The logistics space

One of the stories I subbed this morning talked about:

clerical and administrative roles in the logistics space

Um, 'the logistics space'? Surely 'the logistics sector' or 'the logistics industry' or simply just 'logistics'...

But maybe I'm wrong. Googling 'the logistics space' throws up quite a number of hits – and I even found one site that talks of a firm "acquiring a global footprint in the logistics space".

Horrible, or acceptable?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just because a lot of people use it, doesn't mean it's correct or even meaningful. People recycle meaningless phrases, especially in the corporate world. I'd agree that there's something that sounds a little off about this particular phrase.

Dan said...

I don't like it either. I'm familiar with "space" in its grand, jargony sense (e.g. "blogspace"), but that specialized meaning doesn't seem to be relevant here.

JD (The Engine Room) said...

I suppose if enough people in logistics used it, it would become a standard industry term – and then there would be a strong argument for publications writing about that industry to also use it.

Luckily, I don't think that's happened (yet)... and yes, I did change it in our publication.

Apus said...

Horrible!
Next question?

FBT said...

horrible, horrible, horrible. At work everyone talks about the HR "piece", or the IT "piece" and I HATE it. It is merely an infection from American business jargon which they think makes them sound cool when they use it.

Anonymous said...

It may have entered use as a mistranslation from the German "Logistikfläche" or "Logistikraum"...