Modern Logistics Management Tutorial (Intermediate)

Author: Chu Xuejian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-03-01
Features: Modern logistics, considered the "third profit source," is thriving under the impetus of economic globalization and the information technology revolution. Speed and efficiency, as its proudest features, imply a fundamental change in the operational structure of businesses. Today, the internet has played a catalytic role in logistics to a significant extent, enabling products and services to directly reach end-users. Modern logistics companies, with the internet, communication, and computers as their carriers, will continue to face strong pressure for transformation. Many traditional operational guidelines familiar or taken for granted in the transportation, warehousing, and freight forwarding industries will be questioned or revised. Numerous new business methods are emerging like waves, forcing the logistics industry to adapt its strategies. Examples include: shifting from single storage and transportation functions to comprehensive logistics integration; moving from general service positioning to personalized service positioning; transitioning from "push" services to "pull" services; and expanding from localized competitive layouts to international competitive layouts, and so on. With China's entry into the WTO, the logistics industry will be fully opened to the international market, making it one of the most competitive industries. The burgeoning logistics boom has swept across the country, and the "10th Five-Year Plan for the National Economic and Social Development of Shanghai" has also identified modern logistics as a key emerging industry to be nurtured. To address international competition after joining the WTO and alleviate the supply-demand gap in logistics professionals, the Office of Shortage-Talented Persons, under the leadership of the Shanghai Municipal Organization Department, Personnel Bureau, Education Commission, and Adult Education Commission, has specifically established the "Modern Logistics Training and Assessment Program" to meet Shanghai's demand for logistics talent. This textbook was proposed by Mr. Chu Xuejian for the overall structural design and was finalized after multiple discussions by an expert group. It reflects innovative concepts and strong practical applicability. It is intended for readers with a college degree or higher who wish to work in logistics, such as grassroots operational management personnel in logistics and non-logistics industry managers (e.g., government departments, financial systems, education systems, consulting, software development, etc.).