Historical Development
The Early “Slow
” Days
The first international logisticians were traders o
n the Silk Road, a
well-traveled trade route, in use for over 3,000 ye
ars, stretching from
Europe to Asia and passing through the Middle East.
Early modern logisticians were concerned primarily
with ensuring
goods arrived at their destination in good conditio
n and at the lowest
possible cost.
Following World War II, logistics began to incorpor
ate the techniques
used by the military.
Logistics began to refer to not just the movement o
f goods but also to
sales, the procurement of supplies, and the managem
ent of supplier and
customer relationships.