A, logistics information development present situation
In recent years, China's logistics industry information into the overall scale unceasingly expands, the logistics industry in China based information construction has entered into a relatively stable state, logistics companies are paying attention to the business process management, customer resource management, the entire logistics service and supply chain management as the foundation of the integrated service, and other aspects of the investment, improve its own core competitive ability as the important means.
But compared with other industry, our country in logistics industry information into the overall size of the also is very low. China in the field of logistics information technology application and popularization of the level is not high, most small and medium-sized logistics enterprise still does not have use information technology processing logistics information ability; At the same time, have the information system of the enterprise the information demand also majority belongs to low level requirements. Cause this situation is the main reason of the most logistics information system, and the high cost of small and medium-sized logistics enterprise starting point is very low, on the market for small and medium-sized lack of logistics enterprise information system.
With China's raise the level of productivity, logistics industry technology progress and innovation pace, logistics enterprise through the integration of traffic transportation, storage, and distribution, and other links, accelerate the multimodal transport logistics service; At the same time, with the modern information technology, management technology, transportation technology, storage technology as the foundation of integrated, integration logistics service will speed up development. With bar code technology, radio frequency identification technology, and based on the Internet EDI techniques become more mature, carry out the order processing, tracking and settlement enterprise internal and external information transmission become logistics enterprises to improve the operation efficiency of the main attack direction. Through the with suppliers and customers of information sharing of the supply chain, the transparent, use JIT, VMI, SMI supply chain management technology to realize supply chain partner collaborative commerce is between logistics enterprises occupy the inevitable choice of high-end logistics market and future development trend.
China along with the rise of the third party logistics enterprise logistics information, the effective demand, amplification, policy environment of significant improvement, industry pattern become clear that logistics information technology application and social economic life more and more close, the logistics enterprise, information platform providers, software provider, information technology equipment provider, the information service provider, telecommunications operators and end products provider consists of the Chinese logistics industry information technology market holds enormous business opportunities.
Logistics information technology in our country is still at the beginning stage, logistics information in our country has great potential and long-term development of mining, and small and medium-sized prospect of logistics enterprise informationization level is low, lack of with independent intellectual property rights of logistics information system, logistics software developers to profit, basic information and public service platform development is slow and lack of logistics information development strategy, these are still restricted the development of logistics information, five big bottleneck. How to break through the bottleneck, is the need IT companies and logistics enterprise common thinking of problem.
Second, SOA is the inevitable trend of logistics information construction
Looking to the future development of the logistics information, roads, many ways is worth concerned hot. And one of them is that the integration of the system will be used for more technology of logistics system. System integration technology includes both the design of the whole system and modeling method, including system development tools and operation platform matures, terrace and basic functions of the standard structure has become a more and more the inevitable choice of logistics management software.
In this trend under, the SOA will become the third party logistics enterprise the best choice. SOA namely Service-Oriented Architecture, Service Oriented Architecture is. It is a general purpose for, can be expanded, joint cooperation with the structure of the sex, and the process is by definition service, the service through the based on class package service interface entrusted to service provider, service interface can be expanded identifier, according to the format and agreement described alone. Provide a kind of constructing SOA information system standard and method, and by building a merger, reusable service system to reduce IT business and speed up the redundant project development process, make development department higher efficiency and more short development cycle, project distribution faster.
SOA third party logistics information system for the construction of the advantages including:
1. Facilitate integration existing system. SOA architecture can be based on the existing system to develop, and don't need to completely to create system. The original function module can through the Web service interface to encapsulate and access. Take SOA framework can all sorts of business service structure into existing components of the set. When the other departments to use this new service only need to know it and the interface name, service details of the internal components and the service between the complexity of the data transmitted to the outside world hidden inside. The anonymity of this component to make logistics enterprise to use of the existing investment, which can by combining the construction on different machines, running on different operating systems, with different programming language development component to create service.
2. Easy to repeat the use of logistics business service. Has created logistics business service need not with specific system and a specific network connection. Service is independent, service communication between framework enables service reuse possible. For a business need change, SOA can easily combination loose coupling of services, to provide more quality and quick response. The third party logistics enterprise information system allows users to automatically find and connect service available service, and through to the service users validation, authorization, to strengthen safety protection. At the same time, because of service oriented agility, in the logistics business, when a change to have more strong plasticity, the enterprise can save for a rainy day, ready for the future.
3. Improve the system development speed. In all the different between applications, infrastructure development and deployment will become more consistent. The existing components, the development of new components and from the manufacturer of the purchase components can merge in a definition of good SOA framework, such components will be set as the foundation of the existing service deployed in architecture, thus becomes the repeated use of architectural elements. When need new logistics enterprise to enter into, can be directly to the existing service and components for new creative reuse, greatly reducing the design, development, testing and deployment of the product, can in the shortest possible time time put into use.
4. The system reduced development costs. Web services of the library be SOA framework of the third party logistics enterprise information the core of the system. Direct use these Web services to build and deploy the library service will be noticeably reduce software development costs, improve the working efficiency of the developers. Research shows that, the general system interface development costs accounted for 33% of the expenses incurred for the entire development, the highest have reached 70%, for reuse and agile design makes the SOA, interface in the reuse of will save cost 60%. Along with the development of the logistics business demand and new logistics enterprise to access, by the use of the SOA framework and service for the original application library, increase the service and create a new service greatly reduce the cost.
5. Easy to improve business process. SOA clearly says logistics service business process, the business process in particular business services by using the component order to mark this to logistics enterprise, provides monitoring business operation of the ideal environment. At the same time, process control is a business service component depends on the realization of reorganization, it will further allow improved business process, improve efficiency. Reuse existing component greatly reduce the enhance or create a new business in the process of service on the risks of.
With domestic logistics demand of the market continuously in temperature, is a third party logistics the keen competition of the market, in the process, the SOA logistics information system of the third party logistics enterprise will have the obvious superiority. The enterprise will be great use of existing resources, in the shortest possible time, with the lowest cost of development, the construction of an good compatibility and extensibility of information system, so as to ensure the efficient logistics operation, full mining enterprise of "the third profits source", in the competition.
Three, SOA will bring change for the logistics industry
The current our country's logistics industry and logistics information, is in a period of accelerating development. After joining the WTO, the opening of the steps to speed up, a lot of enterprises to introduce modern logistics management concept hope, with the aid of modern logistics technology and equipment, and to build your own logistics system, in order to reduce the cost, improve efficiency, increase the market competitive power. Facts have proved that, through the realization of enterprise logistics modernization to promote the management level and get the largest profit space, has become a farsighted entrepreneurs a shortcut to success. Logistics equipment market demand will boost for the entire industry, provide a good opportunity for development.
With the globalization of economy, the industrial chain of extensions, information technology, especially the more and more mature gradually strategic smart and supply chain management concept such as competition, there will be the popularity of more and more of the logistics enterprise will be the future of hair the positioning in supply chain management service service. Because even more than the logistics management system for the chain the operation of the system, it is on a higher level and the more big range for coordinated management and resource integration just. Although m&a, joint venture, cooperation agreement alliance, the lease custody, set up information sharing or trading platform, etc logistics enterprise resource integration method, but the purpose of resource integration is not enhance customer service ability, improve customer service level and get a better return on investment. So, although different logistics enterprise in real operation take resources integration methods are not the same, but still have some of the same category of logistics enterprise need into view. They are customer resources integration, ability resource integration and information resources integration. Logistics enterprise decision-making in the implementation of resources integration, must firmly grasp the two points: of enterprise internal resources integration of the value of adjust; Enterprise external resources integration of nothing less. We have to do is find the best combining site, and realize the logistics service resources disposition.
And at present is to realize the integration of logistics information SOA the best way. The SOA will to logistics information system construction and operation to bring a lot of influence and change. In the next few years, logistics technology and the development trend of equipment would show the following characteristics: advanced, information, diversity and professional, standardization and modular, systematic and expansibility, intelligent and humanity, greening and energy conservation.
Advanced: like all in the course of industrial equipment through the same, logistics equipment performance will become more and more advanced, more and more high degree of automation. Sophistication concrete reflected in speed, accuracy and stability. The expansion of the scale of the warehouse and quick customer response obviously it is a pair of contradictory. To do in a very short time to complete chosen, distribution task, and only improve logistics new forces of speed and processing power. Therefore, stacking machine, have chosen system, conveying system logistics equipment is always in high speed running goal and try hard. In addition to pursuing faster speed, higher accuracy is also a customer for logistics equipment consistent requirements. No accuracy, speed, and faster and meaningless. Therefore, the manufacturers are taking the advanced technology to meet customer logistics equipment high accurate espionage requirements. Distribution center to meet customer need, to the real-time logistics system, and reliable operation of the stability of the demands for high requirements; In the manufacturing enterprise, logistics and production equipment, but is of high efficiency run production equipment has played a significant role, also don't allow for failure often affect the normal production. So, to ensure safe operation, continuous logistics system of logistics equipment high stability, high reliability and more attention by the deadline, the logistics equipment manufacturers warranty extension gradually. In addition, the advanced nature of logistics equipment is also manifest in the improvement of production technology, make the product is well under control.
Information: people to the attention of information is increasing day by day, logistics and information flow requirements implementing online or offline, high integration of the information technology has become the core of the logistics technology. Logistics equipment and information technique has become the core of the logistics technology. Logistics equipment and information technology combine closely, realize high automation is the trend of the development of the future. At present, more and more logistics equipment suppliers from pure provide hardware equipment has to offer, including control software, the overall logistics system, and in more and more logistics equipment on the computer control device, the paper realize logistics equipment of the real-time monitoring, greatly improving the efficiency of its actions. Logistics equipment and the information technology perfect union, has become the manufacturer for the pursuit of the goal, which is the embodiment of the competitive power.
Diversity and specialization: to satisfy different industries, different sizes of customers of different functional requirement, logistics equipment form more and more specialized degree, is increasing day by day. Many logistics equipment factory now devotes to the development of production DuoZhong variety of products to meet the diverse needs of customers as our development orientation, provide the logistics equipment by the industry and universal according to different characteristics of the industry to design and manufacture, by not to divide the situation to adapt to different environment, under different conditions, the more one request to the special plane. Many manufacturers can according to user special cases tailored various logistics equipment. Reflected higher professional level.
Standardization and modular: the current economic globalization, more remarkable, the characteristics of China's entry into wto, the more accelerated the internationalization of enterprises. Logistics equipment also need to go global, and only realize the standardization and modular, ability and the international community. Therefore, standardization, modular become an inevitable trend in the development of logistics equipment. Standardization is including the standardization of hardware, and software interface including the standardization. Through the realizes standardization, easily with other enterprise production logistics equipment or control system, to provide docking DuoZhong choice and the convenience of system implementation. Modular can meet the customer's demand, according to variety of different need to choose between different function module, flexible combination, enhance the system adaptability. At the same time can best use of existing modular tuberculosis space, can according to the access to the increased number of the five principles of peaceful coexistence the scope of supply changes to adjust.
Systematic and expansibility: customers for logistics equipment system integration demand is higher and higher. Supplier shall according to the customers' actual condition, make system solutions, hand in seeking common use organic integration of logistics equipment, to achieve the best effect. To make the system is easy to integrate and best effect, logistics equipment had better choose one company's product. Therefore, suppliers to provide a set of logistics products development, used to satisfy the customer whole requirements. At the same time, customers on the logistics system input is often not one pace reachs the designated position, obligate ability, but according to the needs, this is about to consider future configuration of the system scalability. Of course, in the logistics equipment realized the modular design, can more easily on the basis of the need for expansion. Some logistics equipment can also be through the change control software system adjustment or expansion.
Intelligence and human nature: the progress of science and technology to make logistics equipment pay more and more attention to intelligence and human nature design, in order to reduce the labor intensity, improve working conditions, the operation is more relaxed freely.
Greening and energy conservation: with the global the deterioration of the environment and people of environmental awareness enhancement, some enterprise in selecting logistics equipment is preferred to environment pollution when small green products or energy-saving products. Therefore, far-sighted logistics equipment suppliers also begin to pay close attention to the environmental protection question, and take effective measures to achieve environmental protection requirement.
In the logistics system modules needs inside, also have very big different, one of the most outstanding is inventory management, inventory management is still logistics software is the key link. Will tell from industry, the logistics information development the fastest areas will be chain distribution. Because the chain of distributive trade is in a period of great change the formats structure. From the product characteristic terms, those product update cycle extremely short, particularly fast turnover rate of field, is certainly the most attention to logistics information. Therefore, logistics technology and information technology itself based on SOA to logistics information will have great influence on the construction.
The customer demand and the progress of science and technology will promote the logistics technology and equipment development forward. Logistics equipment supplier and IT products provider, keep watching the change of market demand, the more advanced technologies, provide customers with satisfactory products and service, improve the overall development of the logistics industry level.
Four, logistics information, how to implement the SOA
Comply with the implementation of the SOA general experience, and consider China's logistics industry informatization the characteristics of the present stage, the SOA logistics enterprise existing information system integration, core link as follows:
In the modeling stage, can define business model or process, software model and SOA model. It can create a group of after service, this set of service can and has released universal interface reuse; together
In the deployment of stage, developers can create extraction of service, and put them in a executable, management of the surroundings;
In the use of stage, according to software model to assembly application program, and test their software quality and the functional requirements, such as performance, scalability, and so on;
Management phase is a long process, at this stage, can monitor and manage security and use, as well as in many and may have to make good service level agreement SOA or strategy is the corresponding side is its performance.
So small and big, by gradually in the logistics enterprise business spread, and integrate the form all the enterprise IT transformation, ultimately through integrated with the strain of the enterprise to realize IT architecture. The standardization of the SOA provide an application framework, and the corresponding service can also apply to other applications, logistics enterprise developing new applications speed will be greatly enhanced, at the same time for the old system can also be packaged into service, the service between new business in order to meet the demand, so as to achieve the combination can be logistics information system of the integration of resources.
Five, the logistics information SOA software products to the requirements
In recent years, including sharpness, easy (Realesoft), domestic excellent SOA platform middleware vendors have introduced with independent intellectual property rights of the SOA software products, marks the middleware vendors more and more technology strength and foreign manufacturers stand in the same level middleware online race, or, in some function, Chinese manufacturers are more advantage. Sufficient proof that China software firms in SOA field has made a qualitative leap. Excellent domestic SOA software products in China in the construction of logistics information advantage and value is shown as:
-practical
SOA software product design and development need to account for and in combination with the Chinese logistics information construction situation and objective need in synchronous in foreign countries, leading product design ideas and information integration technology advantage at the same time, rejecting foreign heavyweight large and multifarious, practical products and solve practical demand such ability shortcomings.
-accessibility
SOA software products of logistics information to the planning, development, implementation and operation management and so on various links all provide powerful tools support, the simplified and convenient logistics information construction work in the business and the task of all kinds of complex technical personnel's strict requirements, and improve the work efficiency and the integration of information quality of the work.
-high efficiency
Software products to be able to ensure SOA logistics information, planning and implementation of the efficiency and quality. Overall solutions to the implementation can in a relatively short period to complete high quality, and the overall implementation and maintenance costs will greatly lower than the same products abroad.
-high expansibility
Considering the Chinese logistics industry informatization construction of complex situation and construction level differences, the huge SOA software products must have high open, the characteristics of the high scalability, support in the form of flexibility to link up all kinds of data and application for extension, and source development with powerful support, and meet the non-standard special application systems integration needs.