Material Flow vs. Information Flow

Logistics is the task of managing two key flows: material flow and information flow. The logistics task of managing material flow and information flow is a key part of the overall task of supply chain management.

In the last logistics class on 14/05/2010 we have talked about material and information flow.

I have found a book that gives a very comprehensive example on this topic.
Logistics Management and Strategy: Competing Through The Supply Chain
by

• Alan Harrison, Cranfield School of Management


• Remko Van Hoek, Professor of Supply Chain Management at The Cranfield Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management and Vice President Procurement at Nuon in the Netherlands

A preview on this book can be found here: http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/academic/product/0,3110,0273712764,00.html

The example for material flow and information flow is described as follows:
The concept of a supply chain suggests a series of processes linked together to form a chain. A typical Tresco (UK's largest food retailer) supply chain is formed from five such links.

Carrefour’s Distribution System

This post is also done by Sina http://sinaslogisticsblog.blogspot.com/ and Janina http://logistics-janina.blogspot.com/ and it deals with the distribution system of Carrefour.

1. Introducing Carrefour




To find out information on carrefour's business, we had a look at the "at a glance" presentation of Carrefour
Boasting four hundred parking spaces and 2,500 sq.m of sales floor area, the first Carrefour hypermarket opened in 1963 in Sainte Geneviève-des-Bois, close to Paris.
The concept was entirely new -



everything under one roof



in a self-service environment - and was an overwhelming success.

Dia’s Distribution System

This post is about the distribution system of Dia, which Sina http://sinaslogisticsblog.blogspot.com/ and Janina http://logistics-janina.blogspot.com/ prepared in collaboration.

1. Introducing Dia


First of all, let us introduce Dia.



Dia stands for "Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentacion". http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/2009_03.php?page=2
Wikipedia says that Dia



is an international hard-discount supermarket chain of Spanish origin, which is part of the Carrefour Group.