First, set a standard.
Before formulating standards, we must first fully realize the great significance of doing a good job in logistics standardization construction. It must be clear that only by realizing standardization can we effectively implement the scientific management of logistics system, speed up the construction of logistics system, promote the connection of logistics system with other systems and international systems, effectively reduce logistics costs and improve the economic and social benefits of logistics system. With the acceleration of global economic integration, China's backward logistics standardization will seriously restrict the development of international trade. Therefore, all relevant departments should attach great importance to logistics standardization.
Large-scale logistics standardization refers to the technical standards for formulating business standards such as facilities, equipment and special tools of each subsystem from the perspective of the whole logistics system; Study the compatibility of technical standards and business standards of each subsystem, and unify the standards of the whole logistics system according to the compatibility requirements; Study the coordination of logistics system and related systems, and seek the harmony and unity of logistics and social system.
Logistics standardization is complex, difficult and involves a wide range. Because the idea of logistics system was formed late, and each subsystem has realized its own form standardization, the logistics standardization system belongs to the secondary system, that is, the post-standardization system, which requires high expression of "four characteristics", that is, science, democracy and economy, and is also very international, which requires consistency with the international logistics standardization system.
Second, the status quo of modern logistics
The development of national economy and foreign trade provides a good opportunity for the development of logistics standardization in China. Especially in recent years, the distribution centers of domestic specialized logistics companies and commercial enterprises have gradually become a climate, and some large manufacturing enterprises have also made some moves in logistics distribution. With the development of the basic market of logistics industry, China's logistics standardization has started and achieved a series of results.
(a) formulated a series of logistics or logistics related standards. According to rough statistics, there are nearly a thousand logistics or logistics-related standards in China at present. In terms of packaging standards, China has comprehensively formulated standards in terms of packaging terms, packaging dimensions, packaging marks, basic tests of transport packaging, packaging technology, packaging materials, testing methods of packaging materials, packaging containers, testing methods of packaging containers, product packaging, transportation, storage and marking. In terms of logistics machinery and facilities, China has formulated standards for lifting machinery, conveying machinery, storage equipment, loading and unloading machinery, automated logistics devices, pallets, containers and so on.
From a systematic point of view, not only the technical standards are simply formulated, but also the general standards, working standards and management standards of the logistics industry have begun to be formulated. From the standard level, there are not only enterprise standards, local standards and industry standards, but also many national standards, some of which have adopted international standards or advanced foreign standards. From a departmental point of view, some departments closely related to logistics in China, such as the Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Communications, the Ministry of Machinery Industry, the Ministry of Metallurgy and the Ministry of Domestic Trade, have formulated a series of standards related to logistics, especially the operating standards and management standards that are relatively lacking in many national standards.
(2) Established standardized organizations and institutions related to logistics. China has established a system of national standardization research and management institutions headed by the State Bureau of Technical Supervision, many of which are engaged in standardization related to logistics. It is reported that the State Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision will soon set up a national technical committee for standardization of supply chain process control. The external name of the Committee is SCM-CHINA, and its secretariat is located in China Article Coding Center.
(3) Actively participate in international logistics standardization activities. China participated in various technical committees and technical offices related to logistics of ISO and IEC, and defined their respective technical departments. In addition, it has joined two authoritative international railway organizations, namely UIS and OSJD.
(4) Actively adopt international logistics standards. About 30% of the nearly 100 national standards on packaging, marking, transportation and storage have adopted international standards; Among the national standards for highway and waterway transportation, about 5% adopt international standards; Among the national standards for railways, about 20% have adopted international standards; About 30% of the national standards for vehicles have adopted international standards. In addition, some international standards have been adopted in commodity bar codes, enterprises, institutions and associations, and logistics operation signs.
(5) Actively carry out research on logistics standardization. Since China joined WTO, the internationalization of China logistics is an inevitable trend. How to realize the smooth integration of China logistics system and international logistics system depends on logistics standardization. At this point, logistics standardization has been promoted to an unprecedented height, and many related research institutes and universities in China are committed to this research work.
Third, the problems of modern logistics
Although China's logistics standardization has made some progress in recent years, due to the influence of many factors, the status quo of China's logistics standardization is still not optimistic and there are many problems.
(1) division, division of departments and division of regions. Because logistics and its management thought were born late in our country, the subsystems that make up the logistics system have already realized the standardization of this system before being classified into the logistics system. This inevitably leads to the division of standards and departments. At the same time, due to the long-term influence of the planned economic system, various regions and industries are fragmented, and the logistics standards are inconsistent, and the logistics efficiency of cross-regional and multimodal transport is declining.
(2) There is no uniform standard for basic equipment in the process of goods storage, loading and unloading and transportation. Warehousing, loading and unloading and transportation are extremely important components in the logistics system, and their efficiency directly affects the speed and efficiency of logistics. At present, the warehousing, loading and unloading and transportation of goods in China's logistics system are difficult to achieve effective convergence due to the lack of unified norms. Such as the size of pallets, the size of trucks, the size of warehouse shelves, etc. Among them, the problem of pallet standard is typical. Some logistics enterprises in China adopt European and American standards, some adopt Japanese and Korean standards, and some simply define themselves. Because they do not match the size of the product packaging box, the operation efficiency of the logistics system is seriously affected.
(3) Information standardization is backward. At present, many departments and units in China are building their own commodity information databases. However, the fields, types and lengths of the database are inconsistent, forming an information island, which seriously affects the information exchange and the operation of e-commerce as the basis of logistics management.
(4) The proportion of adopting international standards is low. Under the influence of long-term planned economy, China seldom considers the consistency with international standards when formulating various standards including logistics-related standards. Therefore, at present, the proportion of logistics standards that can meet the international standards is very low, which will inevitably set obstacles for China's international trade. In addition, due to the constraints of the industry's own development, it is obviously very difficult to implement logistics standardization in some enterprises.
(E) Logistics standardization talent is extremely scarce. Due to the late birth of China's logistics and its management thought, under the influence of the planned economy system, he paid insufficient attention to logistics for many years, resulting in an extreme shortage of logistics talents. At present, the vast majority of employees in the logistics industry are transferred from related industries, and few people really have a solid theoretical foundation and practical experience in modern logistics. Especially in the standardization of logistics, the phenomenon of talent shortage is more serious.
Four. Countermeasures and suggestions
(A) Straighten out and coordinate the relationship between the management departments of each subsystem in the logistics system. From the analysis of the current situation of China's logistics standardization, we can see that the system obstacle is the biggest stumbling block that restricts the process of China's logistics standardization, and the division of labor among departments is an urgent problem to be solved at present. Due to the institutional obstacles of resource management, logistics standardization management is directly behind. Although the management department of national standards is the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, due to the cross-industry logistics industry, the centralized management of standards is mostly located in the standardization technical committees of various management departments. To unify these standards, a lot of coordination work is needed, and it is very difficult to connect them. But it is also necessary to unify the technical standards to the maximum extent.
(2) Take international standards as the basic frame of reference as far as possible. With the acceleration of global economic integration, China's international trade will become more and more frequent. It is the general trend for China logistics to integrate into the international logistics system. Logistics standards must be in line with international standards, so as to clear some technical obstacles in China's international trade.
(3) Strengthen the cultivation of logistics market. The popularization of standardization depends on the development of the industry itself. The standard without market foundation can only be the attic in the air, and the real power must come from the market itself. In this sense, the construction of logistics enterprises and the construction of logistics standards are the same.
(4) Strengthen supervision and policy support. For some enterprises transformed from traditional enterprises and other enterprises preparing to enter the logistics industry, the government can give policy support and constraints in promoting standardization. For example, using the market access conditions of logistics enterprises to constrain logistics enterprises to implement the spirit of logistics standardization; Enterprises that meet the requirements of logistics standardization are supported by the government, and so on.
(5) Increase publicity. Although China has joined the WTO, international exchanges and trade have become increasingly frequent and international competition has become increasingly fierce, there are still some traditional enterprises with weak logistics awareness and management concepts. Therefore, the relevant departments should play the role of trumpeter in the propaganda and promotion of logistics concepts, so that those enterprises that ignore logistics and logistics management can change their concepts as soon as possible. Only in this way can we clear the ideological obstacles for logistics standardization.
(6) Pay attention to the cultivation of logistics standardization talent. At present, there is a shortage of logistics in standardization talent. Relevant departments, research institutes and institutions of higher learning should strengthen the cultivation and training of logistics standardization talent, and provide talent guarantee for the implementation of logistics standardization.