Logistics Management Basics

Author: Weng Xinggang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-07-02
Features: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With the development of China's socialist market economy system, the acceleration of global economic integration, and the rapid advancement of science and technology, the logistics industry, as a newly emerging sector of the national economy, will become a key industry and a new growth point for the national economy in this century. Currently, from the central government to local authorities and many market-aware enterprises, logistics has been recognized as an important means to enhance market competitiveness and improve core business competitiveness. Modern logistics concepts, advanced logistics technologies, and modern business models have been introduced into national and local economic construction, as well as into the management and operation of enterprises. However, China's logistics education remains significantly lagging behind, resulting in a severe shortage of modern logistics professionals, particularly in enterprises, especially those in the circulation sector, in transforming traditional logistics and strengthening logistics management, urban planning for logistics system operations, and operational techniques for third-party logistics companies. This has hindered economic development and the improvement of economic efficiency.
It is predicted that by 2010, China will require 30,000 to 40,000 senior logistics management professionals, and nearly 30,000 logistics technical operators and marketing personnel annually. Moreover, as part of China's commitments under the WTO, logistics and distribution services will be among the earliest fully open industries. The domestic market will engage in fierce competition at a high level and starting point, which will inevitably intensify the competition for the already scarce talent pool. If we fail to take immediate action to accelerate the cultivation of modern logistics management and technical talent in China, it will ultimately become a bottleneck in the development of China's modern logistics industry, making the industrialization of logistics and its transformation into a new growth point for the century just an empty promise.
Therefore, accelerating the talent education project for the modern logistics industry and implementing multi-level, diversified logistics education are decisive factors in ensuring the formation of a rational talent structure in the logistics industry during its large-scale development in the century, as well as in improving China's logistics management level and economic efficiency. Governments and enterprises at all levels must pay sufficient attention to the following four aspects:
1. Strengthening higher education at universities and higher vocational colleges to cultivate senior logistics management professionals;
2. Emphasizing continuing education and conducting multi-level talent cultivation and training in logistics;
3. Vigorously developing logistics vocational education to train a large number of front-line logistics technical operators and practical talents;
4. Implementing a professional or job qualification management system for practitioners to foster a large team of top-tier logistics professionals with specialized knowledge and skills.