Developing logistics strategies 制定物流策略需要考慮哪些要點(diǎn)?

　　l Customer service levels 客戶服務(wù)水平

　　l Information management 信息管理

　　l

　　Well, you see, customer service is actually where supply chain management or logistics starts. Customer service sets the specification for logistics system design. Because next to product quality, customer service is another important factor why customers decide to do business with you. You have to know exactly the needs and expectations of your customers, so that you can design the logistics system necessary to deliver the required level of service.

　　Logistics is about managing the flow of materials and the flow of information. Decisions cannot be made without having appropriate information. And information is also important in tracking product flow through the logistics pipelines. So designing and implementing information systems to support the logistics network is critical.

　　To ensure logistics success, you also need to consider other factors like order-processing, warehouse management, inventory and material management, procurement, transportation, etc.

　　你看，客戶服務(wù)確實(shí)是供應(yīng)鏈管理或者物流的開(kāi)始�？蛻舴�務(wù)設(shè)置了物流系統(tǒng)設(shè)計(jì)的規(guī)范。因?yàn)槌�了產(chǎn)品質(zhì)量，客戶服務(wù)是客戶決定和你做生意的另一個(gè)重要因素。你必須確切的知道客戶的需要和期望，因此你能夠設(shè)計(jì)物流系統(tǒng)提供必要的服務(wù)要求的水平。

　　物流是關(guān)于管理材料和信息的流程。沒(méi)有確切的信息就不能做決定。而且信息對(duì)于通過(guò)跟蹤物流產(chǎn)品的管道也是十分重要的。因此設(shè)計(jì)和實(shí)施信息系統(tǒng)來(lái)支持物流網(wǎng)絡(luò)也是至關(guān)重要的。

　　為了確保物流的成功，你也需要考慮其他的因素諸如訂單流程、倉(cāng)庫(kù)管理、庫(kù)存、物料管理、采購(gòu)、運(yùn)輸?shù)鹊取?/P>

　　PART THREE: Discussion

　　Cultural issues in global logistics

　　The company you work for is relocating some logistics managers abroad and is designing a training course for them on cultural issues in logistics. You have been asked to advise on this training course. Discuss the situation together, and decide:

　　l how important it is to consider cultural differences in the logistics process

　　l what cultural aspects should be included in the training course

　　國(guó)際物流中的文化問(wèn)題

　　你們公司擬調(diào)派一些物流經(jīng)理到國(guó)外工作，現(xiàn)正在就物流中的文化問(wèn)題為他們?cè)O(shè)計(jì)培訓(xùn)課程。請(qǐng)你們?yōu)檫@一培訓(xùn)課程提出建議。討論并決定：

　　l 物流過(guò)程中考慮文化差異的重要性

　　l 培訓(xùn)課程中應(yīng)包含哪些文化因素

　　A： when doing business internationally, it’s very easy to take a misstep if you don’t understand the culture of the target market.

　　B: Yes. Culture difference can add layers of challenges to global logistics and supply chain management. If companies aim to become competent globally, they have to take cultural difference into consideration. Logistics managers must understand the cultural make-up of the customers that comprise the markets.

　　A: Yes. Cultural differences have impact on different areas of logistics. For example, people from different cultural backgrounds have different working styles, and in going global, you need to learn their ways of looking at things and their ways of interpreting business relationships.

　　B: Yes. Understanding the needs of customers in each market is essential in logistics success. But we can’t just throw our logistics experts into another country without training them. You see, no matter how smart they are, they will make all sorts of mistakes unless they become sensitive to cultural differences.

　　A: Certainly. We should focus our training programme on promoting the global mindset, being open-minded and tolerant of a different culture is the most important thing.

　　B: We should include training items on thought patterns, buyer-seller relationships, shopping habits, etc.

　　A: Of course, logistics system can’t clash with the culture of the target market and respect for the native culture is extremely important. So we also need to consider cultural taboos. For example, in countries like Japan and China, customers don’t like goods packed in four together, as “four” is regarded as an unlucky number.

　　B: You’re right. Different shopping habits should also be included in our training programme. In some countries, people rely on public transportation, so goods must come in small packages that can be easily carried on the bus. But in countries where people rely on personal automobiles, goods in large packages are more attractive.

　　A: Besides that, we should also acquaint our logistics professionals with differences in language , laws and social customs.

　　A：在做國(guó)際業(yè)務(wù)時(shí)，如果你不了解目標(biāo)市場(chǎng)的文化，是很容易犯錯(cuò)誤的。

　　B：是的，不同文化對(duì)全球的物流以及供應(yīng)鏈管理增加了深層次的挑戰(zhàn)性。如果公司目標(biāo)是全球化發(fā)展，他們就必須考慮文化差異。物流經(jīng)理必須了解市場(chǎng)所包含的客戶的文化構(gòu)成。

　　A：是的。文化差異已經(jīng)影響了不同領(lǐng)域的物流。例如，來(lái)自不同文化背景的人具有不同的工作方式。你需要學(xué)習(xí)他們看待事物的方法以及解釋業(yè)務(wù)關(guān)系的方式。

　　B：是的。理解每個(gè)市場(chǎng)的客戶需求是物流取得成功的重點(diǎn)。但是我們不能沒(méi)有培訓(xùn)而只是把我們的物流專家扔在另一個(gè)城市。你知道，無(wú)論他們有多么聰明，他們也會(huì)犯各種錯(cuò)誤除非變得對(duì)文化差異敏感。

　　A:確實(shí)是的。我們應(yīng)該重點(diǎn)推進(jìn)全球思維的訓(xùn)練計(jì)劃。最重要一點(diǎn)是具有開(kāi)闊的胸襟以及對(duì)不同文化的包容。

　　B：我們的培訓(xùn)項(xiàng)目包括：思想模式、買方和賣房的關(guān)系，購(gòu)物習(xí)慣等

　　A：當(dāng)然，不沖擊目標(biāo)市場(chǎng)的文化以及尊重本土文化對(duì)物流系統(tǒng)極其重要。因此我們需要考慮文化禁忌。例如，有一些國(guó)家例如日本和中國(guó)，客戶不喜歡四個(gè)貨物打成一個(gè)包裝。就像4被認(rèn)為是一個(gè)不吉利的數(shù)字。

　　B：你是對(duì)的，不同的購(gòu)物習(xí)慣也應(yīng)該包括在培訓(xùn)項(xiàng)目中。在一些國(guó)家，人們傾向于公共交通，因此貨物必須用小包裝這樣容易在公車上攜帶。但是在另一些城市人們傾向于私家車，大包裝的貨物更加具有吸引力。

　　A：持此之外，我們應(yīng)該熟悉不同語(yǔ)言的物流專業(yè)人士，法律和社會(huì)習(xí)俗。

　　(1) Is it a good idea for companies to provide cultural training courses to their employees?(Why?/Why not?)

　　公司為其雇員提供文化方面的培訓(xùn)課程好不好?(為什么?)

　　Yes. Cultural training courses can help employees find out differences among people, including cultural, historical, language, laws and social values. Understanding differences can enhance mutual trust. It’s important in promoting business abroad.

　　(2) Is it important for companies to anticipate cultural barriers in their services?(Why?/Why not)

　　公司在服務(wù)中預(yù)想到文化障礙的存在是否重要?(為什么?)

　　Sure. If companies are sensitive to cultural differences and can anticipate cultural barriers in international business, they would be more prepared for any possible difficulties and would certainly become globally competent.

　　(3) Do you think that in future English will become the official language of the business world?(Why?/Why not?)

　　你認(rèn)為今后英語(yǔ)是否會(huì)成為商界的正式通用語(yǔ)言?(為什么?)

　　I think it will. As a matter of fact, more and more multinational companies use English as their official corporate language nowadays. English has become an international language.

　　(4) How important is it for employees in multinational companies to learn a foreign language?

　　跨國(guó)公司的員工學(xué)習(xí)外語(yǔ)有何重要性?

　　Learning a foreign language enables people to be more open-minded, to see things in the perspectives of other people. And that would enhance cultural exchange and promote mutual understanding.

　　(5) What should companies do to improve staff awareness of cultural differences?

　　公司采用什么方法來(lái)提高員工的文化差異意識(shí)?

　　Companies can offer cultural training courses or foreign language courses to their employees. Or they can also design some exchange programmes, or relocate some of their employees to work abroad.

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