Informationization is the soul of the modern logistics industry, and numerous "information islands" that cannot be interconnected pose a significant obstacle to the transformation and upgrading of traditional logistics.
Information technology is the "eye" of logistics companies; without "eyes," they cannot see the light nor the future clearly.
Shippers are unaware of their goods' location and when they will arrive at the designated destination; logistics companies don't know where to pick up cargo or when they can deliver it; truck and ship owners, after delivering their fully loaded goods to a location, are uncertain if they can pick up more cargo on their return and how long they might have to wait; drivers are unsure which routes are clearer and which have accidents ahead...
Due to the inability to connect individual "information islands," logistics companies lack "eyes." They are forced to navigate like blind men, either feeling their way across the river or constantly seeking directions or having others guide them. This significantly reduces logistics efficiency and increases costs.
The digital transformation is as crucial for logistics companies as eyes are for the blind. However, each enterprise along every link cannot afford the massive costs of信息化 development and maintenance. Experience teaches us that the advancement of logistics信息化 is not the improvement of a single company, region, or industry's 信息化, but the comprehensive enhancement of the transportation logistics 信息化 across all economic sectors, involving all economic processes, and serving the entire national economy and society. This is an enormous, systematic project.
Undoubtedly, the company aims to be a driving force and constructor of this project. It is also encouraging to see that various sectors, including enterprises and research institutions, are actively participating to form a united front for the construction of logistics informatization. We are delighted to note that the transportation sector authorities are treating the construction of the intangible "information expressway" of the traffic logistics public information platform with the same urgency as tangible highway construction. Many central enterprises and research institutions have taken the lead in stepping forward, waving the flag of exploring the Internet of Vehicles.
Experts believe that improving the informatization level of the logistics industry is a major issue faced by countries around the world. As one of the largest countries and regions in terms of logistics demand, it is necessary and appropriate for China to take the high ground and gain a voice in the informatization construction of the logistics industry.
Internationally, the National Traffic and Logistics Public Information Sharing Platform is one of the few information integration systems in China that hold the power of discourse. China should support this information hub at the national level, remove barriers, and promote its application, expanding and strengthening it as soon as possible. This will drive the deep processing of information flows in the logistics industry and study the new areas of public management provided by the platform, while also timely grasping the discourse power in the international logistics industry.
Therefore, on one hand, efforts must be made to study the enhancement capabilities of the logistics electronic platform for the supply chain, explore the interconnectivity across the entire industry of customs, railways, waterways, civil aviation, and more, break through the bottleneck of data chains between international, domestic, port, and inland logistics, and achieve information interconnection among nodes such as industrial parks, port areas, and customs supervision areas. On the other hand, the new public management means provided by the platform should be studied, and the integration of the electronic platform with the Internet of Things should be promoted.The integration of the internet with product tracking systems ensures end-to-end monitoring, filling the blind spots of the original logistics phase.
Empower Every Enterprise with Informationization“Eyes”The logistics industry is poised to shine brightly in the future.