Logistics Analyst

Role Summary

As a Logistics Analyst, you use data to improve supply chain performance. You analyze costs, identify inefficiencies, model routing strategies, and report KPIs to leadership. Your insights help drive smarter decisions and operational improvements.

Required Education, Certifications, and Experience

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Analytics, or Business

Certifications:

  • Certified Supply Chain Analyst (CSCA)
  • Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution (CLTD)
  • Certified Analytics Professional (CAP)
  • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
  • Certified Professional Logistician (CPL)
  • Data Analytics for Logistics Certification

Experience:

2 plus years in logistics or data-focused roles.
Strong analytical and problem-solving background.

Core Skills

  • Data analysis
  • KPI reporting
  • Excel and BI tools
  • Cost modeling
  • SQL or Python basics

A Hypothetical Day in the Life of a Logistics Analyst

7:00 AM- You start by checking your logistics dashboard. Transportation costs spiked yesterday—an anomaly worth investigating. You filter by lane, carrier, and time window and quickly find the culprit: three loads were expedited due to missed dock appointments.


8:00 AM- You prep data visualizations for the weekly operations meeting. You focus on late shipments, detention hours, and cost per mile trends. Your charts don’t just tell a story—they drive action when stakeholders can see the friction points clearly.


9:30 AM- You analyze order-level data to identify patterns in missed delivery windows. A distribution center shows an unusual pattern of delays. You reach out to the warehouse analyst to compare notes and validate your findings before escalation.


11:00 AM- You participate in a routing optimization session with dispatch and network planning. You present a model showing how consolidating certain midweek loads could reduce weekly linehaul costs by 8 percent without hurting service.


12:30 PM- Lunch gives you time to clean your data models and tweak SQL queries. You add logic to flag exceptions earlier in the process, helping end users address issues before they impact customers.


2:00 PM- You update your weekly KPI dashboard and check data integrity across all incoming sources. A recent update to the WMS broke a key field in your report. You troubleshoot the issue, working with IT to patch the data flow.


3:30 PM- You join a brainstorming session with the warehouse team to help design a performance dashboard for shift supervisors. You translate raw data into something visual and actionable—your value comes from turning noise into clarity.


5:00 PM- You compile your week’s findings into a one-page summary for the Director of Logistics. Your role isn’t just numbers—it’s providing insight with recommendations. Today, that includes flagging a potential long-term carrier cost creep that hasn’t hit the radar yet.


6:30 PM- You finish by reviewing tomorrow’s queries and scheduling a few automated reports to run before your morning syncs. Data never sleeps, but good design means you don’t always have to babysit it.