizations' performance and maximizing customer value in a highly competitive marketplace has turned supply chain management and logistics into a highly essential component to global business operations.

Megacities – cities with a population of at least 10 million people – are increasing in both number and size, and their share of world GDP is expected to grow from about 14% to over 20% in a decade. Most of the 23 megacities that currently exist are located in emerging markets.

The primary goal of the Interplanetary Supply Chain Management and Logistics Architectures (IPSCM&LA) project is to develop a comprehensive SCM framework and planning tool for space logistics.

Since the Center’s inception, executives from hundreds of companies have attended our programs and gone on to excel in their chosen roles. These companies have applied the strategies and ideas we have taught to compete successfully in new and emerging markets across the globe.

The skill sets required to manage global supply chains today are not the same as they were 20, or even 10 years ago. And they will be different from the ones required in the future. It’s almost impossible to precisely predict what leadership capabilities will be needed going forward. The best course of action: Be agile and ready to respond to whatever happens.