Material flow

Roughly speaking, the material flow describes the logistics chain from the supplier to the customer. It includes all processes from the extraction of raw materials, through processing, to distribution and the route to the end user. Also included are all processes concerning the transport, storage and testing of the product. All processes that take place within the company are referred to as internal material flow.
In contrast to logistics, material flow deals with technical, economic and organizational transport.
In order to optimize the material flow within the enterprise lastingly a material flow analysis must be accomplished in advance. This records transport processes, workflows and all storage processes. The goal of this material flow analysis is to uncover the weak points of the material flow and to find suitable measures to eliminate these weak points.
Through targeted material flow analysis and optimized measures, throughput times are to be shortened, working conditions improved, costs saved and environmental pollution reduced.