Marketing and Logistics Strategy: The Integration Process

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine how firms can integrate both marketing and logistics functions for better performance. The paper will also highlight whether the strategy is a long run or a short run approach. It will also create a model on how manufacturing firms can integrate both marketing and logistics function for better performance. The paper has developed a long-term strategy for integrating marketing and logistics in a manufacturing company. The model is based on four levels of integration, including corporate integration, strategic customer integration, strategic supplier integration, and marketing and logistics strategy integration. The corporate level integration involves the development of corporate and business strategies that are aimed at creating customer and shareholder value. The strategic customer integration is an internal process that involves the alignment of the needs of the customers with the value propositions of a company. The strategic supplier creates an alignment between the suppliers and customers. This level provides the integration between the customer co-creation value and the supplier value creation. The model provides a coordinated approach that can allow managers in the marketing and logistics to make more informed decisions.