English for Logistics: What is Logistics? (Answers & Key Vocabulary)

Here are the answers to yesterday’s comprehension questions from the video “What is Logistics?”

1. According to the presenter, who is involved in logistics? everyone in involved, whether they know it or not

2. Logistically speaking, what has happened to every object in the room you are sitting in? they have been shipped multiple times

3. Why does he use the journey of a bottle of water as an example to explain the importance of logistics? water is an essential element of life that every human being depends on

4. What part does the speaker say LoadDelivered plays? making sure things go on track

5. What all is needed and transported to create a bottle of water? the water, recycled materials that go into packaging, the recycled plastic, the bottle top, the little seal that attaches to the bottle

6. Where do all the components for assembly arrive? a production facility

7. After assembly, describe the final journey of the bottled water. The finished good leaves the production facility to go to a distribution center which needs to get the product to a local distribution center. From there, it goes to a retail store who then puts the product on the shelves for the consumer can take it home.

8. According to the speaker, how important can the logistics provider’s role be and what example does he use? It can be a matter of life a death. The goods need to get to their final location on time in the correct condition and usable by the consumer. As an example of this role, the speaker talks about how they knew that hurricane Isaac was going to hit Louisiana and they sent vans with water and supplies to be already in place to help save lives when the storm hit.

9. What does he means when he says that they are “looking out for the big picture?” they have to have to see the larger perspective and be ready to answer future needs, such as in the above case with hurricane Isaac

10. What repercussions are mentioned if the bottled water isn’t delivered on time? an angry customer, a human being who isn’t able to drink for a day

11. What does the speaker call “good logistics?” something well thought-out and actually enacted

KEY VOCABULARY

• to ship = to send goods to customers, usually by air, land or sea

We can create phrasal verbs from “ship.” Take a look at these:

• to ship in = to have something shipped to you: ”We don’t have that spare part on hand for your car. We will need to have it shipped in from our supplier.”
• to ship out = to send goods to a place:  “We shipped the goods out last week.”
• to ship off to = can have the same meaning as above: “We shipped the goods off to our distributer last week.” / It also has the idiomatic meaning of sending someone somewhere where they don’t want to go: “A lot of English parents ship their children off to boarding school.”

• the journey = an occasion when you or something travel from one location to another, especially when there is a long distance between the places

Vocabulary note! This word along with other similar words such as travel, trip or voyage can be quite confusing to learners of English. Check back tomorrow for an explanation of the differences in meaning.

• go on track = everything is functioning correctly and on time: “So far everything is going on track, exactly as we planned.”
• packaging = the box or wrapping in which a product is offered for sale
• seal = any substance or device used to close or fasten tightly
• assembly = the process of putting together a number of parts to make a machine or other product
• production facility = a location, such as a factory, that is specifically equipped for the production of certain goods. It comes from the word ‘facilitate,’ meaning to make easier.
• distribution center = for a set of products is a warehouse or other specialized building, often with refrigeration or air conditioning, which is stocked with products (goods) to be redistributed to retailers, to wholesalers, or directly to consumers.
• to get something to somewhere = to move something to or from a position or place

Grammar note: ‘Get’ is one of those confusing, multipurpose verbs in English that can have a variety of different meanings. To learn more, be sure to check out the grammar page: http://the-english-spot.blogspot.fr/2014/04/grammar-use-of-verb-get.html

• retail store (or shop) = a shop that sales goods and services from individuals or businesses to the end-user (= person who uses a product)
• the retailer = A business or person that sells goods to the consumer, as opposed to a wholesaler or supplier, who normally sell their goods to another business.
• supplies = General purpose consumable items which commonly have a shorter life span in use than equipment and machines, and which are stocked for recurring use.
• the big (or wider) picture = a whole or complete situation, including all the things that it affects, not just one part of it: “It's important we don't lose sight of the big picture when we make these decisions.”
• thought-out = considered in every aspect: “He presented a well-though-out plan.'”
• enact = put into effect or action. “The company has enacted new rules on customer service.”