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Model 26 of 74 · Operations & Delivery

Logistics & Distribution Maturity Assessment

Assess how well your organisation plans, moves, stores, and delivers goods across its supply chain.

Pillars & areas

Plan

Forecast the demand

  1. 01Demand Planning & Forecasting
  2. 02Warehousing & Inventory

Move

Ship and store

  1. 03Transportation & Routing
  2. 04Order Fulfilment & Tracking

Optimise

See and improve

  1. 05Returns & Reverse Logistics
  2. 06Technology & Visibility

Levels

  1. 1ManualPaper-heavy & reactive
  2. 2CoordinatedStandardised & digital
  3. 3OptimisedData-driven & visible

01 Demand Planning & Forecasting

How well does the organisation anticipate what needs to be moved, where, and when?

0/4 answered

DPF-1How does your organisation forecast demand for goods movement and distribution?

Think about whether forecasts are based on gut feel and past experience, or on structured data analysis.

DPF-2How does your organisation handle sudden spikes or drops in demand?

Consider what happens when an unexpected large order arrives or a key customer cancels — can operations flex, or does everything break?

DPF-3How well do sales, operations, and logistics teams collaborate on demand planning?

Think about whether the logistics team finds out about promotions or large orders at the same time as everyone else, or whether they are involved in planning.

DPF-4How does your organisation measure the accuracy of its demand forecasts?

Consider whether anyone checks how close the forecast was to what actually happened, and whether that learning improves future forecasts.

02 Warehousing & Inventory

How effectively does the organisation store, locate, and manage stock across its network?

0/4 answered

WI-1How does your organisation track inventory levels and locations?

Think about whether you can answer 'how much do we have and where is it?' in real time, or whether it requires manual counting and phone calls.

WI-2How does your organisation decide where to position inventory across its network?

Consider whether stock placement is deliberate (based on demand patterns and delivery speed requirements) or accidental (it goes wherever there is space).

WI-3How does your organisation manage warehouse space and layout efficiency?

Think about whether fast-moving items are easy to reach, whether picking routes make sense, and whether space is used well or wasted.

WI-4How does your organisation handle stock accuracy and cycle counting?

Consider whether you trust your inventory numbers enough to promise delivery dates based on them.

03 Transportation & Routing

How well does the organisation plan, execute, and optimise the physical movement of goods?

0/4 answered

TR-1How does your organisation plan delivery routes and carrier assignments?

Think about whether routes are planned based on data and optimisation, or based on habit and driver preference.

TR-2How does your organisation monitor shipments in transit?

Consider whether you know where your goods are between dispatch and delivery, or whether visibility ends at the loading dock.

TR-3How does your organisation evaluate and manage carrier performance?

Think about whether you know which carriers deliver on time and undamaged, or whether you only notice the bad ones when customers complain.

TR-4How does your organisation manage transportation costs?

Consider whether you understand your true cost per delivery and whether you actively work to reduce it without sacrificing service.

04 Order Fulfilment & Tracking

How reliably does the organisation pick, pack, ship, and confirm orders from receipt to delivery?

0/4 answered

OFT-1How does your organisation process orders from receipt through to dispatch?

Think about the journey from order received to goods leaving the dock — how much is manual, how much is automated, and where do errors creep in?

OFT-2How does your organisation communicate order status to customers?

Consider whether customers have to chase you for updates, or whether they receive proactive notifications at each stage.

OFT-3How does your organisation measure and manage order accuracy?

Think about how often the customer receives exactly what they ordered — right items, right quantities, right condition, right time.

OFT-4How well does your organisation handle order exceptions and special requirements?

Consider what happens when an order has unusual requirements — hazardous goods, temperature control, specific delivery instructions, or partial availability.

05 Returns & Reverse Logistics

How effectively does the organisation handle returns, repairs, recycling, and the backward flow of goods?

0/4 answered

RRL-1How does your organisation manage the returns process from customer to warehouse?

Think about how easy it is for a customer to return something, and how efficiently the returned item flows back into your operation.

RRL-2How does your organisation recover value from returned or end-of-life goods?

Consider whether returned goods are restocked and resold efficiently, or whether they sit in a corner losing value.

RRL-3How does your organisation analyse return patterns to reduce future returns?

Think about whether you understand why goods come back and whether that insight drives changes in packaging, product descriptions, or supplier quality.

RRL-4How does your organisation handle sustainability and waste in its reverse logistics?

Consider whether packaging waste, unsellable returns, and end-of-life products are disposed of responsibly or simply sent to landfill.

06 Technology & Visibility

How well does technology enable end-to-end logistics visibility, decision-making, and automation?

0/4 answered

TV-1How integrated are your logistics systems across the supply chain?

Think about whether your order management, warehouse, transport, and inventory systems talk to each other, or whether staff manually bridge the gaps.

TV-2How does your organisation use data and analytics to improve logistics performance?

Consider whether logistics decisions are based on dashboards and analysis, or on instinct and anecdote.

TV-3How does your organisation provide end-to-end supply chain visibility to stakeholders?

Think about whether everyone who needs to know — operations, customer service, finance, and the customer — can see where goods are and what is coming.

TV-4How does your organisation approach automation in logistics operations?

Consider which repetitive tasks (label printing, shipment booking, status updates, replenishment triggers) are automated versus done by hand.

Self-assessment report

Logistics & Distribution

Answer the questions above and your report builds here: an overall score, a score and target for each area, and the three changes that matter most.

About this model

About the Logistics & Distribution maturity model

Logistics is the operational backbone of any organisation that moves physical goods. Whether you run a global distribution network or a single warehouse serving regional customers, the difference between reactive firefighting and smooth, predictable operations comes down to maturity — not size or budget. Organisations that invest in logistics capability deliver faster, waste less, and recover more gracefully when things go wrong.

This model treats logistics as a connected system, not a collection of isolated activities. Forecasting, warehousing, transport, fulfilment, returns, and technology are deeply interdependent — a weakness in one area cascades through the others. The assessment is designed to reveal those connections and help you prioritise improvements that have the greatest knock-on benefit.

The goal is not perfection in every area at once. It is honest visibility into where your logistics operation stands today, so you can make deliberate choices about where to invest next. Whether you are still running on spreadsheets or evaluating predictive analytics, every organisation has a next step that will meaningfully improve reliability, cost, and customer experience.

24 questions across 6 key areas, assessing your organisation's ability to plan, store, move, deliver, and recover goods effectively. Takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.

Scoring is based on 3 maturity levels per question. Your overall score reflects the average maturity across all areas, giving you a clear picture of where your logistics operation is strong and where it needs attention.

Who this assessment is for

  • Supply chain and logistics directors
  • Warehouse and distribution centre managers
  • Transport and fleet managers
  • Operations and fulfilment leaders
  • COOs and operational executives
  • Supply chain consultants and improvement teams

The three maturity levels

  • Level 1 — Manual: Logistics operations are reactive and heavily reliant on individual knowledge and manual processes. Inventory records are unreliable, routes are planned by habit, and visibility ends at the loading dock. Problems are discovered by customers before the organisation spots them. Success depends on experienced individuals rather than repeatable systems.
  • Level 2 — Coordinated: Core logistics processes are standardised and digitally supported. Systems track inventory, routes are planned with data, and key metrics are monitored. Cross-functional coordination happens through regular meetings and shared plans. The operation is predictable under normal conditions, though it can struggle when things deviate from plan.
  • Level 3 — Optimised: Logistics is a data-driven, continuously improving function with end-to-end visibility. Forecasting is predictive, inventory placement is dynamically optimised, and transport decisions balance cost, speed, and sustainability. Automation handles routine work, and the team focuses on exceptions, improvement, and strategic decisions. The operation adapts quickly to disruption and learns from every cycle.

The 6 areas assessed

  1. Demand Planning & Forecasting — How well does the organisation anticipate what needs to be moved, where, and when?
  2. Warehousing & Inventory — How effectively does the organisation store, locate, and manage stock across its network?
  3. Transportation & Routing — How well does the organisation plan, execute, and optimise the physical movement of goods?
  4. Order Fulfilment & Tracking — How reliably does the organisation pick, pack, ship, and confirm orders from receipt to delivery?
  5. Returns & Reverse Logistics — How effectively does the organisation handle returns, repairs, recycling, and the backward flow of goods?
  6. Technology & Visibility — How well does technology enable end-to-end logistics visibility, decision-making, and automation?

How this model relates to other frameworks

  • SCOR (Supply Chain Operations Reference) Model
  • APICS/ASCM Supply Chain Management Body of Knowledge
  • CSCMP (Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals) Standards
  • Gartner Supply Chain Maturity Model
  • ISO 28000 — Supply Chain Security Management
  • GS1 Standards (barcoding, EDI, data synchronisation)
  • Green freight programmes (e.g. SmartWay, GLEC Framework)

Frequently asked questions

What is the Logistics & Distribution maturity model?

Assess how well your organisation plans, moves, stores, and delivers goods across its supply chain. It is an original, simplified model with three maturity levels (Manual, Coordinated and Optimised), assessed through 24 questions across 6 areas: Demand Planning & Forecasting, Warehousing & Inventory, Transportation & Routing, Order Fulfilment & Tracking, Returns & Reverse Logistics and Technology & Visibility.

How long does the Logistics & Distribution assessment take?

Most people finish in 10–14 minutes. Each of the 24 questions has three concrete answer options. Your progress is saved in the page URL, so you can bookmark it and come back later.

How is the score calculated?

Each answer scores 1 (Manual), 2 (Coordinated) or 3 (Optimised). An area's score is the average of its answered questions, and the overall score is the average of the area scores, so every area counts equally. Scores run from 1.0 to 3.0.

Is my data stored or shared?

No. Your answers are never sent to a server. They are stored only in the page URL, which you control. Copy the link to share results with colleagues, or export a PDF or CSV report.

How should I use the results?

Start with "Where to focus" in your report. It lists the questions with the biggest gap to the target you set for each area, and shows what the next level looks like in practice. For a fuller picture, ask several people from different teams to complete the assessment and compare their links. Differences in perception are often as revealing as the scores themselves.