I.2 Why Logistics Matters In the past, logistics was considered a custodial activity. Storekeepers were the custodians of supplies stored in small storerooms and large warehouses. Consequently the science (and art) oflogistics, and the people who make the health logistics system work, were not considered an important part of family planning, HIV and AIDS, or vaccination programs to name only a few. Fortunately, as time passed, more and more program managers have come to understand how important logistics is to a program's success.