Definition of logistics
Logistics is a very old discipline
Even in antiquity, the quality of logistics decided upon the success or failure of military generals and world empires. Neither Darius the Great nor Caesar would have been able to enjoy success in their military campaigns and administrations without excellent logistical support.
In the past, the main importance of logistics was in ensuring supplies for the military and involved the administration, storage and management of the goods required to wage war (weapons, ammunition, rations etc.) so that these were always in the right place at the right time. However, the main importance of logistics in today's world is its role in a globalized economy based on the division of labor.
Dictionary extract:
Lo|gis|tik, die; - [griech. logistike (téchne) = Rechenkunst, zu: logistikós = zum (Be)rechnen gehörend]
Workers assembling parts at an automotive supplier
Logistics is defined as the integrated planning, organization, management, processing and control of the entire flow of materials and goods including the associated information flows for a specific organizational unit.
The challenge of logistics is summarized well by the "Seven Rights" definition of Plowman: Logistics must ensure that the right product is supplied in the right quantity, right condition, at the right place, at the right time and at the right cost to the right customer.