Now, many people know that logistics is important and should be taken seriously. So why is logistics important? What is the essence of logistics? What role does logistics play?

Generally speaking, the essence and role of logistics are mainly reflected in the following seven aspects.

1. Value preservation

Logistics has a value preservation function. That is to say, any product must go through a period of time and a distance from production to final consumption. During this period of time and distance, it must go through multiple links and multiple times of logistics activities such as transportation, storage, packaging, loading and unloading. In this process, the product may be exposed to rain, damp, flooded, rusted, damaged, lost, etc. The mission of logistics is to prevent the occurrence of the above phenomena, ensure the quality and quantity of the product in the process of moving from the producer to the consumer, and play a role in the value preservation of the product, that is, to protect the existence value of the product so that the use value of the product remains unchanged when it reaches the consumer.

2. Saving

Doing a good job in logistics can save natural resources, human resources and energy, and at the same time save costs. For example, containerized transportation can simplify commodity packaging and save a lot of packaging paper and wood; realize mechanized loading and unloading operations and warehouse storage automation, which can save a lot of operators and greatly reduce personnel expenses. There are many examples of cost savings from paying attention to logistics. Haier Enterprise Group, known as "the first person to awaken China's logistics management", strengthened logistics management and built a modern international automated logistics center. In one year, it reduced the inventory and procurement funds from 1.5 billion yuan to 700 million yuan, saving 800 million yuan in expenses.

3. Shorten the distance

Logistics can overcome time intervals, distance intervals and human intervals, which is naturally the essence of logistics. There are countless examples of modern logistics in shortening distances. In Beijing, you can buy fresh fruits from all over the world, and fruits are available all year round across the country; the postal department has improved logistics, which has greatly shortened the time and distance of letters. National express delivery can reach the US FedEx within two days, and can be delivered to 15 cities in Asia the next day; Japan's distribution center can do it, order before 10 am and deliver on the same day. This logistics speed has brought the geographical distance and time distance between people very close at once. With the continuous advancement of logistics modernization, international transportation capacity has been greatly enhanced, which has greatly promoted international trade, making people gradually feel that the earth has become smaller and the distance between continents has become closer.

Residents in cities have unknowingly enjoyed the fruits of logistics progress. Bananas produced in the south can be bought all year round in major cities across the country; Hami melons from Xinjiang, white melons from Ningxia, rice from Northeast China, and rice from Tianjin Xiaozhan are supplied to the market regardless of the season; Chinese textiles, toys, and daily necessities have entered the US market in large quantities in recent years. In addition to the low labor price in China, the international transportation industry is developed and international freight rates are reduced.

4. Enhance corporate competitiveness and improve service levels

In the new economic era, competition between companies is becoming increasingly fierce. Under the same economic environment, the competition between manufacturing companies, such as home appliance manufacturers, is mainly reflected in the competition of price, quality, function, style, and after-sales service. It can be said that for home appliances such as color TVs, air conditioners, and refrigerators, the quality, function, style, and after-sales service of various companies are not much different in today's industrial technology. The only comparable place is often the price. The price wars of home appliances that have been going on in major cities across the country in recent years are enough to illustrate this point. So what are the factors that support price cuts? If you want to occupy market share, you can reduce prices at a loss once or twice, and then make up for the loss after you regain the market. However, what if the price reduction does not work after losing money? It goes without saying that the company may fail miserably. In the era of material shortages, companies can grab the first profit by expanding production and reducing manufacturing costs. In the era of abundant materials, companies can grab the second profit by expanding sales. However, in the new century and the new economic society, the first and second profit sources have basically reached a certain limit, and the remaining "virgin land" is logistics. Price reduction has been the main means of competition among home appliance companies in recent years. The backing of price reduction competition is the reduction of total corporate costs, that is, the reduction of costs other than function, quality, style and after-sales service, which is what we call reducing logistics costs.

Foreign manufacturing companies have long recognized that logistics is the magic weapon for corporate competitiveness. Good logistics can achieve zero inventory, zero distance and zero working capital occupation. It is an important way to improve user services, build corporate supply chains, and increase corporate core competitiveness. In the 21st century of economic globalization, information globalization and capital globalization, only by establishing a modern logistics structure can enterprises survive and develop in the fierce competition.

5. Accelerate the circulation of goods and promote economic development

When discussing this issue, the example of the distribution center is the most convincing. It can be said that the establishment of the distribution center provides a broad space for the development of chain business. By using computer networks to connect supermarkets, distribution centers, suppliers and production enterprises, an effective combination of business, logistics and production enterprises can be formed with the distribution center as the hub. With the rapid and timely information transmission and analysis of computers, through the efficient operation and timely distribution of the distribution center, and the feedback of information to suppliers and production enterprises, a high-efficiency and high-energy commodity circulation network can be formed, which provides an important basis for enterprise management decisions. At the same time, it can also greatly speed up the speed of commodity circulation, reduce the retail price of commodities, and increase consumers' purchasing desire, thereby promoting the development of the national economy.

6. Protect the environment

Environmental issues are the theme of the current era. Protecting the environment and controlling pollution and public hazards are the common goals of countries around the world. Some people may ask, what is the relationship between environmental protection and logistics? Here is an introduction.

When you walk on the road, you sometimes see a layer of loess on the road. This is the soil spilled by the construction trucks at night. If you encounter a cement truck passing by, you will be in more trouble. The traffic jams on the road are getting worse and worse. You can't even ride a bicycle. The noise and exhaust gas make you dare not open your mouth to breathe. The large trucks carrying goods roar constantly in the middle of the night, and you are tired and can't sleep... All these problems are related to backward logistics. Trucks spill loess because of improper loading and unloading, and there are gaps in the car box; truck cement dust flying is a problem of cement packaging and covering; traffic jams on the road are due to insufficient construction of circulation facilities. If these are considered from the perspective of logistics, they will be solved.

For example, we set up several logistics centers and circulation centers outside the city, and large trucks will not need to enter the city during the day or at night. Only two-ton small trucks will be used for distribution, and the noise at night will be reduced; the government attaches importance to logistics and vigorously builds urban roads, stations, and docks, and the traffic congestion in the city will be alleviated, and the air quality will naturally improve.

7. Create social benefits and added value

Mechanization and automation of loading and unloading operations can not only improve labor productivity, but also liberate productivity. Freeing workers from heavy physical labor is a respect for people and creates social benefits.

For example, the "home delivery service" and "home delivery service" that started in Japan many years ago, and the "home delivery service" that has been developed in China in recent years are all new industries serving consumers. Their emergence makes residents' lives more comfortable and convenient. When you go skiing, you don't have to carry, move, or transport the heavy ski equipment yourself. Just call "home delivery service" and someone will come to pick it up. Before you arrive at the ski resort, your skis and other equipment have already arrived.

For example, when shopping in a supermarket, not only are the goods there cheap, safe, and in a good environment, but they also provide you with a trolley, which can save you a lot of effort and make shopping easy. A trolley is a transport tool. This small service can bring a lot of convenience to consumers, which also creates social benefits.

From the above examples, we can see that logistics creates social benefits. With the development of logistics, the living environment and quality of life of urban residents can be improved and enhanced, and human dignity will be more reflected. The added value created by logistics is mainly reflected in circulation processing, such as cutting steel coils into steel plates, processing logs into plates, processing grains into food, and processing fruits into canned food. Famous cigarettes, famous wines, famous books, and famous paintings will be processed in circulation to make the binding more exquisite, thus greatly improving the appreciation and added value of the goods.