Managing Integrated Distribution Systems: The Challenge of the 80s

The year 1980, the decade of the 80s, twenty years until the year 2000. The next ten years may be among the most critical faced by American business, and physical distribution managers in particular, in our history. Further, the developments in physical distribution practice and management, and especially the way in which some of the critical problems are solved, will have impacts on the health and progress of business into the year 2000 and beyond. The following paragraphs address some of the critical problems and issues faced by physical distribution managers. Where possible recent trends which affect these concerns are identified and the potential development of these trends through the 1980s is traced.