Book excerpt: The logistician plays a critical role in the growth of his or her company – in this third edition of Essentials of Logistics, the conceptual framework in which all the stakes and themes of logistics is systematically analyzed, with a strong focus on the role of the supply chain. Indeed, many elements are critical to the successful logistical strategy: customer relation management, interactive information support, production optimization and process development, vision, strategy and operations management, and human resources and resource allocation. Growing out of a successful course given by the International Institute for the Management of Logistics (IML) of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), in Lausanne, and by the Ecole des Ponts-ParisTech (ENPC), the purpose of this book is to present a methodology allowing the reader to understand and act based on the critical factors embedded in the design of strategy. Concepts are thus combined with practical examples. Transversal vision and detailed case studies highlight the main themes of modern logistics and daily preoccupations of logisticians. The book is addressed to all professionals of logistics: managers, planners and engineers; as well as to graduate students specializing in the field.