1、 外文翻译 原文 LOGISTICAL ALLIANCES: TRENDS AND PROSPECTS IN INTEGRATED EUROPE Material Source: JOORNAL OE BUSINESS LOGISTICS. Author: PrabirK.Bagchi Helge Virum The processes of integration in Europe, the GATT agreements, and the developments in Eastern Europe are bringing radical changes to the European
2、 business environment. The European Union (EU) may become the wealthiest and perhaps the largest market in the world. The proposed union has already had an enormous influence on the business structure of every member country, as once protected industries lose national patronage and regulatory shield
3、s and face stiff competition in a more open marketplace. The intensity will only increase in the future. At the same time, new market opportunities are becoming available in many industries. Recent studies have shown that the integration process in Europe is already having a major effect on the tran
4、sportation and logistics sector. Experts often say that we live in a global economy. As countries open their markets,competition intensifies. Business decisions have become more globalized. The whole world becomesthe center stage for leading-edge companies. Such companies procure materials from and
5、distributefinished goods all over the world. Logistics becomes an area of strategic importance and a source forcompetitive advantage. A close examination of global trade during the last ten years reveals that worldwide growth of imports and exports far outstripped GNP growth during the same period.A
6、ccording to the UN Statistical Yearbook, in dollar terms, international trade was 10 times larger in 1990 than 1970. This spectacular growth in international trade took place both in sourcing of raw materials, components, and semi-finished goods and in global distribution of finished products.Domest
7、ic markets in developed countries no longer mean domestic competitors only. Thus, in the 1990s and beyond, the continued existence of a company may depend on how successfully it can tap the global marketplace. The global marketplace is characterized by more opportunities as well as more competition.
8、 In a more competitive world, companies try harder to identify better ways to satisfy their customers. One major area increasingly used these days to provide competitive advantage to companies is logistics. Managers are no longer using logistics excellence only as the means for cutting costs; they a
9、re ever more relying on logistics to offer differentiated service to customers in order to become more com-petitive. As global logistics assumes more importance, European companies are turning to numbers of logistical alliances. Using case studies, this research looks at the formation and working of
10、 logistical alliances in inte-grated Europe. In the next section, we define logistical alliance and analyze the rationale for formation.Next, we explain the purpose of this study and the research method. Then we critically examine a few working logistical alliances based on our field studies with te
11、n European firms. These sample firms include both shippers and logistics service providers. Next, based on these cases, we offer a logistical alliance process model and discuss the steps involved in selecting the right alliance partner. Finally, we discuss the implications of logistical alliances in
12、 logistics strategy and provide directions for further research. LOGISTICALALLIANCES Increased competition, higher customer expectations, and rising costs have forced companies to seek radically new ways to succeed in the marketplace. Strategic alliances are often used to ratio-nalize business opera
13、tions and improve the overall competitive position of a company. The proces of forming a strategic alliance is important because of the sheer speed and dynamism of technolog-ical changes that have opened up a wide range of new activities. The emphases are often on combining capabilities to speed dev
14、elopment, achieve new performance levels, and meet customer needs better. A strategic alliance allows a company to take advantage of what it does well and enables it to seek partners who have strengths in other areas. Several studies have suggested that successfu strategic alliances offer the follow
15、ing benefits: . enables partner companies to offer an extended product/service range . provides access to a larger pool of talent . helps partners obtain better customer value . gives access to wider markets . enables partners to share resources and risks . improves competitive position of the partn
16、ers in the marketplace . allows companies to focus on core competence. Forming logistical alliances or using a third party for logistics needs, as it is more commonly known, is nothing new in Europe. Companies in the UK, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands have been using logistical alliances for quite
17、 some time. These alliances probably started with shippers outsourcing some or all transportation and distribution functions. Later, the users added some warehousing functions. Refiecting the present scope of the use of logistical alliances, Laarhaven and Sharman write:“Companies as diverse as compu
18、ter manufacturers and grocery retailers are increasingly forming alliances with the providers of logistics services in an attempt both to improve delivery for their cus- tomers and to reduce their own logistics costs. According to their estimates, in Western Europe alone,logistics alliances annually
19、 involve $2 billion.What are logistics alliances? Experts have used the term to mean different arrangements. In this study, it means a long-term formal or informal relationship between shippers and logistics providers to render all or a considerable number of logistics activities for the shipper. Sh
20、ippers and logistics providers see themselves as long-term partners in this arrangement. Although these alliances may start with a narrow range of activities, there is a potential for a much broader set of value-added services, including simple fabrication, assemblies, repackaging, and supply chain
21、integration. In contrast, arrangements with a vendor to supply one or just a few products or services would simply be called outsourcing or third party logistics. To clarify further, a comprehensive partnership arrangement including a broad or a complete range of products and services on a long-term
22、 basis may be called a logistics alliance. For example, one of the earliest logistical alliances was between Rank Xerox and Frans Maas more than a decade ago. Although initially started as a collaboration between the com- panies to provide reliable transportation of inbound materials as a part of Ra
23、nk Xero xs efforts to imple-ment just-in-time (JIT) inventory systems, over the years the relationship has truly blossomed into a full-blown logistics alliance covering inbound and outbound transportation, total warehousing needs,and other value-added activities. A close examination of the services
24、currently offered by third-party logistics providers on both sides of the Atlantic reveals that a wide range of value-adding services are already available. In the near future, the service provider will supply the reverse logistics needs of the customer. Logistics companies are constantly adding mor
25、e innovative services. When the customers dependency arrangement with the provider becomes rather pervasive and includes a broad range of products and services, and when the provider can truly be considered an extension of the customer, we can term the relationship an alliance. RESEARCH PURPOSES AND
26、 METHODS This study investigates the process involved in forming logistics alliances. Specifically, we want to understand the rationale, the steps involved, the obstacles faced, the effect of the alliance on the shipper and the provider, and what makes these alliances successful. Our goal is to capt
27、ure the changes in logistics systems in these companies so as to develop a framework for logistics alliance formation. We hope this model can be a guide for prospective alliance seekers in choosing the right partner and helping them manage the formation process. Case study analysis was the principal
28、 means used to examine field data. Ten firms were selected based on their market reputation in logistics, willingness to share their experience, and the researchers budgetary constraints. The sample included both shippers and logistics service providers. The com-panies represented food, grocery, con
29、sumer electronics, computer and peripheral equipment, business machines, and heavy machinery industries. The companies home offices were situated on both sides of the Atlantic. All the companies represented in our sample except one were multinational corporations. We wanted to understand the process
30、 of selecting partners and administering the partnership. Forming a partnership and nurturing it often involves years of painstaking efforts by both parties. This process can not be fathomed by a mail survey. The research questions often required long answers. Quite frequently, the researchers neede
31、d actual observation of the process on site. The few times that we used a questionnaire to guide us during our interviews clearly showed its weakness. Most site visits took more than a day. In several instances, we had to visit firms more than once. Thus, the responses expected were beyond the scope
32、 of simple “yes“ or “no“ answers. As would be evident from the research by Yin,“ the case study method seems to be the best approach in such circumstances. Most site visits were followed by in-depth discussions with senior managers and directors. In one case, the researchers interviewed the CEO of t
33、he company. In a few cases, the researchers verified the shippers stories in interviews with their logistics providers. Apart from consuttations regarding the company characteristics observed, the discussions often covered matters germane to the industry the manager represented. By virtue of the sen
34、iority of these managers and long experience in a particular industry, their responses were considered representative of their industry. In the next section, we describe the cases and discuss the events leading to the use of logistics attiances. THE CASE STUDIES THE CASE STUDIES Attiances are an ess
35、entiat and ongoing part of business for many companies. Some alliances succeed, while some do not. We studied ten companies to uncover the important elements that contribute to alliance formation. The sample contained manufacturers of computer and business machines, two consumer electronics companie
36、s, and two automotive manufacturers; the rest were from food, heavy machinery, and other areas. Although the sample size is small and the results may not have statistical significance, we believe the study captures some important trends in the togistics business. These companies took a close look at
37、 the potential of logistics alliances and evaluated various alternatives. Company A is a major supplier in a mature market dominated by a small number of large competitors. Product demand is very much infiuenced by general fluctuations in the international economy. At the end of 1980, market demand
38、fell dramatically, and for several years company A struggled.All major business processes had to be redefined and reengineered for its survival. For togistics, that meant finding a solution that reduced costs and improved customer service at the same time, A growing number of international logistics
39、 activities were outsourced and these steps culminated in a togistics attiance. As a result, the company was able to reduce significantly the number of regional warehouses. Order processing and distribution activities were centralized and outsourced. Transportation and warehousing activities then we
40、re outsourced. Finally, infonnation systems integration between the customer and the logistics provider completed the logistics alliance. This arrangement has immensety hetped company A to focus on its core areas, such as design and manufacturing, and regain its competitive position in the marketpla
41、ce. Outsourcing logistics services is a strategy company B has been pursuing for more than a decade. Until 1994, this had been limited to the operation of the central warehouse for Europe and a number of interconnected transport services. Presently, the company is introducing a new system that will
42、outsource nearly all physical distribution activities in European logistics. In the Nordic countries, the logistics operations will be performed by a group of four transport companies. These regional providers have in-depth knowledge about the marketplace, the transport infrastructure, climate and t
43、errain, and business norms and practices. Company B expects to provide much better customer service at a lower cost as a result of this change. As the Nordic countries have become part of the EU, competition has increased. Company B will be more competitive with established companies and new Europea
44、n rivals due to faster and more reliable deliveries at competitive prices. For example, in the Norwegian market, several multinational corporations from the European mainland have expanded their operations. Several others have entered the recently opened Norwegian market. Despite the recent rejectio
45、n by voters, the Norwegian government has decided to work closely with the EU and has started to open markets to competitors from the EU and other foreign countries. Company B expects to seize this opportunity and obtain a larger market share. With a successful logistics alliance, it will be able to
46、 concentrate on core business areas. Later, the company will expand similar regional logistics operations all over Europe. This will be one of the most complete logistics alliance networks in Europe and is being introduced as a direct result of EU development. The contract for logistics in the Nordi
47、c countries includes a clause requiring annual productivity improvement for 10 years. A team with members from both the provider and the user will work full time to fulfill this requirement. The emphasis in this partnership arrangement has been on mutual understanding and accommodation of the needs
48、and wants of both parties. Although company B did take time to understand its own needs and make a systematic evaluation of potential partners, it has focused much more time and attention on nurturing the alliance. Company C had to change its way of running the company mainly for economic reasons. T
49、here are strong indications that the original internally operated logistics system was inefficient and expensive. Today, the business concept is to outsource non-core functions and to concentrate internal resources on sales and marketing. All physical logistics activities are now carried out by two providers while planning and administration of logistics and order processing are still done internally. Company D, a global consumer electronics manufacturer, recendy faced increased competition particularly from Japan. Its profit margins dwindled, and
