Ways to improve logistics for the benefit of the producers' foreign customers

• Author: Balasescu M.
• Pages: 11-18

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov

Series V: Economic Sciences • Vol. 9 (58) No. 2 - 2016

Ways to improve logistics for the benefit of

the producers’ foreign customers

Marius BĂLĂŞESCU1

Abstract: This study is aimed at the optimization of logistics services for foreign clients.

The main objectives of the investigation are: the measurement of the logistics service level

for a company’ s external clients, assessing the current potential of the logistics service

strategy offered by the foreign customers’ companies, creating a strategy that targets the

improvement of the quality of foreign customer service. The instruments used in the analysis

can be classified into three major categories: the company’ s economic results expressed by

the measurement of such variables as service level, information from foreign customers

consisting of their findings on the investigated matters; conceptual resources regarding the

analysis of the customer logistics service level.

Key-words: supply chain logistics,logistic service, foreign markets

1. Introduction

There are many approaches to customer logistics service, each capturing another

special facet of the problem. To obtain a clear image of the concept of customer

logistics service, various assessments by specialized authors who tried to describe

and explain this concept will be presented.

According to Bǎlan, C. (2004) the level of customer service is the result of the

whole system of logistics activities. Its direct impact on sales and profits is

necessary to establish a certain customer service level as an objective of a

company’s logistics strategy. The logistics service is a part of customer service as a

result of all the company’s activities. According to Martin, C. (1990), customer

service refers to ensuring the products’ availability for customers. It starts from the

premise that the potential value of the product becomes effective only when the

customer takes possession of the product.

The concept of customer service can be analyzed from different perspectives:

as an activity; as a level of performance; as management philosophy (LaLonde and

Zinszer, 1976).

1 Transilvania University of Braşov, Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration.

mariusbalasescu@unitbv.ro