Our History

  • 1990

  • 1993

  • 1995

  • 2000

  • 2018

Canadian Professional Logistics Institute

Logistics Institute is a not-for-profit company incorporated in 1990 under Part 2 of the Canada Business Act, and transitioned to continue as a federal company under the Canadian Not-for-profit Corporations Act in 2013.

Professional Organization

Working with industry, business, government, and individual practitioners, the logistics Institute established and continues to build a global logistics professional community through formal Certification policies and Training Programs, leading to the internationally recognized P.Log , LS, SC designations.

Training Institute

Working with professional members and strategic training partners from colleges, universities, and schools, the institute;

  • Developed national and international Competency Standards in Logistics & Supply Chain
  • Developed national and international Curriculum Standards in Logistics for programs delivered in colleges and universities
  • Delivers national and international Certification and Training Programs in Logistics, leading to Professional Designations

Competency Standards in Logistics are the foundation of nation-wide as well as company workforce development strategies. The Logistics Institute identified core logistics and general business skills required of workers and professionals at all levels of responsibility in the labor market, including frontline/tactical skills, supervisory/ functional skills, managerial/ process skills, and executive/ strategic skills.

Curriculum Standards in Logistics identify the knowledge base and applied learning objectives of programs and courses to be delivered in colleges, universities, schools and companies in full range of logistics functions including procurement and purchasing, inventory management and handling, warehousing and distribution, transportation, freight forwarding, international trade logistics.

National Sector Council

Working in partnership with the Government of Canada, and specifically with federal department of Human Resources Development, the Logistics Institute adhered to a comprehensive mandate to develop and enhance the skills and competencies of the logistics workforce at all levels of responsibility from tactical to senior executive. As a Sector Council, the Logistics Institute established national standards, including:

  • Occupational Standards In Logistics
  • Competency And Skills Standards In Logistics
  • Curriculum Standards (Secondary And Post-Secondary)
  • Professional Certification Standards, Policies And Procedures In Logistics

Building on these national standards, the Logistics Institute also developed and implemented national career and industry practitioner guides, including:

  • Logistics Career Path Model
  • Logistics Labor Market Information (Compensation, Recruitment, Retention, Development)
  • Global Supply Chain Logistics Industry Model

Business Development Company

Working with private and public sector companies and business associations, the Logistics Institute delivers logistics expertise worldwide.

What is Logistics?

Logistics is the art and science of managing and controlling the flow of goods, energy, information and other resources from the source of production to the marketplace. More than 750,000 Canadian workers are employed in the logistics field, making it the second to third largest employment sector in Canada. Many logisticians work in supply chain management, executive management, consulting, transportation, traffic, customs, distribution, manufacturing, purchasing, and warehousing. They work in small, medium and large companies.

Why Logistics is critical to today’s Global Economy

The convergence of economic, political and technological forces in the mid-1990s dramatically increased the importance of logistics. The delivery of goods overtook production as the most critical factor in business success. Almost overnight, the responsibility of logistics grew from simply getting a product out the door to the science of controlling the optimal flow of goods, energy, and information through the purchasing, planning and transportation management. In the wake of this change, the role of logistics went from local to global, tactical to strategic, and from the backroom to the boardroom.

Logistics and Industry

Logisticians work in virtually every industry in the business world, including:

  • Aerospace
  • Airlines
  • Auto Industry
  • Clothing & Apparel
  • Courier & Messaging
  • Engineering
  • Food & Grocery
  • Forestry
  • Freight Forwarding
  • Government
  • Hotel and Hospitality
  • International Trade
  • IT
  • Military and National Defence
  • Mining
  • Natural Gas
  • Public Transportation
  • Oil
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Railways
  • Retail
  • Shipping

The Role Logisticians Play

Logisticians hold a variety of high-profile positions that are responsible for managing a company’s operations. Some of these titles include:

  • Vice President of Logistics
  • Logistics Analyst
  • Warehouse Manager
  • Demand and Supply Planner
  • Inventory Control Manager
  • Vice-President of Operations
  • Materials Coordinator
  • Contracts Director
  • Senior Dispatcher
  • Traffic Analyst
  • Customs Manager
  • Transportation Specialist

How Important is Logistics?

Logistics can make or break your business. Here is a list of companies who fully understand the importance of logistics:

  • Air Canada
  • BC Hydro
  • Canada Post
  • Canadian Tire
  • Victoria Shipyards
  • WheelsGroup
  • UTI Canada
  • TFT GLOBAL
  • LCBO
  • Levi Strauss
  • DHL Danzas
  • Kuehne + Nagel
  • Oakrun Farm Bakeries
  • OPG
  • IMP Group

The Logistics Institute and Your Career

Your association with the Logistics Institute will provide you complete training, support and development for every phase of your professional career. Our development programs that have helped hundreds of logisticians in all levels of management increase their earning potential, strengthen their company’s supply chains, and improve their leadership skills. For more information on our programs, please click here.