TABLE OF CONTENTS 
Assets represent the resources that companies use in order to generate revenue. How well we manage these resources can mean the difference between profitability and bankruptcy. Lean and Six Sigma drive out waste, and many forms of waste involve the inefficient use of resources. Yet, to understand how assets flow, we need to categorize the types of assets that support the operations. Categorizing assets and determining flow for each asset type will ultimately lead to a greater understanding of how hard the assets work to produce returns for the shareholders. The three strategic focus areas for Asset Flow are:
People Flow
Inventory Flow
Fixed Resources Flow
These three areas will be discussed in this chapter.
Truism: Excellence in logistics depends on having a team of well-trained and highly skilled people in the right places.
It is often said that people are a company's most important asset. Yet, how many companies pay homage to that belief? Not many. Excellence in logistics depends on companies recognizing workers as an extremely valuable piece of the corporate puzzle. After all, logistics processes are labor intensive and hence the importance of people.
Logistics processes not only are but will continue to be complex and people driven. The complexity is not necessarily conceptual; rather, it is due to the number of opportunities for error given the large number of steps and the amount of paperwork involved. Although many companies are looking for the logistics "magic bullet" from technology, the fact remains that...
