Unit 1
What is logistics? 什么是物流？
1. 课文翻译 Text Translation
How a bottle of Coca Cola coke moves to an end consumer 一瓶可乐是如何到达最终消费者手中的 If a consumer wants to have a bottle of Coca Cola coke, he can choose to: 如果客户想买一瓶可口可乐，他可能选择：
Generally speaking, movements of goods/product observe the typical supply chain model (See Figure 1). 一般来说，商品/产品的流转需遵循典型的供应链模式（见图 1）。
Manufacturer 厂家
Distributor 配送商
“Logistics is that part of the supply chain process that plans, implements and controls the efficient, effective flow and storage of goods, service and related information from the point of origin to the point of consumption to meet customers’ requirements.” “物流是供应链的一部分，它对产品、服务和相关信息从原产 地到消费地的高效率和高效力的流动及存储进行规划、实 施和控制，以满足客户的要求。”
Production is the act or process of converting raw materials into semi-finished goods or finished goods ready for sale/delivery. For instance, a flour mill buys wheat (raw materials) from farmers, processes it into flour (semi-finished products) and sells it to a bakery, who then turns it into bread (finished products) ready for sale to end consumers (Figure 4). 生产是把原材料转换成半成品或成品供销售或交货的行为或过 程。譬如，一家面粉厂从农民处购买小麦（原材料）、加 工成面粉（半成品）并将面粉出售给面包店，面包店用面 粉做成面包（成品），用于出售给最终消费者（图4）。
All facets of logistics 物流面面观 From a wider perspective, we can conclude that logistics is or is about: 从更加广泛的视角来看， 我们可以得出结论， 物流是或者是关于…
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the flow and storage of goods, people, finance, services and related information physical distribution or distribution of physical goods an integral part of the supply chain 商品、人员、资金、服务和相关信息的流动与存储 实体配送或实体物资的配送 供应链的整体部分
Wheat （Raw Material） 小麦(原料)
Flour (semi-finished product) 面粉(半成品)
Bread (finished product) 面包（成品）
Figure 4 Conversion of raw materials into semi-finished products or finished products. 图4 原材料转换成半成品或成品
流通是把商品/产品（半成品或成品）移动到不同地点或客户的 行为或过程。通常来说，制造厂商把重心放在生产上，而 物流公司则从事商品的流通。
Wholesaler 批发商
End consumer 最终客户
Retailer (Supermarket) 零售商（超市）
Figure 1 A typical supply chain 图1 典型的供应链
The Coca Cola soft drink product moves by the typical supply chain. The retail price is higher because value is added to the product as it passes through each node in the supply chain (Figure 2). 可口可乐软饮料产品就是依照典型的供应链来移动的，其零售 价更高，是因为当产品经过供应链的每个节点时增加了价 值（图2）。
2.5
What is logistics? 什么是物流？ Logistics, in a narrow sense, is the flow and storage of goods.
狭义上讲，物流是商品 的高效流动与存储。
However, the Council of Logistics Management of USA has given an authoritative definition which is widely accepted by the logistics professionals. 然而，美国物流管理协会给出了一个权威的定义，该定义受到 物流专业人士的广泛接受。
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Choice A is rarely the case because the total logistics cost of direct purchase from the manufacturer is prohibitive for any individual (2.6 times as much as the retail price in the above case), though its purchase price is much lower than the retail price.
What are the scopes of logistics activities 物流活动的范围是什么？ As shown in the Figure 3, logistics activities are extensive and consist of various components. 如图3所示，物流活动是广泛的并且包括了多种构成成份。
Reading materials 阅读材料
Байду номын сангаас
Production vs distribution 生产 vs 流通
There are two types of primary activities concerning the production of products: production and distribution. 关于产品的生产，有两类基本的活动：生产与流通。
It is worth noting that there is a wide-spread misleading concept about logistics, especially among amateurs, that logistics is transport. True, transport is the core component of logistics and without it nothing can move. Nevertheless logistics means far more than transport alone can convey. 值得注意的是，人们，尤其是非专业人士，对物流有一种广泛 的误导性概念，即认为物流就是运输。的确，运输是物流 的核心构成部分，没有运输什么也动不起来。即使如此， 物流仍然比单独的运输所能传达的意义要深远得多。
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go straight to the manufacturer, buy it at ex-factory price (e.g. 1.50 Yuan/bottle) but pay extra costs for bus fare (e.g. 5 Yuan or more) , totaling 6.50 Yuan plus time cost (hours of bus travel), or 直接到厂家以出厂价(如1.50元/瓶)购买，但要支付额外的 公共汽车费(如5元或更多)，总计6.50元，还要另加时间成 本（数小时的巴士乘坐）,或者 go to a supermarket and buy it at retail price (e.g. 2.50 Yuan) with minimal time cost 去超市以零售价购买(如2.50元/瓶)，时间成本最低。
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integration and optimization of resources a value-added process efficiency increase and cost reduction Innovation 资源的整合与优化 一个增值过程 提高效率与降低成本 创新
Sourcing 采办 Purchasing 采购 Transport 运输
Warehousing 仓储 Financing Support 融资支持
Logistics activities 物流活动
Inventory Management 库存管理 Customer Support 客户支持