Logistics Analysts
Overview
SaveJob Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, conservation scientists, art directors, and cost estimators.
Analyze product delivery or supply chain processes to identify or recommend changes. May manage route activity including invoicing, electronic bills, and shipment tracing.
Yearly Salary
| High: | $122K |
| Median: | $76K |
| Low: | $44K |
Demand
Core Tasks
- Maintain databases of logistics information.
- Communicate with or monitor service providers, such as ocean carriers, air freight forwarders, global consolidators, customs brokers, or trucking companies.
- Remotely monitor the flow of vehicles or inventory, using Web-based logistics information systems to track vehicles or containers.
- Reorganize shipping schedules to consolidate loads, maximize vehicle usage, or limit the movement of empty vehicles or containers.
- Track product flow from origin to final delivery.
- Interpret data on logistics elements, such as availability, maintainability, reliability, supply chain management, strategic sourcing or distribution, supplier management, or transportation.
- Recommend improvements to existing or planned logistics processes.
- Apply analytic methods or tools to understand, predict, or control logistics operations or processes.
- Contact potential vendors to determine material availability.
- Prepare reports on logistics performance measures.
- Enter logistics-related data into databases.
- Analyze logistics data, using methods such as data mining, data modeling, or cost or benefit analysis.
- Maintain logistics records in accordance with corporate policies.
- Monitor inventory transactions at warehouse facilities to assess receiving, storage, shipping, or inventory integrity.
- Provide ongoing analyses in areas such as transportation costs, parts procurement, back orders, or delivery processes.
- Confer with logistics management teams to determine ways to optimize service levels, maintain supply-chain efficiency, or minimize cost.
- Contact carriers for rates or schedules.
- Manage systems to ensure that pricing structures adequately reflect logistics costing.
- Develop or maintain payment systems to ensure accuracy of vendor payments.
- Compute reporting metrics, such as on-time delivery rates, order fulfillment rates, or inventory turns.
- Develop or maintain freight rate databases for use by supply chain departments to determine the most economical modes of transportation.
- Identify opportunities for inventory reductions.
- Review procedures, such as distribution or inventory management, to ensure maximum efficiency or minimum cost.
- Develop or maintain models for logistics uses, such as cost estimating or demand forecasting.
- Monitor industry standards, trends, or practices to identify developments in logistics planning or execution.
- Route or reroute drivers in real time with remote route navigation software, satellite linkup systems, or global positioning systems (GPS) to improve operational efficiencies.
- Write or revise standard operating procedures for logistics processes.
- Determine packaging requirements.
- Enter carbon-output or environmental-impact data into spreadsheets or environmental management or auditing software programs.
- Compare locations or environmental policies of carriers or suppliers to make transportation decisions with lower environmental impact.
- Arrange for sale or lease of excess storage or transport capacity to minimize losses or inefficiencies associated with empty space.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
English Language
84%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Computers and Electronics
78%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Transportation
77%
Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Mathematics
73%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administration and Management
70%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Customer and Personal Service
69%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Education and Training
63%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Administrative
61%
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Geography
61%
Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Production and Processing
61%
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Top 10 Skills
Critical Thinking
80%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
80%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening
78%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving
78%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Monitoring
75%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking
75%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Systems Analysis
75%
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Systems Evaluation
75%
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Judgment and Decision Making
73%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Writing
68%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Near Vision
78%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Written Comprehension
78%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Deductive Reasoning
75%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning
75%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering
75%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Speech Recognition
75%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Mathematical Reasoning
73%
The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Problem Sensitivity
73%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Top 10 Work Activities
Working with Computers
91%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Analyzing Data or Information
89%
Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Getting Information
89%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
88%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
86%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Processing Information
86%
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Communicating with People Outside the Organization
85%
Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
82%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
80%
Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
80%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Detailed Work Activities
- Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency.
- Analyze industry trends.
- Maintain data in information systems or databases.
- Develop business or financial information systems.
- Calculate specific material, equipment, or labor requirements for production.
- Obtain information about goods or services.
- Monitor organizational processes.
- Monitor inventories of products or materials.
- Establish organizational guidelines or policies.
- Prepare financial documents.
- Advise others on logistics topics.
- Analyze logistics processes.
- Prepare operational reports.
- Coordinate logistics or other business operations.
- Apply mathematical models of financial or business conditions.
- Develop financial analysis methods.
- Discuss business strategies, practices, or policies with managers.
- Calculate data to inform organizational operations.
- Evaluate logistics methods to reduce environmental impact.
- Execute sales or other financial transactions.
Education
Interests
Conventional
98%
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
Enterprising
63%
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
Investigative
57%
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
Realistic
46%
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
Social
23%
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Artistic
15%
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
Work Values
Achievement
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Working Conditions
62%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Relationships
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
53%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.