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Thank you for joining us on the Principles of Global Logistics Management. We hope that you enjoyed your learning experience. This short course is the introductory two-week course of our …

Review of the course

Congratulations on completing the Principles of Global Logistics Management. This week, we have defined and explored the impact of globalisation on global distribution networks. We explored issues of trade-offs, outsourcing …

Is free trade just an ideal?

In the field of economics, tariff trade is a given. Without it, resources are not efficiently allocated, and nations do not grow, which in turn makes citizens richer from the …

Protectionism

Protectionism – or mercantilism – is the opposite idea to free trade and was noted by Smith (1789) as one of the reactions for the apparent overwhelming of foreign goods …

Imbalance of trade

So far, we have looked at the growth of globalisation and how it has shaped global logistics as it is today – but what are the problems with globalisation and …

Increasing supply chain complexity

In the video, Nick Wright explains how demand for increasingly complex products is driving supply chains and complicating logistics distribution networks. The globalisation of supply chains and the rise of …

How international trade flows shapes trading blocs

Since the growth of outsourcing and globalisation during the latter part of the 20th century, developed countries with established industrial bases have been exploiting the low labour rates and skill …

Major trade corridors

As we explored in the previous step, supply chains have become increasingly complicated, owing to the demand for complex problems. Relating this to freight, a distinct issue in global logistics …

Demand for complex products

Global distribution networks and supply chains are built around consumer products. Many of today’s desired products are technically complex and consist of multiple components, sourced globally. The phone in your …

Economics of labour

Growing population is an important factor to consider when discussing what is shaping global logistics and globalisation generally. World population is due to hit over 9 billion by 2050, according …

Free trade benefits

So far, we’ve considered some of the key global forces affecting the global logistics market. We now consider the movement of international trade and its impact. You might be familiar …

Falls in costs and rise in value-added services

When manufacturers and retailers realised the savings they could make by outsourcing to specialist logistics service providers, costs were initially high due to the lack of available logistics service providers …

Outsourcing

Outsourcing has been a key factor in the growth of global logistics and globalisation. Classical outsourcing is the buying in of non-core activities, services or materials. Porter (1980) and Handy …

Transport cost and inventory trade-off

Another important trade-off in global distribution network design is the one between transport and inventory. In the video, Nick Wright provides an overview of the trade-offs between the two. If …