Express logistics

Previously, the purpose of implementing logistics management was to achieve the established customer service level at the lowest possible total cost, that is, to seek a dynamic balance between service advantages and cost advantages, and thus create strategic advantages in competition for enterprises. According to this goal, the basic problem to be solved by logistics management is simply to provide the right products to customers at the right time and place with the right quantity and price.

Logistics management emphasizes the use of systematic methods to solve problems. Modern logistics is generally considered to be composed of transportation, storage, packaging, loading and unloading, circulation processing, distribution and information. Each link originally has its own functions, interests and concepts. The system approach is to use modern management methods and modern technology to share overall information among all links, organize and manage all links as an integrated system, so that the system can provide competitive customer services at the lowest possible total cost. According to the system approach, the benefits of a system are not simply the sum of the benefits of its various local links. The systematic approach means that all influencing factors should be analyzed and evaluated for a certain problem. Proceeding from this idea, the logistics system does not simply pursue lower costs in each link, because the benefits of each link of logistics tend to influence and restrict each other, and there is an alternating and vulnerable relationship. For example, overemphasizing the saving of packaging materials may lead to an increase in transportation and handling costs due to their vulnerability to damage. Therefore, the systematic approach emphasizes the total cost analysis, and the analysis of avoiding the application of suboptimal effects and cost trade-offs, so as to achieve the goal of lower total cost and meet the established customer service level.

During the 11th Five Year Plan period, especially since the issuance of the Logistics Industry Adjustment and Revitalization Plan, China's logistics industry has maintained a rapid growth, significantly improved its service capacity, significantly improved its infrastructure conditions and policy environment, initially formed a modern industrial system, and the logistics industry has become an important part of the national economy.

The industrial scale has grown rapidly. The total amount of social logistics in China reached 197.8 trillion yuan in 2013, an increase of 3.1 times over 2005, and an average annual growth of 11.5% at comparable prices. The added value of the logistics industry reached 3.9 trillion yuan in 2013, an increase of 2.2 times over 2005, with an average annual growth of 11.1%. The proportion of the added value of the logistics industry in GDP increased from 6.6% in 2005 to 6.8% in 2013, and the proportion of the added value of the service industry reached 14.8%. The number of employees in the logistics industry has increased rapidly, from 17.8 million in 2005 to 28.9 million in 2013, with an average annual growth of 6.2%. For details, please refer to the forward-looking Analysis Report on Strategic Planning for Market Foresight and Smart Choice of China's Logistics Industry.

The service ability was significantly improved. The pace of asset restructuring and resource integration of logistics enterprises has been further accelerated, forming a number of logistics enterprises with diversified ownership, networked services and modern management. The traditional transportation and storage industries have accelerated their transformation to modern logistics. The specialized and socialized service capabilities in manufacturing logistics, commercial logistics, e-commerce logistics, international logistics and other fields have been significantly enhanced, and the service level has been continuously improved. The modern logistics service system has been initially established.

The technical equipment conditions have improved significantly. Information technology is widely used. Most logistics enterprises have established management information systems, and the construction of logistics information platforms has been promoted rapidly. The Internet of Things, cloud computing and other modern information technologies began to be applied. Special logistics equipment such as handling, sorting and packaging, processing and distribution, and smart tags, tracking and tracing, path optimization and other technologies were rapidly promoted.

The infrastructure network is becoming more and more perfect. By the end of 2013, the national railway business mileage was 103000 kilometers, including 11000 kilometers of high-speed railway; The total mileage of highways in China has reached 4.356 million kilometers, including 104500 kilometers of expressways; The navigable mileage of inland waterways is 125900 kilometers, including 10200 kilometers of high-grade waterways of Class III and above; The national ports have 2001 berths of 10000 tons and above, including 1607 coastal ports and 394 inland ports; There are 193 civil transport airports in China. In 2012, the area of nationwide commercial warehouses was about 1.3 billion square meters, and there were 754 logistics parks of various types.

The development environment has been continuously optimized. The Twelfth Five Year Plan outlines that "vigorously develop modern logistics industry". The Logistics Industry Adjustment and Revitalization Plan was issued, and policies and measures were formulated to promote the healthy development of the logistics industry. Relevant departments and local governments have issued a series of special plans and supporting measures. The social logistics statistics system is becoming more and more perfect, the standardization work is advancing orderly, the talent training work is further strengthened, and the logistics science and technology, academic theory research and industry university research cooperation are deepening.

On the whole, China's logistics industry has entered a new stage of transformation and upgrading. However, the overall level of logistics industry development is not high, and the development mode is relatively extensive. It is mainly manifested as follows: First, the logistics cost is high and the efficiency is low. In 2013, the ratio of the total logistics cost of the whole society to the GDP was as high as 18%, about twice higher than the developed level, and significantly higher than the developing level of Brazil, India, etc. Second, the fragmentation is serious, and the institutional and institutional barriers hindering the development of the logistics industry have not been broken. The proportion of self operated logistics of enterprises is high, the scale of logistics enterprises is small, it is difficult to promote advanced technology, it is difficult to unify logistics standards, and the problems of circuitous transportation and resource waste are prominent. Third, the infrastructure is relatively backward, which cannot meet the requirements of modern logistics development. Modern warehousing, multimodal transport and other facilities are still insufficient, the logistics park system with reasonable layout and perfect functions has not been established, the efficient, smooth and convenient comprehensive transportation network is not perfect, and the problems of non connection and non matching of logistics infrastructure are prominent. Fourth, the policy and regulation system is not perfect, and the market order is not standardized. Some policies and measures that have been issued need to be further implemented, and the problem of arbitrary charges and fines against logistics enterprises is prominent in some places. The construction of the credit system is lagging behind, and the overall quality of logistics practitioners needs to be further improved.

In today's e-commerce era, the global logistics industry has a new development trend. The core goal of modern logistics service is to meet the needs of customers with small comprehensive costs in the whole logistics process.

With the rapid rise of e-commerce and the demand of the industry, the demand and requirements for the important link of warehousing, logistics and distribution are also increasing. Third party companies such as Smart Factory, which focus on e-commerce warehousing and logistics, are also playing an increasingly important role in the market industry, and can even help businesses to provide a wide range of services at the terminal and channel ends. The service of such enterprises is not just simple delivery, but more importantly, they need to do a good job in warehousing, inventory, logistics and distribution from the perspective of businesses, so that the overall process of e-commerce can develop well.

Modern logistics has the following four characteristics:

1. The close combination of e-commerce and logistics;

2. Modern logistics is the unification of logistics, information flow, capital flow and talent flow;

3. E-commerce logistics is the combination of informatization, automation, networking, intelligence and flexibility;

4. The standardization of logistics facilities and commodity packaging, and the socialization and integration of logistics are also new features of logistics mode under e-commerce.

Five components of modern logistics information technology:

1. Barcode technology

2. EDI technology

3. Radio frequency technology (RFID)

4. GIS technology (geographic information system)

5. GPS technology

The continuous development of e-commerce has made the logistics industry rise again. The logistics industry in the United States has provided far more services than warehousing, distribution and transportation. Logistics companies are increasingly providing warehousing, distribution facilities, maintenance services, electronic tracking and other value-added services. Logistics service providers are becoming customer service centers, processing and maintenance centers, information processing centers and financial centers. It is a constantly developing concept to add new services according to customer needs.

Compared with the developed logistics industry, China's logistics industry is still in the initial stage of development. The main characteristics of its development are: first, enterprise logistics is still the focus of the whole society's logistics activities, and the demand for specialized logistics services has begun to show signs, which indicates that the development level of China's logistics activities is still relatively low, Strengthening the internal logistics management of enterprises is still the focus of social logistics activities; Second, specialized logistics enterprises began to emerge, and diversified logistics services developed to a certain extent. It is urgent for China's logistics industry to go out of the logistics activity mode dominated by enterprise self service and develop third-party logistics; Third, the professional logistics started late, and China Logistics Mall was just launched, which is still in the development stage. Premier Wen Jiabao chaired an executive meeting on June 8, 2011, which discussed and deployed the work of promoting the healthy development of the logistics industry. The meeting agreed that China must develop and improve supporting policies and measures to promote the healthy development of the logistics industry, and proposed eight aspects at the meeting to promote the healthy development of logistics, At the same time, the Ministry of Transport issued the Notice on Carrying out Special Cleaning of Toll Roads to further promote the development of China's logistics.

 

Cold chain logistics

Cold chain logistics refers to a systematic project in which frozen food is always in a specified low temperature environment during production, storage, transportation, sales and before consumption to improve/increase food quality and reduce food consumption. It is established with the progress of science and technology and the development of refrigeration technology. It is a cryogenic logistics process based on refrigeration technology and means of refrigeration technology; It is a special logistics form that requires special devices, and needs to pay attention to the transportation process, time control, transportation type, and logistics cost.

Agile logistics

Agile Logistics is also known as Agile Supply Chain. Most Chinese logistics companies refer to agile logistics as "wuliuku". With core logistics enterprises as the center, agile logistics (transit logistics) uses scientific and technological means to control capital flow, logistics, and information flow, and integrates suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and later consumers into a unified, responsive, and seamless functional logistics network chain, To form a competitive strategic alliance.

Military logistics

Military logistics refers to logistics activities used to meet the needs of the military in peacetime and wartime. Its main purpose is to support the victory of military operations. This is obviously different from the goal of local logistics in terms of cost or service level; Particularity of item types: mainly including weapons and equipment, ammunition, mitigation equipment, military living supplies, etc. Confidentiality and effectiveness of logistics activities. In most cases, the troops use their own transportation and storage equipment to complete logistics activities at airports, docks and stations. Therefore, military logistics and civil logistics are actually a unified large system.

Electronic Commerce

E-commerce logistics, also known as online logistics, is a new business model based on Internet technology, which aims to creatively promote the development of the logistics industry; With the Internet, logistics companies can be actively found by a wider range of cargo owners and customers, and can expand their business nationwide and even worldwide; Trading companies and factories can find logistics companies that are more cost-effective; Online logistics is committed to attracting a large number of shippers with logistics needs and logistics companies providing logistics services around the world, providing a neutral, honest and free online logistics trading market, and helping logistics suppliers and demanders to reach an efficient transaction. More and more customers have found customers, partners and overseas agents in the online logistics trading market. The greater value provided by online logistics is more opportunities.

The advent of the e-commerce era has brought new development to global logistics, making logistics have a series of new features: informatization, automation, networking, intelligence, flexibility and green logistics.

Cloud logistics

Third party logistics is adopted to form strategic alliances and promote logistics integration. E-commerce and logistics cooperation has formed the light company light asset model, vertical integration model, semi outsourcing model, cloud logistics cloud storage model.

E-commerce and logistics can be described as "lips and teeth depend on each other". In the logistics industry, seamless strategic cooperation may be a good outcome. This can not only give play to their respective advantages, but also take into account each other's interests.