new competencies and
innovations in logistics

In Italy, the potential providers of statistical data on jobs are:

• Instituto Nazionale di Statistica (ISTAT), which is the official public statistical institute for statistics. Data is based on the national census, the most recent of which took place in October 2001, and on labour market surveys which are published every three months on the basis of a defined sample of 100,000 people who fill in a questionnaire. (http://www.istat.it/Istituto/index.htm)
• Instituto per lo Sviluppo della Formazione Professionale dei Lavoratori (ISFOL) ISFOL, the Institute for the development of vocational training for workers, is a technical agency of the Italian Ministry for Employment and Social Security and was set up in 1973. It is responsible for the implementation of the following tasks defined by the State: the provision of technical assistance to the regions and the monitoring of their activities, direct intervention in specific sectors, the training of trainers in agreement with the regions and at their initiative, studies, documentation experiments and activities related to the national priorities. As part of its mission, the ISFOL also produces sectoral studies. (http://www.isfol.it)

In 2001 ISTAT introduced the new edition of the Classification of Professions ("Classificazione delle professioni"; 2001), essentially the same as that of the ISCO 88 standard, doing so not only in response to the increasing importance in the last decade of the theme of professions and professional needs (with a resulting increase in research initiatives on the subject), but also as a result of the directives issued by the statistical body of the European Union (EUROSTAT) regarding the harmonization of statistical and the adoption of a European Classification of the Professions (the ISCO 88 standard, mentioned earlier).
This jobs classification is more complete and more analytical than ISCO, it contains 6,300 occupations, includes four levels and then some examples for information only knowing that what is presented are not, strictly speaking, definitions but merely job titles.
The quantification is not possible for the moment but that is constantly evolving.
The classification of 2001 results of a modification of the old one of 1991 which contained five categories related to logistic jobs.

2.1. Changes in the classification system between 1991 and 2001

In 2001, these categories have been modified in three main ways (table 1):

• There is no distinction between the third and fourth categories according to intermediate jobs and execute jobs in administration. Now the distinction is between technicians and administrative, as the number 3 "Professioni tecniche".
• Introduction of qualification level for drivers "semi qualified" as the number 7 "Conduttori di impianti e operai semiqualificati addeti a machinari fissi e mobili".
• New jobs appear in ten years as the number 1.2.3.5 "Diretori del dipartimento approvvigionamento e distribuzione", en l'occurrence une fonction de direction des activités logistiques qui n'existait pas auparavant.

Certains emplois appartiennent entièrement au champs logistique, d'autres recouvrent un champs qui peut être plus large (ex. : 3313, 3331).

Table 1. Logistics jobs and change of the classification
Classification of 1991		Classification of 2001
1. Legislatori, dirigenti e imprenditori		1. Legislatori, dirigenti e imprenditori
		1.2.3.5.	Direttori del dipartimento approvvigionamento e distribuzione
3. Professioni intermedie amministrative e organizzative		3. Professioni tecniche
		3.3.1.3.	Technici addetti all'organizzazione e al controllo della produzione
3.3.3.1	Approvvigionatori e responabili acquisti	3.3.3.1.	Approvvigionatori e responabili acquisti
3.3.3.2	Responsabili di magazzino e della distribuzione interna	3.3.3.2	Responsabili di magazzino e della distribuzione interna
4. Professionni esecutive relative all'amministrazione e gestione		4. Impiegati
4.1.3.1	Impiegati nella gestione degli stocks, magazzini e assimilati	4.1.3.1	Personale addetto alla gestione degli stock, dei magazzini ed assimilati
4.1.3.2	Impiegati nella gestione degli approwigionamenti	4.1.3.2.	Personale addetto alla gestione degli approvvigionamenti
4.1.3.9	Altri impiegati nella gestione degli stocks, e degli approwigionamenti e nella gestione amministrat
7. Conduttori di impianti, operatori di macchinari fissi e mobili (anche in agricoltura) operai di mont		7. Conduttori di impianti e operai semiqualificati addeti a machinari fissi e mobili
7.4.4.4	Conduttori di carreli elevatori	7.4.4.4	Conduttori di carreli elevatori
8. Professioni non qualificato		8. Professioni non qualificato
8.1.2.2	Personale ausiliario addetto all'imballaggio, al magazzino ed alla consegna merci	8.1.2.2	Personale ausiliario addetto all'imballaggio, al magazzino ed alla consegna merci

2.2 Logistics and transport jobs in the 2001 classification
The following table lists all of the jobs in transport (shaded in grey) and logistics that have been identified in this new edition of the classification.

Table 2. Classification of 2001 for jobs in logistics and transport
Code	Occupations	Examples of Job titles
1.2.1.6	Imprenditori e amministratori di aziende private nei trasporti e comunicazioni	Amministratore delegato nei trasporti e nelle comunicazioni; Imprenditore concessionario di autolinee; Imprenditore concessionario di ferrovie; Imprenditore concessionario di linee di navigazione; Imprenditore concessionario di tranvie e funivie; Imprenditore nei trasporti e comunicazioni; Impresario di trasporto merci.
1.2.2.6	Direttori di aziende private nei trasporti e comunicazioni	Direttore di aeroporto; Direttore di azienda privata nei trasporti e comunicazioni; Dirigente di azienda privata nei trasporti e comunicazioni.
1.2.3.5	Direttori del dipartimento approvvigionamento e distribuzione	Direttore di reparto, acquisiti; Direttore di reparto, distribuzione ; Direttore di reparto, magazzino ; Direttore di reparto, scorte ; Dirigenti acquisiti ; Dirigente distribuzione commerciale ; Dirigente forniture ; Dirigente magazzino ; Dirigente servizi acquisiti (buyer) ; Dirigente servizio logistica.
3.3.1.3	Tecnici addetti all'organizzazione e al controllo della produzione	Analista di gestione; Controllore di produzione; Programmatore di organizzazione; Tecnico del controllo tempo e metodi; Tecnico della valutazione del lavoro; Tecnico dell'analisi del lavoro; Tecnico dell'organizzazione del lavoro.
3.3.3.1	Approvvigionatori e responsabili acquisti	Acquisitore di moda; Adddetto agli acquisiti merci ; Agente acquistatore all'ingroso ; Consulente specializzato acquisito sistemi niformatici e telematici ; Coordinatore centro ristorazione ; Responsabile di acquisito indiretto.
3.3.3.2	Responsabili di magazzino e della distribuzione interna	Capo magazzino; Capo servizio merci; Responsabile assortimenti e rotazione stock.
3.3.4.1	Spedizionieri e tecnici della distribuzione	Addetto a pratiche doganali e valutarie; Addetto al franchising ; Addetto alle relazioni commerciali con l'estero; Agente di navigazione ; Agente marittimo ; Assistente allo sviluppo territoriale ed immobiliare ; Caterer operativo internazionale ; Consulente chising;
		Coordinatore dei punti vendita; Corrispondente commerciale ; Esportatore ; Importatore ; Responsabile della logistica commerciale ; Spedizioniere ; Spedizioniere patentato ; Store planner.
4.1.3.1	Personale addetto alla gestione degli stock, dei magazini ed assimilati	Aiuto magazziniere; Aiuto spedizioniere; Distributore di magazzino; Magazziniere ; Magazziniere consegnatario ; Ordinatore di magazzino ; Smistatore di magazzino.
4.1.3.2	Personale addetto alla gestione degli approvvigionamenti	Addetto al materiale di distribuzione.
4.1.3.3	Personale addetto alla gestione amministrativa di trasporti	Addetto allo sdoganamento; Capo treno ferroviario.
4.1.3.4	Personale addetto al controllo della documentazione di viaggio	Controllore di azienda autofilotramviaria; Controllore di azienda di trasporto ; Controllore ferroviario ; Controllore viaggiante (ferrovie e tranvie).
7.4.2.4	Conduttori di mezzi pesanti e camion	Autotrasportatore ; Camionista ; Conducente di autobetoniera ;
		Conducente di autobotte ; Conducente di autocarro ; Conducente di autoinnaffiatrice ; Conducente di autotreno ; Conducente di spazzaneve ; Trasportatore (camionista).
7.4.4.3	Conduttori di gru e di apparecchi di sollevamento	Agganciatore di gru; Arganista ; Conduttore di macchine per abbattimento di edifici ; Gruista ; Gruista di elicottero ; Gruista di locomobile ; Gruista di monorotaia ; Gruista edile ; Gruista escavatorista ; Gruista imbragatore ; Manovratore di benna ; Manovratore di carroponte ; Operatore gru semoventi ; Sganciatenaglie ; Verricellista.
7.4.4.4	Conduttori di carreli elevatori	Carrellista di cantiniere ; Conduttore di carrello elevatore ; Conduttore di nastri trasportatori (materiali edili).
8.1.2.2	Personale ausiliario addetto all'imballagio, al magazzino ed alla consegna merci	Addetto al magazzino; Addetto al ricevimento materiali; Addetto insaccamento gomma; Avviluppatore; Bollatore in magazzino di imballaggio; Cartocciaio; Cucitore di sacchi di juta a mano; Distributore di gas in bombole ; Etichettaro a mano ; Fasciatore ; Foderatore di carta ; Gabbiettatore ; Imballatore ; Imbotigliatore a mano ; Imbustatore ; Impacchettatore a mano ; Impiombatore ; Impressore di marchi a mano ; Incestatore ; Inscatolatore a mano ; Intubettatore a mano ; Lavatore ; Mettimastice ; Punzonatore a mano ; Riempitore ; Sballatore.

Sectorial studies have been realized by or through the ISFOL which are linked to the new nomenclature "Classificazione delle professioni".

The ISFOL, has a Department in charge of "professional occupations" which pilots a project of settlement of a commune information system on a methodology viewpoint in all the branches and enabling to analyze needs in training per professional family. Ce projet a consisté en plusieurs études sectorielles (among the studied sectors, there are trade and transport) en partenariat avec 4 organismes chacun en charge d'un ou plusieurs secteurs (Coop-Form, Chirone 2000, ENFEA, OBNF).

Table 3. Sectorial studies
Entities in charge of the studies	Title of the studies	Sectors and subsectors
COOP-FORM	Indagine sui fabbisogni di competenza nelle imprese cooperative	Imprese cooperative: servizi alle persone agro-alimentare distribuzione food
CHIRONE 2000	Ricerca nazionale sulle professionalità delle imprese del settore trasporti, loro infrastrutture e servizi collegati: fabbisogni di nuove competenze professionali e di nuove risposte formative	Trasporti e servizi collegati Sta per avviare una nuova ricerca sulla Logistica nei trasporti
ENFEA	Indagine nazionale sui fabbisogni formativi nella piccola e media industria privata	tessile/Abbigliamento meccanica informatica legno/mobili chimica/plastica
OBNF	Indagine sui fabbisogni formativi in 16 settori industriali	chimica farmaceutica alberghiero costruzioni, etc.

These various sectoral approaches place logistics and logistics-related jobs at the very heart of the changes underway within the sector, but they do not statistically quantify the logistics-related jobs.

Italy represents the fourth of the biggest European market in terms of general logistic expenses: $16,1 thousand million in 1998 according to the Industry Ministry ("Providers of logistic services: the Italian exception" Logistic Strategy, May 2002, N°46, p88-100) after Germany, France and the United Kingdom. The use of externalization of logistic activities is relatively diffuse, according to the average of the other European countries (the externalization rate is very low, just a little bit superior to Greece).

It must be underlined that there is no clear survey on the number of companies and per employees who work in logistics services in Italy. According to the data from the ISTAT, there are about 154 000 structures which offer logistic services and goods transport:

1. 94% (145 000) are transport companies and 86,5% of them are at a family management;
2. 4,5% (7 000) can be considered as providers of service for loading/unloading and storage.

It must be added that in the production sectors, logistics, as we understand it nowadays, appeared later than in the other industrialized countries. It is only in 1976 that Fiat settled a logistic project and in 1975 that Olivetti created the "Material flow and logistics". But the logistic function has not already found its real place in the company's structure.

We can see that people are now becoming more aware of logistics and of the fact that this is an area for future development. From the end of the 1990s, people have begun to give greater consideration to logistics and to the areas that it covers. However, logistics has yet to be fully tackled from an jobs point of view and, despite the existence of a relatively detailed nomenclature, the sources of statistical data are not sufficient to quantify these jobs.

The main providers of job descriptions are :

• The trade unions and employers' bodies who sign the collective agreements for the transport and logistics sector:
  • CCNL "CCNL del trasporto merci e della logistica, 1998-2001"
  • CCNL Assologistica "Contratto collettivo nazionale di lavoro per il personale dipendente dalle aziende di logistica"
• A public body: ISFOL, the Institute for the development of vocational training for workers, which is a technical assistance agency of the Italian Ministry for Employment and Social Policy.
• A training organisation : ISFORT, Istituto Superiore di Formazione e Ricerca per i Trasporti.
• Companies in the transport and logistics sector.

The collective agreements define general conditions in which the working contract is executed for the two parts (employers and employees). In the process of defining these general working conditions, each one has been represented by its own unions.

There is a single specific institution that centralizes all of the collective agreements in Italy: the Consiglio Nazionale dell'Economia e del Lavoro, CNEL (National Council of Economy and Labour). The collective agreements cover both the sectors as well as job categories.

There are two agreements in particular which cover the logistics sector:

• a national agreement concluded for the transport/logistics sector (CCNL del trasporto merci e della logistica, 1998-2001)
• and a sectoral agreement for storage activities (CCNL Assologistica). The objectives and modalities of sectoral agreements are fixed within a national agreement.

A comparison of these two agreements shows that the number of logistics jobs defined within the agreements is greater at the blue-collar level than at the white-collar level.

Employees are classified according to levels. A hierarchical classification of these levels is provided and it takes into account issues such as autonomy, responsibility, technical initiative or practical knowledge, collaboration... in terms of skills and know-how.

Furthemore, we may notice that in the collective agreement for transport and logistics new levels appear "super level 3" for instance which is more based on competencies linked to specific activities although the other levels are based on general know-how (autonomy, management..).

With regard to the professional category "magazzinieri con responsabilita del carico e scarico" (handler/warehouseman), the collective agreement for transport and logistics classifies this job at level III, whilst the logistics agreement places it within level II

For the "CCNL del trasporto merci e della logistica", this function is defined on the basis of technical/practical knowledge, whilst in the "CCNL Assologistica" it is determined by involvement in administrative or technical activity and the ability to take autonomous decisions, rather than by any specific knowledge (technical/practical).

In these collective agreements, logistics jobs (présentés ci-dessous) are present but there are no jobs descriptions.

2.1 The national agreement for transport and logistics
In this collective agreement (CCNL del trasporto merci e della logistica, 1998-2001), employees are classified according to levels. Le tableau suivant présente les titres d'emplois logistiques répartis en fonction de ces niveaux (see Annex 1).

Table 4. Collective Agreement for transport and logistics, 1998-2001
Levels	Job titles
Managers: Qualification of managers. Management, organization, professional ability. Responsibility. Actualization of company's objectives.	Responsabili di filiale, agenzia,docks e silos, capi servizio, capi reparto o capi ufficio
Level I: Directionfunction. Autonomy.	Responsabili di filiale, agenzia, docks e silos, capi servizio o capi reparto e capi ufficio
Level II: Collaboration to administrative or technical activity. Operative and decision autonomy. A particular professional competency.	Capi reparto magazzino di deposito Capo del personale di magazzino con responsabilita del carico e scarico del magazzino merci
Super level III: Very specialized operators in charge of goods, engine's checkings.	Operatore addetto alle trilaterali automatizzate Addetti al controllo imballaggi con certificazione
Level III: Technical/practical knowledge for work technology and the use of machine. A diploma from the professional institute.	Magazzinieri con responsabilita del carico e scarico del magazzino merci, sempreché non compiano abitualmente mansioni manuali Capisquadra di magazzino e ribalta che coordinino piu di tre operai Conducenti di carrelli elevatori di portata superiore a 30 quintali Operai qualificati di manutenzione e di officina Falegnami e/o imballatori
Level IV: Technical-practical abilityacquired by work experience and/or professional learning.	Magazzinieri con mansioninon impiegatizie Conducenti di carrelli elevatori di portata inferiore a 30 quintali
Level V: Worker who is in a short practice period in order to acquire professional knowledge.	Conducenti di carrelli elettrici
Level VI: Operators who have hand tasks, watching, guarding.	Fattorini di magazzino

2.2 Thewarehousing agreement
Assologistica (http://www.assologistica.it/), a professional federation, and Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl, Uiltrasporti have signed an agreement for the employees depending on logistics companies which apply the Assodocks collective agreement (4.5.1995) for the general warehouses, terminals, depots, distribution and intermodal centers, companies producers of refrigerant energy, companies of integrated logistic services also with support activity to the production operating singularly and inside the inter-port, auto-port and air-port infrastructure (those depending on port terminals are excluded from that collective agreement (Article 18 of the law 84/94).

In this collective contract (CCNL Assologistica, 2000), employees are classified in eight levels. In each level, there is a definition of the level and the jobs concerned by this definition. The levels are organized according to hierarchical order in the professional qualifications (see Annex 2).This table covers jobs in the area of logistics:

Table 5. CCNL  Assologistica, 2000
Levels	Job titles
High level: Qualification of managers. Management, organization, professional ability. Responsibility. Actualization of company's objectives	I gestori e reggenti autonomi di docks o silos
Level I: Direction function. Autonomy	Capi magazzinieri con responsabilita tecnica ed amministrativa Capo servizio manutenzione meccanica, elettrica ed elettronica
Level II: Collaboration to administrative or technical activity. Operative and decision autonomy. A particular professional competency.	Magazzinieri con responsabilita del carico e dello scarico Magazziniere-capopiazzale responsabile del carico e dello scarico dei terminal containers Capo officina manutenzione
Level III: Technical/practical knowledge for work technology and the use of machine. A diploma from the professional institute.	Vice magazzinieri che per incarico aziendale disimpegnano le stesse funzioni di magazzinieri in ambito piu limitato anche nelle responsabilita Responsabile magazzino ricambi e materiale tecnico di consumo Operatore di quadri sinottico complessi per l'introduzione, la manipolazione e la riconsegna delle merci nei silos granari portuali
Level IV: Diploma from a professional institute/center. Repairings, assembling, dismantling. Executes activity of technical and administrative nature.	Lavoratori operai che svolgono tutte le operazioni di magazzzino con l'utilizzo anche di mappe informatiche per la gestione fisica delle merci
Level V: Technical/practical ability for the correct execution of the tasks. Collaboration to administrative and/or technical activity.	Carrelisti
Level VI: Worker who is in a short practice period in order to acquire professional knowledge.	Facchini con mansioni promiscue che utilizzano anche transpallets manuali Addetto al magazzino.
Level VII: Worker who needs a practice period in order to acquire professional knowledge.	No logistics jobs are in that level

An initiative of particular interest involving the identification of the occupations, and which can be likened to an activity of professional orientation, is the classification of professions drawn up by the ISFOL, that operates in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour for the development of professional training (thank to the elements brought by the sectorial studies among others).

The ISFOL published the "Repertorio delle Professioni" which aim was to build a stable system of information by sector and definition of the jobs available which are the tools for the work and training policies. The main objectives of the "Repertorio delle Professioni" are:

• The elaboration of a classification system of occupational areas and of professional figure types,
• The elaboration and the application of a methodology of analysis and contents' aggregation an of professional competencies;
• The building of a repertory of professional profile types constituted from monographic schemes.

That repertory is at the basis of the part called "Orienta on line" on the ISFOL website.

The ISFOL has created Orientaonline (www.isfol.it/orientaonline), an integrated database for career advice and guidance that can also serve as a valid tool for trainers, providing data and detailed information on professions grouped according to a Map of Employment Areas that cover the country's entire production system.

Unfortunately, the validity and the usefulness of the tool is limited by the fact that the contents are not systematically updated. In fact, the ISFOL project is far reaching, and a number of employment areas must still be completed

Table 6. Map of Employment Areas, Orientaonline
Trasversali o Comuni	Produzione	Servizi
A1: Amministrazione e finanza di impresa	B1: Metalmeccanica	C1: Servizifinanziari e assicurativi
A2: Segretaria e Lavori di ufficio	B2: Elettricità e Elettronica	C2: Trasporti
A3:Commerciale, Marketing	B3: Chimica	C3: Telecomunicazione
A4: Progettazione, R&S	B4: Ceramica, Vetro, Materiali da costruzione	C4: Grafica e Editoria
A5: Informatica	B5: Edilizia e Lavoripublici	C5: Audiovisivi, Spettacolo e Pubblicità
A6: GestionedelleRisorseumane	B6: Tessile, Abbigliamento, Cuoio	C6: Educazione e Formazione
A7: Manutenzione	B7: Legno	C7: Servizisocio-sanitari
A8: Programmazione e controllodellaproduzione	B8: Carta e Cartotecnica	C8: Commercio e Distribuzione
A9: Sicurezza, ambiente e TuteladelTerritorio	B9: Agroalimentare	C9: Turismo, Ospitalità e Tempo libero
A10: New Economy	B10: Energia (luce, gas, acqua) edEstrazione	C10: Attività associative
		C11: Servizi alla persona
		C12: Beni culturali
		C13:Pubblica Amministrazione

The description of the jobs includes:

• Title of the job
• Definition
• Tasks and main activities
• Compétences
• Work situation
• Required training
• Occupational trends
• Similar professional profiles
• Degree of correspondence of the job with the ISTAT classification and the collective agreement
• Training bodies which prepare people for work

The jobs identified in the trade and chemical sectors are (see Annex 3):

In the trade sector, the logistics functions defined are:

Warehouse manager (Magazziniere)
He deals with different aspects of goods handling. Warehouse supervisor, in fact, the practical management of the warehouse which is present inside the sale place. He can control goods inbounds and outbounds and the correctness of transport documents ("delivery note") and/or supply to their compilation using informatics tools. He can load and unload the different means of transport and store goods in the warehouse, in general with mechanical means. He must, moreover, check periodically the quality of goods stored.

The function of warehouse supervisor, according to the trade company dimension can give hierarchical differences in companies of medium and big dimensions and Warehouse Supervisor can have different assignments, such as Responsible of handling or Responsible of related activities (pick & pack, labeling etc.)

Logistics supervisor (Responsabile della logistica)
He organizes by means of "shunting operations", the handling and the storage of goods. Logistics which was initially applied in manufacturing companies, has found a wide use even in the distributive environment where the timeliness of supplies and the decrease of stocks represent an important element of optimization in the utilization of the resources and in the service efficiency.

Within the goods movement, the logistics supervisor plans both purchasing and delivery together with purchasers and sales managers. He decides the level of stock to be kept in the warehouse or in the sales place. He chooses transport means to use. He coordinates warehousemen's activity. He predisposes and uses informatics systems in order to control products' flow.

He has also the task to monitor the increase of sales and to define or to up to date the logistics model according to the different requirements in terms of product mix and volume, adapting to the respect of such needs, the effectiveness and efficiency of the Replenishment process.

Purchasing Supervisor ( Responsabile degli acquisti)
The purchasing manger controls and coordinates the activity of the various purchasers inside one chain of stores or inside a Commercial Center. At the beginning of every season, he defines characteristics, quantities, times of delivery and of payment of the various products. He analyses moreover constantly informations coming from the different sales places modifying, if needed, the purchasing plans. Inside small organizations, he directly searches and contacts potential suppliers in order to select goods to purchase and controls the deliveries' course.

His main task is represented in the product mix, which represents one of the main point of the differentiation of the company from the competitions. From his action depends an important part of retail mix of a company and is essential that this function provides to all the network or just to one sales place the guidelines of the purchasing activities and concerning the composition of the mix.

The logistics functions defined in the chemical industry are:

Production Supervisor (Responsabile della produzione)
The production and planning supervisor coordinates production operations under his responsability, guaranteeing the objectives' realization in terms of volume and quality of production, stock level of the intermediaries and finished goods, the production's cost and the global economic result.

The ISFORT (Istituto Superiore di Formazione e Ricerca per i Trasporti), its Logistics Observatory (Osservatorio) and the BNC Foundation BNC have worked together on various projects and as a result of this collaboration they decided to establish a permanent observatory on logistics. This is considered to be of strategic importance with a view to creating "a culture of transport and logistics" at a national level.

The ISFORT has published a study on professional profiles in the transport and logistics sector in Italy ("Indagine sulla domanda di profili professionali qualificati nel settore trasporti e della logistica", Ottobre 2002). 249 companies were interviewed in Italy and two profiles were identified which are specific to the area of logistics:

• Il tecnico superiore della logistica integrata
• Il tecnico superiore per la gestione delle infrastrutture logistiche

La description de ces emplois comporte les données suivantes (see Annex 4):

• Job title
• Work situation
• Activities
• Sets of skills, grouped into major groups (Legal- Administration, Management and Finance, Quality, Foreign languages, Technical skills)

The job defined as "Il tecnico superiore della logistica integrata" (senior integrated logistics technician) is, for the most part, a managerial post which requires a significant amount of managerial skill. This person is not responsible for the elaboration of logistics strategy, but is responsible for transforming the political strategy of industrial and commercial companies into objectives.

The job defined as "Il tecnico superiore per la gestione delle infrastrutture logistiche" (senior technician in charge of the management of the logistics infratructure) requires greater operational and technical involvement. The person who holds this position is also required to carry out their transport-related activities.

These skills are used to identify what sort of topics should be studied on the IFTS training course, according to the job description.

5.1. Compagnies interviewées pour Novalog
Two logistics companies were interviewed in Italy (2003): Number One and Sinteco.

Three logistics jobs emerged from these interviews:

• The first one is the logistics operations planner in Number One.
• The other two are the logistics analyst and the warehouse operators in Sinteco (see Annex 5).

Generally speaking, the description of these jobs includes :

• Job title
• Task and activities
• Work situation
• Levels of responsibility
• Competences
• Knowledge/Know- how

Logistics operations planner
Planning is the main activity of this job profile. The activities of the planner consist in dealing with the information coming from the planning management team. This person then transmits, to the Operations Unit, the plans to be achieved and the results to be obtained.

Therefore, the planning unit produces inputs for the operations unit and the planner is the person who translates the planning strategy into operational guidelines. He receives information and strategies for the medium-term and transforms this into short-term operations planning, so that the operational level can work with it.

He monitors the operations unit, while providing the operational level with the working programme and organising the tasks and procedures. The activities of the operations unit have to be performed according to the planning he has defined.

He reports directly to the planning management team/ the manning manager.

The evaluation he has to carry out consists in taking into account any problems which may be encountered by the operations unit. Should any problems arise, then he will adapt and adjust the planning according to the requirements of the actual situation and the team inputs.

Re-design is another of the tasks that the planner usually does. While organizing the work for the operational level, he also has to re-design the process in order to be more attractive to the customers and to be more efficient. He is responsible for ensuring that the work is reliable and he has to take into account the costs and methods.

The planner receives, from the planning manager, the planning strategy in terms of resources: flows, means, tools for a short and medium-term (yearly, monthly). He has to coordinate this information with the operations unit. The two persons he has the most contact with are the operations unit and the person in charge of planning at the managerial level.

He has a high level of responsibility, he reports to the manager and to the general manager.

Rappresentate della Direzione (In charge of quality) - close to the Logistics analyst
The quality department is seen as an analysis team, which produces several sorts of reports, related to the activity of the company. For example: targets to be reached, statistics on losses and damages, statistics on transport problems, such as delays, goods missing, returned goods, and all errors on goods transport, accidents, etc.

Evaluation of the problems/ the process malfunctions, etc.

Order management, reinstalling (of the machines), order tracing are the tasks identified by SINTECO. All of these influence commercial arguments, customer satisfaction (one indicator of performance), the training programmes, the information system, etc.

The quality department works closely with customer services. New targets are put forward on the basis of the analyst's customer reports.

The development of SINTECO as a company explains the relationship between the quality department and the title of "management representative in charge of quality". SINTECO is a family owned company which has evolved from being a basic transport company into a logistics provider, diversifying its activities and specialising in the chemical sector. As a result of these changes, the person who used to be the human resource manager became the quality manager and, with the most recent restructuring of the organisation chart, this person also became the representative of the general manager (the owner). This title reflects the specific nature of the company in terms of its ownership structure. However, even the previous holder of the quality manager post performed a good job which was in keeping with the job profile of a logistics analyst, thanks to her sound knowledge of the area and to her training.

For the analyst, the main relationships in terms of activities are those with the financial controller and the persons in charge of all sorts of reports in the company (financial aspects, etc.), the general manager and the person in charge of quality.

This position involves a high level of responsibility, and the person who holds it is required to report to the manager and to the general manager.

The skills required are a very good knowledge of the company's activities and of its specificities; a good knowledge of the customers and of customers satisfaction levels in general; the ability to work in close relationship with the accounting and finance department.

Warehouse operators
In reality, the first step consists in entering all information in the database, when getting a new customer/ orders and checking all information on the products and see if labels are correct.

Then, as a second step, the orders are received from customers and the activities are:

• Unload the trucks
• Check all the packs;
• Give to the production a best number in the system;
• Assign an entry number

The maintenance is outsourced. The procedure of entering information in the database and checking its location at each moment of the procedure insures full trace of goods, which is compulsory by law. If a product is dangerous, they can recall it wherever it is.

Quality is the biggest issue for the operators. All the operations are performed while taking into account a number of quality requirements.
Tools : forklifts trucks
Relation : other operators, warehouse responsible.
Some competences are required for each job, according to specific forms that are prepared by the quality department and filled every year by the employees : the categories of competences for the warehouse operators are "Be aged of 20 to 40 years", "quality/security", "Professional knowledge/ consciousness", "Interpersonal relations", "Psycho-physical conditions (according to a medical visit)".

What is requested to occupy this job is the professionalism, the availability for extraordinary tasks and the ability for problem solving.

What is expected is a formal previous experience and the availability for courses and proposed training programmes.

The operators could become warehouse team leaders (resp. magazzino), which require planification and organization skills + Problem solving that is also considered as an important skill.

Then, as personal skills, initiative, creativity and innovation are necessary for this leader.

Elementary school (Licenza elementare)

5.2. Chirone's report
CHIRONE 2000 (" La ricerca nazionale e l'indigane sui fabbisogni professionali nel sttore trasporti scenario del contesto produttivo e professionale "; 2003) is a limited liability company with a board composed of representatives of the three main Italian unions (CGIL/CGT, CISL/CFTC, UIL/CFDT), and of various employers' representative bodies including the Federiti which represents the formerly state-run companies (Alitalia, airports, highway, air traffic control, ports...), the Confetra which represents the private transport operators except those that manage infrastructures and the Confservice which covers services except transport, with the one exception of urban transport.

CHIRONE 2000 is an operational research tool for transport and logistics, although it has undertaken activities outside of its immediate remit.

After its first study on transport in order to identify ISFOL's requirements, Chirone undertook a second study on logistics and transport.

Chirone's report highlights the transport and logistics sector in Italy, and identifies several logistics jobs in the various companies interviewed by Chirone such as Trambus, TNT Express, Saima Avandero and TNT Global Services.

In particular, Chirone's report defined the job "Operatore Logistico" (logistics operator) according to Saima Avandero (See Annex 6).
The "Operatore Logistico" is defined according to the following criteria:

• Job title
• Work situation
• Tasks and activities
• Competences
• Qualifications
• Knowledge/ know-how
• Levels of responsibility

The logistics operator has the operational responsibility for the functioning of logistics flows (receipt-storage-shipping). His functions range from the management of internal logistics activities to contacts with customers and the company's external suppliers. He is responsible in particular for the shipping of goods (packing, choice of the method of packaging according to mode of transport and destination, follow-up and customer relations) and stock management (supervision, orders, receipt of goods inbound from an operational, administrative and accounting point of view).

5.3 Assologistica's report
The Assologistica published its third Report entitled "Una riclassificazione funzionale delle Aziende di assologistica" in January 2003. This report takes the form of a study of the 106 companies which are part of the Assologistica. The study highlights the provision of 4 types of logistics services:

Operatore tradizionali (Traditional Operators)
Carries out only one activity along the logistics chain, with a specialization by activity and by type of system, dealing with many different products (therefore many products and only single-activity).

Operatori tradizionali di Filiera (Specialized logistic operator)
A logistics operator specialized in just one activity (e.g.: storage) just for one kind of product (e.g.: food ).

Integratori logistici (Logistics integrators)
Involved in the various phases of the logistics chain, dealing with many different products (many products and many functions).

Integratori logistici di Filiera (Logistics integrators of products)
Works on all or part of the activities of the logistics chain in a specialized manner per product (single-product and many activities).

Subfornitori di Servizi (Under-suppliers of services)
TThese companies are active in the logistics process environment and provide one or several logistics activities to meet with their customers' needs (trading companies or logistics operator).

Gestori Infrastrutture (Infrastructure Managers)
The pattern applied in principle to the separation between service manager and infrastructure manager, considering the latter to be an economic activity by itself.

It can be observed that the largest category is that of the logistic integrator (36%) followed by traditional operators. The smallest group is made up of the companies which are service providers. This indicates that there is a tendency amongst companies in the logistics sector to widen the range of services they offer with a view to proving an "integrated package" of services.

Table 7. Distribution per typology of operator
Tipology	Number of companies	Weight %
Operatori Tradizionali	26	25
Operatori Filiera	21	20
Integratori Logistici	38	36
Integratori Filiera	6	6
Gestori Infrastrutture	12	11
Sub Fornitoriservizi	2	2
Total	105	100

It can be observed that the category which is the most numerous is the logistic integrator (36%) followed by traditional operators; while are less the companies of raw and the service providers. That shows the tendency of companies of the logistic sector to widen the own range of service offer according to an optical of "integrated packet".

There has been a proliferation in the number of reports produced over the last ten years on logistics as a process or as a fully-fledged sector of activity. This has led to greater attention being paid to logistics-related jobs in the tools and instruments used to improve the relationship that exists between the supply and demand of employment and to guide and to shape the provision of vocational training.

This noticeable change is part and parcel of the wider changes underway with regard to vocational training in Italy within a sectoral and/or regional framework.