Logistics Engineering

What is Logistics Engineering?

December 24, 2018
Napes Solutions

Logistics Engineering is the professional engineering discipline responsible for the integration of support considerations in the design and development; test and evaluation; production and/or construction; operation; maintenance; and the ultimate disposal/recycling of systems and equipment (whole system life cycle).

Logistics Engineering: CLEP Notional Definitions

Logistics Engineers

A professional practitioner who possesses the knowledge and demonstrated skills required for successful application of scientific and mathematical principles, quantitative and qualitative analysis and deductive reasoning to develop and implement solutions to practical problems in the discipline of logistics engineering.

CLEP, 2019

Logistics Engineering

The professional engineering discipline responsible for the integration of support considerations in the design and development; test and evaluation; production and/or construction; operation; maintenance; and the ultimate disposal/recycling of systems and equipment. Additionally, this discipline defines and influences the supporting infrastructure for these systems and equipment (i.e., maintenance, personnel, facilities, support equipment, spares, supply chains, and supporting information/data). The practice of logistics engineering is exercised throughout the system life-cycle by conducting the iterative process of supportability analysis and the accomplishment of trade-off studies to optimize costs and system, logistics, and performance requirements.

CLEP, 2019

Logistics Engineering: System Life Cycle

Logistics Engineers are utilised throughout the entire system life cycle, from concept to disposal, see figure below for the system life cycle stages as per ISO/IEC 15288.

ISO/IEC 15288 System Life Cycle Stages

The roles and responsibilities that Logistics Engineers undertake over the system life cycle are both broad and specialised, see below for some examples of Logistics Engineers tasks.

Concept, Development and Production Stages

When engaged early in the system or capability development, Logistics Engineers are responsible for the integration of support considerations in the design and development; test and evaluation; production and/or construction of the mission system (such as reliability, maintainability, availability, standardisation etc) and also the supporting infrastructure design aka support system design (including maintenance, personnel, facilities, support equipment, spares, supply chains, and supporting information/data).

Utilisation & Support Stage

When engaged during the utilisation stage, Logistics Engineers conduct iterative updates of the supportability analysis (established during the Concept, Design and Development stage). These updates arise due to the program of improvement (supportability optimisation), obsolescence and mission system design changes.

Disposal Stage

When engaged during the disposal phase, Logistics Engineers assist disposal managers with the planning and staged disposal of systems.

Would you like to know more?

Reference Book: Benjamin S. Blanchard (2004), Logistics Engineering and Management, Pearson New International Edition
Reference Book: James V. Jones (2006), Integrated Logistics Support Handbook, McGraw-Hill Logistics Series Reference Book: John W. Langford (2007), Logistics: Principles and Applications, McGraw-Hill Logistics Series
Reference Book: Philip T. Frohne (2007), Quantitative Measurements for Logistics, McGraw-Hill SOLE Press
URL: The International Society of Logistics (SOLE)
URL: The Council of Logistics Engineering Professionals (CLEP)
URL: Supply Chain & Logistics Association of Australia (SCLAA)

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Nicole Andrews

Nicole has been providing value to Australian companies and government for over 20 years. A mechanical engineer by degree, Nicole cut her teeth in the marine engineering field where she got the opportunity to maintain one of her favourite machines – the gas turbine. In 2003, Nicole decided to consolidate her mechanical engineering training with design in a large industry project. Once consolidated she then worked on growing her maintenance engineering experience to other areas of asset management, logistics engineering and information systems. With this foundation of knowledge and experience, she then went into business for herself as a professional consultant and ultimately led to NAPES Solutions being created in 2014.

Over her career, Nicole has worked hard to add value in development of new contracts (acquisition and support), establishing support arrangements, determining supportability needs, advice in life cycle engineering and sustainable manufacturing (including disposal), development of and review of engineering changes, establishing and auditing configuration baselines, development and implementation of various information systems (maintenance, configuration, inventory, financial etc), studies and reports including reliability based (such as spares analysis) and data analysis based, development of and conduct of and review of training, development of and review of technical publications, and much more.

Throughout these 20 plus years, Nicole has been driven by the desire to minimise waste and maximise value. This has led to her signature 3 pillars of enduring, support and sustainable.