Changes in the country’s social and economic system – the functioning of the economy according to market principles – require a new category of employees capable of undertaking tasks resulting from the transformations taking place and already completed in the economy, especially in industry and trade. The emergence of a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises, family service companies, industrial restructuring, privatization of enterprises, etc., forces the engineer to take on a dual role, as a creator of technology and a manager. The scope of tasks assigned to engineers has therefore expanded. In particular, in addition to specialized knowledge in a specific field of technology, they are also expected to have skills in management, accounting, finance, law, ecology, and logistics.
According to the summary included, the subject “logistics” is taught at nearly 50 public and private higher education institutions. The vast majority are humanities/economic universities. Education in the field of logistics most often takes place within the following fields of study: Management and Marketing, Economics, Commodity Science. Logistics knowledge is also taught to engineers at about 10 technical universities, mainly polytechnics, within the following fields of study: Mechanics and Machine Design, Computer Science, Management and Production Engineering, Transport, and also Management and Marketing. Analyzing the teaching standards formulated by the Ministry of National Education and Sport, it should be emphasized that the subject “logistics” (or “logistics management”) has been recognized as a core subject only in the following fields:
– Management and Marketing: “Logistics management: Purchasing marketing and logistics. Methods of researching and segmenting the supply market. Purchasing planning. The purchasing process and supply channels. Storage and warehousing. Logistics of distribution and sales of company products. Organization and management of logistics processes in an enterprise.”
– Transport (according to the draft standard): “Logistics: The essence of logistics, reasons for the development of logistics concepts. Structure of logistics systems. Logistics management, use of synergistic effects, decision-making problems in micro-logistics systems. Logistics in the supply and sales phase, shaping the level of inventories and finished goods. Logistics in transport, logistics services, logistics chains.”
– Management and Production Engineering (as part of the subject Production and Service Management): “Production and service management: Goal and subject of production and service management. Logistics parameters of the production and service process flow. Organization of production and service space. Principles, methods, and techniques of conducting production and service activities. Fundamentals of production planning and control and service implementation. Concept and classification of production and service ordering systems. Modern methods of production and service management.”
– Management and Marketing: “Logistics management: Purchasing marketing and logistics. Methods of researching and segmenting the supply market. Purchasing planning. The purchasing process and supply channels. Storage and warehousing. Logistics of distribution and sales of company products. Organization and management of logistics processes in an enterprise.”
– Transport (according to the draft standard): “Logistics: The essence of logistics, reasons for the development of logistics concepts. Structure of logistics systems. Logistics management, use of synergistic effects, decision-making problems in micro-logistics systems. Logistics in the supply and sales phase, shaping the level of inventories and finished goods. Logistics in transport, logistics services, logistics chains.”
– Management and Production Engineering (as part of the subject Production and Service Management): “Production and service management: Goal and subject of production and service management. Logistics parameters of the production and service process flow. Organization of production and service space. Principles, methods, and techniques of conducting production and service activities. Fundamentals of production planning and control and service implementation. Concept and classification of production and service ordering systems. Modern methods of production and service management.”
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 4/2004.