Countermeasures for cost control of cold chain logistics

Countermeasures for cost control of cold chain logistics

In recent years, with the rapid growth of China's economy, the cold chain logistics industry has developed very rapidly, and the logistics cost has become increasingly prominent in the controllable cost of enterprises. However, due to the late start of China's cold chain logistics industry, compared with developed countries, there is still a big gap in logistics management, mainly manifested in the lack of professional managers, backward logistics facilities and equipment, and the management level needs to be improved. These problems eventually lead to the high cost of cold chain logistics. The following is the knowledge of cold chain logistics cost control countermeasures that I brought to you. Welcome to reading.

I. Introduction

(A) Research background

Nowadays, with the rapid development of logistics industry and fierce competition in the industry, logistics enterprises must find new ways to reduce logistics costs, and make logistics cost management a new way of modern logistics cost management mode for enterprises to maximize profit space, reduce logistics costs and improve capital utilization. In 20 14, the total domestic logistics in China was 2 13.5 trillion yuan, up by 7.9% year-on-year, and the growth rate decreased by 1.6% year-on-year. The logistics cost of China logistics enterprises is much higher than that of foreign logistics enterprises. In order to reduce the logistics cost of domestic enterprises and tap the logistics profit, effective logistics cost management is necessary.

At present, the annual output of all kinds of grain in China has reached 65.438+0.2 billion tons, accounting for 654.38+0.5% of the total grain in the world. China's fruits and vegetables rank first in the world in quality and quantity, but the loss is as high as 24%-30% (about 5% in developed countries), of which meat, aquatic products and a large number of milk bean products are mainly lost, and more than 80% of fresh products are stored at room temperature. Why is this happening? In fact, because China has not yet formed a complete cold chain, the efficiency and benefit of circulation and storage from the starting point to the consumption point cannot be effectively controlled and integrated, and there is a certain gap between national quality inspection and developed countries.

(B) Research significance

The research on the cost control of cold chain logistics has the following practical significance: firstly, optimizing the cost of cold chain logistics is not only helpful to the development of cold chain logistics and the optimization of cold chain logistics system, but also can improve the product quality and service quality of cold chain logistics; Secondly, it can promote the development of cold chain logistics discipline; Third, improve the overall level of China's cold chain logistics industry; Finally, it provides help for the logistics cost control management of Tianyuan City Cold Chain Logistics Center project, thus improving the efficiency of the project operation.

Second, related concepts and theoretical basis

(A) the definition of cold chain logistics

Cold chain logistics, also known as low-temperature logistics, is a special form of logistics, which is usually called perishable cold chain abroad. Cold chain logistics refers to a special supply chain system in which perishable products are always in the necessary low-temperature environment in the process of product processing, storage, transportation, distribution and retail after being purchased or captured from the place of origin, until they are transferred to consumers, so as to ensure food quality and safety, reduce losses and prevent pollution. Cold chain logistics is different from normal temperature logistics, which needs to control the temperature of products during transportation.

(B) the characteristics of cold chain logistics

1, the system is complex and the investment is large.

The purpose of cold chain logistics is to ensure the quality of perishable products, and the core is to ensure that the supply chain system operates in a low temperature environment. Compared with ordinary normal temperature logistics system, the requirements are higher and more complex, so the cold chain logistics system is complex and needs a lot of investment.

2, the organization and coordination requirements are high.

Due to the obvious timeliness of perishable products, the organization and coordination of all links in cold chain logistics are required, and the cold chain operation of perishable products is always closely related to energy consumption costs, so controlling operation costs is inseparable from organization and coordination management.

3. High cost

In order to ensure that perishable products can be in specific temperature conditions in all aspects of circulation, it is necessary to install temperature and humidity monitoring equipment and use advanced information management systems when using refrigerated trucks or low-temperature warehouses, so that the cost of cold chain logistics will be higher.

(C) Cold chain logistics cost structure analysis

1, the initial input cost of cold chain logistics

The initial input cost of cold chain logistics is determined in the process of enterprise logistics system construction. If we want to adjust this investment in the future, we need to pay a high price. Therefore, conventional adjustments cannot be made in this respect. The initial input cost includes the input of logistics hardware facilities and equipment and the input of logistics software technology. In the early investment of Tianyuan City Cold Chain Logistics Center project, the basic project of the main cold storage warehouse has been basically completed, and the equipment and facilities procurement mode of "self-built+outsourcing" mode has been established.

2. The storage cost of cold chain logistics

Storage cost is the cost of storing goods, the sum of all costs in the process of logistics storage and management, and it accounts for a large proportion in the whole logistics cost. The storage cost of cold chain logistics mainly includes the following aspects: first, the depreciation of warehouse and the depreciation of warehouse machinery and equipment; The second is the regular maintenance cost of storage facilities and machinery and equipment; Third, the storage fee. Once the Tianyuan City Cold Chain Logistics Center project is put into operation, the storage cost will be highlighted.

3. Transportation cost of cold chain logistics.

The transportation cost of cold chain logistics enterprises is mainly the cost of transportation vehicles, the cost of goods damage during transportation and the cost of refrigeration. The cost of the transport vehicle itself mainly includes fuel consumption and maintenance costs. The loss cost of goods in cold chain logistics refers to the value loss caused by deterioration and corruption of some frozen and refrigerated goods during transportation. The refrigeration cost of the vehicle during driving is mainly the cost consumed in the refrigerant, and the consumption of the refrigerant is related to the heat transfer index, the surface area of the carriage and the external temperature.

4. Management cost of cold chain logistics

Logistics enterprise management refers to the management process of applying the basic principles and methods in management science according to the objective laws of commodity circulation, so that logistics enterprises can provide the best logistics services to the society with the least investment, so as to maximize economic benefits. In the management practice of cold chain logistics enterprises, it is necessary to promote the realization of management objectives through planning, organization, leadership, coordination and control according to the different management objects, so as to improve the efficiency and effect of enterprise operation. Tianyuan city cold chain logistics center project conforms to the market, introduces professionals in cold storage operation and refrigeration equipment management, and builds the core team of cold chain logistics operation.

Third, the cold chain logistics cost control problems

(A) storage cost analysis

China is rich in cold chain logistics warehouse resources, but the average throughput of cold storage in China is not ideal, only three or four times, and the utilization rate is very low. The cost of loss and deterioration in cold chain logistics storage is widespread in China, which is largely related to the fact that the storage management and distribution of cold chain logistics in China occupy a large proportion in storage operations. In the process of cold chain logistics storage, the application of logistics technology is not enough, which leads to the heavy workload of traditional inventory. Moreover, due to the improper management of cold storage managers and unreasonable use of warehouses, the omission phenomenon is very serious, which leads to the artificial increase of storage costs.

(B) Transportation cost analysis

Transportation cost is all the expenses incurred in order to realize the completion of logistics transportation activities, which accounts for a large proportion in the cold chain logistics cost, up to more than 30%. For many small and medium-sized cold chain logistics enterprises in China, we can judge their management ability and quality from the proportion of their transportation costs to the total cost of cold chain logistics. Whether the transportation cost can be effectively controlled will have a great impact on the construction and future development of the core competitiveness of enterprises. In recent years, domestic oil prices have been adjusted many times. Although the price has been reduced five times recently, the fuel cost is still high, and the transportation cost is still a top priority in the management of logistics enterprises.

Many logistics enterprises do not arrange the transportation of goods according to the economic region and the natural flow direction of goods, ignore the full utilization and reasonable division of labor of the means of transportation, and blindly use the means of transportation without considering the quantity and weight of the transported goods, resulting in the damage, overload or incomplete loading of vehicles, thus resulting in the unbalanced use of transportation capacity. Unreasonable cargo transportation leads to circuitous, backward and far-reaching phenomena, wastes transportation capacity and social labor force, and affects the market supply of transportation products and the operational efficiency of logistics enterprises.

(C) management cost analysis

Compared with normal temperature logistics, cold chain logistics is more complicated. From the perspective of food quality and safety, perishable goods logistics needs to adopt cold chain logistics mode. Due to the lack of effective supervision of cold chain logistics in China, the cost of cold chain logistics is many times higher than that of ordinary logistics. Many logistics enterprises often use informal cold chain logistics methods, such as quilts and ice cubes to transport perishable goods. Although this opportunistic behavior reduces the operating cost of cold chain logistics enterprises, it lacks guarantee for the quality and safety of perishable products.

In terms of management level, due to the limited level of a large part of managers in China's cold chain logistics, the proportion of employees with higher education and culture in the whole industry is low, and many managers lack modern management concepts and backward concepts, which can't keep up with the market development needs. Many cold chain logistics enterprises in China started from the traditional transportation industry, and many business models can't keep up with the development requirements of modern cold chain logistics industry. They still stay in the traditional logistics and transportation operation, not paying attention to the management of the whole cold chain supply chain, but only paying attention to some of them, so it is difficult to reduce the management cost of the cold chain supply chain.

(d) Analysis of other issues

The scale of cold chain food production enterprises, supermarkets and catering enterprises in China is generally dispersed, which increases the circulation link and inevitably increases the circulation cost. In addition, the information asymmetry in each link of cold chain logistics makes inventory, loading and unloading, transportation and so on lack transparency, which leads to the increase of distribution and transportation costs.

Fourth, cold chain logistics cost control measures

(1) Transportation.

Cold chain logistics involves secondary transportation: primary transportation is the distribution and processing process from cold storage to distribution center; Secondary transportation is the distribution process from the distribution center to the seller. In view of the current development of cold chain logistics, cold chain logistics enterprises should actively develop our group's multi-variety and small-batch mechanical refrigerated vehicles to meet the market demand of multi-variety and small-batch supply and transportation; At the same time, the refrigerated truck with refrigerated incubator is developed, which adopts the organization mode of railway, highway, waterway and aviation multimodal transport, and cooperates with information technology such as EDI to monitor the whole temperature. In the process of transportation, it is necessary to strengthen the assessment of loading and unloading refrigerated transport vehicles, strictly evaluate the transit time of refrigerated transport vehicles, shorten the transport cycle and avoid the increase of transport costs.

(2) Distribution

The main goal of logistics distribution strategy is to improve service level and control distribution cost. At present, the transformation of cold chain logistics into multi-variety and small-batch transportation has become an inevitable trend. In view of the problems such as many small orders for products with extremely short shelf life, numerous distribution online stores and complicated time windows, measures such as merging small orders, integrating distribution outlets and merging time windows of different products were taken to improve customer service and reduce transportation costs. In addition, the same distribution with many enterprises can improve the vehicle loading rate, reduce the distribution cost and form the scale effect.

(3) Inventory control

Cold storage includes refrigeration system, cold storage design and equipment in cold storage. China's cold storage investment is large, but the vacancy rate is high. The key to reduce the inventory cost of cold chain production enterprises is to reduce the vacancy rate of cold storage as much as possible. With the help of inventory information system, enterprises can determine the best ordering point under the condition of balancing overdue and shortage. At present, customers' requirements for cold-chain food are becoming more and more personalized, and enterprises should also pay attention to maintaining the continuous stability of inventory without chain breakage. In addition, foods with different raw and cooked conditions are classified and stored to avoid unnecessary losses.

(4) Management information system

Management information system is also an important link in the construction of cold chain logistics. It mainly includes inventory control system, customer service system, warehouse management system and transportation management system. For enterprises, using logistics management software to effectively reduce the logistics cost of enterprises is an invisible expansion of enterprise profits. Accurate inventory data and sales summary data in the system provide a basis for enterprise procurement, thus improving work efficiency and management level. The system also provides a variety of early warning, such as the alarm of products near the shelf life and products beyond the shelf life, and the aging analysis of inventory, so that warehouse managers can take effective measures in time and greatly reduce inventory losses. The cold chain logistics information system provides accurate market dynamics and information communication, which makes the logistics process more reasonable and reduces the lag phenomenon. Therefore, the introduction of information system can not only make the direction of cold chain logistics correct, but also make full use of existing cold storage facilities to control logistics costs to the maximum extent.

Outsourcing strategy

Logistics outsourcing of cold chain food enterprises is a development trend. As a high-end logistics with high infrastructure, technical content and operational requirements, cold chain logistics is often the weak link of enterprises. Self-operated cold chain logistics needs high-input infrastructure and equipment, network and huge human capital. Outsourcing or combining with third-party logistics companies will help enterprises control production costs, improve operating efficiency, strengthen competitiveness and enhance corporate image.

Verb (abbreviation of verb) conclusion

As a third-party profit source, logistics has great potential, especially in today's rapid development of logistics industry in China. If logistics enterprises can control and optimize logistics costs well, they can achieve the purpose of reducing logistics costs and promoting enterprises to increase revenue and reduce expenses in China's logistics activities. This paper takes the cost control of cold chain logistics in China as the research object and refers to the project of Tianyuan Cold Chain Logistics Center. In the research process, firstly, the concept of cold chain logistics is expounded. Then the cost composition of cold chain logistics in China is analyzed and evaluated. Finally, combined with the problems existing in the cost control of cold chain logistics enterprises in China, this paper puts forward countermeasures and opinions to reduce logistics costs, and puts forward suggestions for the upcoming Tianyuan City cold chain logistics center project.

Although this paper studies the cost control of cold chain logistics, due to the limitation of the author's knowledge structure and research conditions, there are still some problems that are not involved, such as the research between the cost and service level of cold chain logistics, so we should pay more attention to the actual effect research in future related research. In short, the cost control of cold chain logistics should not be at the expense of the service level it provides, but should be carried out under the condition that its service quality does not decline. Healthy development of cold chain logistics industry. Therefore, effective cost control of cold chain logistics will help to promote the sustainable and healthy development of Tianyuan cold chain logistics center project.

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