Logistics Case Analysis: Anji’s “Invisible Sword”

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From 2006 to 2009, the number of transported vehicles increased from 1.6 million to nearly 4 million, accounting for 35% of the country's vehicle logistics market. In terms of business volume, Anji Automobile Logistics Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Anji) has entered the first camp of global automobile logistics.

When people look at Anji’s rapid growth, they can see Anji’s nationwide logistics network, but they may not see Anji’s other weapon, the Internet of Things supported by information technology, which helps Anji in the field of automobile logistics. Lead vigorously.

What Anji wants is not just an increase in logistics volume, but also a leap in service quality. This leap stands on the invisible sword of the Internet of Things. A few days ago, Mo Jinkang, deputy general manager of Anji Automobile Logistics Co., Ltd., accepted an exclusive interview with this newspaper and pulled out this invisible sword to let us see its aura.

Opening up the seven meridians and eight meridians

In Mo Jinkang’s view, the development of the modern automobile industry cannot be separated from the support of informatization and the Internet of Things, especially for automobile logistics companies. In the future, automobile companies will need the support of an efficient logistics network in a globalized competitive environment. They will also need the integration of the logistics network and the Internet of Things to build a circulation highway that combines virtuality and reality.

The Internet of Things is invisible, but it is everywhere. To realize the integration of the Internet of Things and the logistics network, it must be based on a complete information system within the enterprise. Anji’s rapid development in recent years has benefited from SAIC’s integration and upgrade of its logistics business. A major tool for integration and upgrading is informatization.

At the end of 2008, the logistics sector of Shanghai Automotive Industry Sales Corporation, a subsidiary of SAIC Group, was reorganized, logistics resources were integrated, and Anji Automobile Logistics Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary directly under SAIC Group, was established. The company is positioned as a third-party logistics company focusing on the automotive market. The logistics model pursued by Anji is market-oriented integrated lean logistics. Therefore, a major issue in Anji's integration and upgrading of automobile logistics resources is how to use information systems to connect all links. As soon as the company was established, it established an information technology department to explore new information systems. Anji has many business modules, and the upgrade of its information system has greatly improved service efficiency. It has also created an interconnected neural network for Anji to unify related logistics resources.

Anji has also stepped up its integration of upstream and downstream logistics service industry chains. First, integrate transportation resources. Anji Logistics is the only automobile logistics company in China that has both road, railway and waterway transportation resources and operational capabilities. Its own transportation resources include 1 professional ro-ro terminal, 3 river ships, 7 ocean ships, 348 special trains, and more than 2,700 transport vehicles. Second, integrate business models. After opening up all service links through informatization, Anji has strengthened the professional integration of its business model and divided its business into three major parts. Vehicle logistics is operated by Anji and its more than ten vehicle transportation companies, implementing a base-based management model. Parts logistics is mainly operated by Anji Tiandi, a joint venture with global logistics giant ceva. Port logistics is operated by Haitong International Terminal, a joint venture with SIPG, nyk, and wwl. Third, integrate warehousing resources. While integrating transportation resources and service processes, Anji also integrated warehousing resources. Anji currently has 7 inbound logistics bases, 9 after-sales logistics bases, and 22 vehicle warehousing bases.

Informatization has opened up all kinds of resources in Anji. Anji has also established a strategic plan of "six unifications": unification of corporate culture, unification of lean operation, unification of HR system, unification of financial system, and unification of IT. The system is unified and the procurement system is unified. Led by lean supply chain services, Anji provides services to nearly 30 OEMs, 2,000 dealers, 1,500 maintenance stations, and 600 parts suppliers in 300 domestic cities.

Wielding an invisible sword

The Internet of Things supported by informatization is not only an invisible tool for reshaping internal control, but also an invisible tool for Anji to open up the market.

When talking about the application of the Internet of Things in the logistics industry, Mo Jinkang said: "The concept of the Internet of Things is based on the concept of the Internet, through rfid radio frequency identification, infrared sensors, global positioning systems, lasers Information sensing devices such as scanners extend their users to any items, and the process they run through is also a logistics process.

In the era of the Internet of Things, enterprises develop and apply a series of Internet of Things technologies through system integration based on their own characteristics and development needs to improve enterprise resource utilization and productivity levels and prevent instability caused by business flows. Strengthen the level of corporate control over business processes. ”

Anji is committed to the application of Internet of Things technology. Although Anji has made many achievements in informatization and the Internet of Things, what Mo Jinkang was most interested in introducing to reporters was Anji’s innovative commercial vehicle handover electronics. Signing system.

Mo Jinkang said that in the logistics process of commercial vehicles, there are many handover links for cars from the OEM to the user. There are often many problems with the paper handover method: First, the handover process Uncontrollable. After the handover is completed, the handover order is left in the hands of the driver. The handover order is not provided until it is returned to the transportation company for settlement. The recovery cycle of the handover order is very long, and there are cases where the handover order is lost during the process. Possibly. Second, the handover system requires dealers to fill in information into the system after the handover. This passive approach often results in untimely feedback. Third, a large amount of data will be generated during the handover, and this data will need to be entered into our system after recovery. At the same time, these handover orders require a lot of manual processing.

In response to these problems, Anji explored the application of Internet of Things technology and began to implement an electronic signature system for commodity vehicle handover in 2009.

Anji considered this. Through the use of Internet of Things technology, the information on the handover process of all commercial vehicles is realized in a timely manner. The handover information at each handover point is mainly collected through handheld terminal devices, using rfid, GPS, and barcode scanning. The GPRS communication network is transmitted to Anji Management Center, and the information from the management center is connected to Anji's business system to update the status of order handover in a timely manner. At the same time, Anji transmits the information to the OEM through system connection in a timely manner so that customers can understand it immediately. Commercial vehicle handover information. This data will also enter the data center, and the data center will do some corresponding data analysis to find some problems and take some corrective measures.

This system mainly uses three main methods. The functional modules are used to realize: first, real-time monitoring and status warning of vehicle orders and progress. By integrating vehicle GPS, GIS, transport vehicle data and order data, the time and distance progress of each transport vehicle and its order can be monitored. Carry out real-time monitoring, use established algorithm rules to determine the real-time status of the transportation progress of vehicles and orders, and provide early warning prompts for vehicles or orders that are behind schedule. Second, a unique digital signature is formed at each delivery, covering all aspects of transportation. The receiver/shipper and transporter information, cargo information, handover time, location and other information are sent to the automobile logistics company in real time through wireless communication. In order to ensure the accuracy of the digital signature information, the digital signature is generated through the GPS positioning data of the transport vehicle. Perform double verification. The third is a handheld mobile electronic device that integrates barcode scanning function, RFID induction reception function, GPS information reception function, and GPRS communication function to identify whether the transported goods are consistent with the destination and confirm by scanning the barcode information of the commodity vehicle. After collecting the car, the above information together with the electronic signature will be sent to the server of the automobile logistics company through GPRS for data verification and status update.

Mo Jinkang said that the implementation of this project may have economic and social benefits. It will bring certain benefits.

From the perspective of enterprise economic benefits, after the implementation of the project, firstly, labor costs will be reduced, electronic submission will be adopted, and the transportation background data integration system will automatically collect, integrate and update data. Staff only need to use the system to query as required, replacing the original manual entry of manual orders. Second, the expenditure on paper documents is reduced, which can reduce the cost of paper documents by more than 3 million yuan every year. The new system completely uses the software system to automatically conduct integrated analysis and judgment, and all information is clear at a glance, ensuring the timeliness and accuracy of information transmission. The resulting dynamic report completely solves the management loopholes caused by data lag and effectively solves problems such as query difficulties. The third is to achieve timely error correction. When manual operations were originally used, there were many work errors caused by human factors. The new system uses electronic equipment and automatic system judgment to confirm the handover data, minimizing the risk of human errors. Once any problem that is inconsistent with the instructions is discovered, the relevant personnel can be notified in a timely manner. personnel, try to correct errors in the shortest possible time and avoid economic losses. Fourth, it improves user satisfaction.

After the system uses automatic identification technology, it has overcome the data problems caused by the mobile characteristics of logistics operations to the maximum extent, making the data timely and accurate. The system can connect the submission information with the existing transportation management system, warehouse management system, and dealer management system to form a data link, greatly shortening the response time, thereby meeting the company's management needs and providing personalized services to customers.

From the perspective of social benefits, the implementation of the project will improve the efficiency and service level of automobile logistics, reduce the logistics no-load rate and operating costs, reduce paper consumption, and improve the utilization of total social resources. First, to promote the implementation of relevant laws and regulations, the country has promulgated and implemented the "Electronic Signature Law", and the implementation of the electronic signature system for the handover of commercial vehicles will help promote the implementation of laws and regulations. Second, it is conducive to the promotion of the application of Internet of Things technology. The system uses mobile information to collect cargo information in real time, connects to the Internet of Things through wireless networks, and automatically processes data through the backend system so that the information can be used quickly and accurately. Third, it is conducive to improving the resource utilization rate of the logistics industry. Fourth, it has a certain demonstration effect and promotes the application of Internet of Things technology, further improving the service capabilities of the automobile logistics industry.

Mo Jinkang also told reporters that after research and deliberation by a review team composed of the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission, the Municipal Commerce Commission, the Municipal Economic and Information Technology Commission and the Municipal Finance Bureau, the Anji Logistics commodity vehicle handover electronic signature system project was approved as an Typical application cases of Internet of Things technology in vehicle logistics business have been included in Shanghai's service industry development guidance fund support projects.