Distributing products

Distributing products

Distributing products

Physical distribution encompasses the activities required to move products from the producer to the consumer, including order processing, inventory control, warehousing, materials handling, and outbound transportation. The phases of a distribution system should mesh as smoothly as cogs in a machine. Since the steps are interrelated, a change in one phase affects all other phases. Order processing involves preparing orders for shipment and receiving orders when shipments arrive. It includes checking the customer's credit, recording the sale, making the appropriate accounting entries, arranging for the item to be shipped, adjusting the inventory records, and billing the customer.

The ...