自考物流管理专业（专科）——物流英语参考资料

自考物流管理专业（专科）——物流英语参考资料 Questions regarding the texts Unit 1 what is logistics compared to in the text? In the text, logistics is compared to a unique global pipeline that operates every hour and every day. Isn’t logistics something new? Why? Logistics is not a new thing. The reason is that Logistics came into being with the advent of civilization. What is flowing in the pipeline of logistics? Material and information are flowing in the pipeline of logistics. Give examples of logistics activities in a given factory. In a given factory ,there are logistics activities such as packaging, warehousing, material handling, inventory, transport, forecasting, strategic planning and customer service. Give examples to show that logistics is working every day, even at night. Transport is operating every day and every night. Material handling is the same, so are other factors of logistics. How many sectors of economic activities are involved in logistics? What are they? Various sectors of economic activities are involved in logistics. They are : packaging, warehousing, material handling, inventory, transport, forecasting, strategic planning and customer service. How important is logistics in production process? Logistics is one part of the supply chain process which has close relation to the flow and storage of goods, service and information. It plays important role in the production process and contributes a lot to the efficiency of a company. Unit 2 1.products are of two kinds. What are they? There are two kinds of products: one is products for customers, and the other is products for industrial use. 2.what is the most important characteristic of any product? Any product has an important characteristic , that is, its availability at the place where a customer wishes to consume it. 3.How do you differentiate convenience products from shopping products and from specialty products? Convenience products are goods and services that consumers purchase frequently, immediately and with little comparative shopping. Shopping products are those for which consumers are willing to seek and compare . Specialty products are those for which buyers are willing to expend a substantial effort and often wait for a lot of time to acquire them. 4. do you know of consumer goods? Consumers products are those that are directed to the final consumers. 5.what do you know about industrial products? Industrial products are those which are used in industrial production, such as steel, coal etc. 6.what does mer’s service mean? Consumer’s service refers to the service supplied to consumers. Unit 3 Why is transportation considered so important to the economy of a country? Why is it so important to the individual firm? Because transportation is a vital component in the logistics system, it is considered very important to the economy of a country. It is very important to the individual firm because it may account for one –third to two-thirds of total logistics costs. Why do you think that each mode has an advantage with their particular product groups ? Note that one particular kind of goods may be shipped by two or more different modes of transport. Transportation by air is the quickest ,however, the cost is the highest. The volume transported by rail is the largest, but the speed is lower than that of air transportation. .Transportation by water is the most inexpensive. Why has containerization become such a popular means of transport in international transportation? Containers can prevent goods from being damaged in transit. Besides it facilitates the handling and transportation of goods. What role do agencies play in the transportation system? What services do they provide? They play an important role in the transportation system. They help their clients to prepare documentation , make customs clearance, and learn information about various customs procedures and the use of foreign trade zones. Explain why transport rates typically vary with the weight of a shipment, the distance a shipment is transported, and the value of the transport service. Because cost consists of variable cost and fixed cost. Variable cost changes with the weight of a shipment, the distance and the value of the transport service. The heavier the shipment , the longer the distance and the more valuable the shipment, the higher the transport rates. Unit 4 what do you think is most important in the value-added process? In the value-added process, inventory is viewed as most important What will happen if the inventory overstocks? If you keep an overstock of the inventory, expenses will incur not only in warehousing, but also in many aspects , such as the capital cost and interest , taxes, insurance, obsolescence cost and the storage cost. What are the advantages of holding inventories? If there is proper amount of inventory, a company can take goods from stock and meet customer’s need immediately. If you were a boss, what methods would you adopt to reduce costs in holding inventories ? If I were a boss, I would make a inventory plan first. Then I would use the lot sizing concept to balance the cost of maintaining inventories against the cost of ordering. At last I would use the lot quantities formulations to find out the lowest cost of inventory. 5.What does the lot quantity formulations identify? Lot quantity formulations identify the precise quantities at which the annual combined total costs of ordering and maintenance is lowest for a given sales volume. Unit 5 what are the two kinds of packing? Packing can be divided into two kinds: one is industrial packing , the other is consumer packing. Which kind of packing is directly related to consumers? Consumer packing is directly related to consumers. It aims at containing the goods, promoting the sale of it and facilitating use of it. Is consumer packing of vital significance to logistics? No. it is not .The reason is that consumer packing mainly aims at containing the goods, promoting the sale of it and facilitating use of it. Which kind of packing is very important to logistics? Industrial packing is very important to logistics. Industrial packing refers to the packing used in industry. what is the first function of industrial packing? The first function of industrial packing is that it can protect the goods from damage during handling, storing and transportation. What is the second function of industrial packing? The second function of industrial packing is that it can promote logistical efficiency. Must the packing material be strong enough? If so to what extent? No, it needn’t .Because absolute protection is impossible, if the damage is within the allowable damage , the extent of protection is enough. Why is absolute protection impossible? The reason is that absolute protection makes the cost too high. Why must the package be easy to handle? The reason is that the easier it is to handle a product, the lower the transportation rate. What does UPC mean? What is the use of it? UPC means Universal product code. It is a kind of bar code. Unit 6 According to paragraph 1, what does a manufacturer , wholesaler or retailer have to do to support the operation of his organization. To support his organization, he has to buy materials ,services ,and supplies from outside suppliers. What does supply management mean for most organizations? For most organizations, supply management means purchasing. What has given more knowledge about the role played by purchasing to many managers? The concept of supply chain management has given more knowledge about the role played by purchasing. What is one of the largest elements of costs for many firms? For many firms ,one of the largest elements of costs is purchased goods and services. What percentage do purchased goods and services account for in the total sales in the average manufacturing firm in North America? Purchased goods and services account for about 55 cents of every sales dollar. What kind of managers can save their organizations large sums relative to the competition? Managers with good negotiating skills and strong relationships with suppliers can save their organizations large sums . What can create competitive cost advantage that last for a long time? Identifying the right production equipment and buying it at a good price can create competitive cost advantage that lasts for many years. What would cause the shutting down of a production plant? Stockouts of raw materials or component parts can shut down a production plant. What does the quality of finished goods and services depend on? The quality of finished goods and services is dependent on the quality of the materials and parts used in producing the items. 10. Will ineffective purchasing practices lead to a series of negative results to a firm’s operation? What are these results? Yes, Ineffective purchasing practices will lead to negative results to a firm’s operation .The results are : customers service may fall, and long –term customer relationship may be damaged. Unit 7 Is information important in the performance of a supply chain . Yes, it is crucial to the performance of a supply chain because it provides the message to help the manager to make decisions. What a manager can learn from information? -A manager can learn about what customers want, how much inventory is in stock and when more products should be produced and shipped. 3.In the phrase “supply chain drivers”, what does the word driver mean? It refers to any part in the supply chain. 4.To set inventory levels ,what information must one person get ? -He must collect information such as customer demand, availability or products and current inventory levels etc. 5. what does the phrase “Facility decision “ mean? -It refers to decision relating to facility. Unit 8 What is the possible definition of supply chain? Supply chain is a network composed of factories, suppliers, retailers ,etc.. They supply to each other raw material, components, products and service. What does supply management mean? Supply management means the design , planning and control of the information flow, movements of goods and money with a view to strengthening competitiveness. What is Ford’s purpose of developing a huge manufacturing complex? Ford’s purpose of developing a huge manufacturing complex is control. He wants to control every link of production. What did Ford do to ensure a reliable supply of materials? To ensure a reliable supply of materials , Ford invested in coal-mines, iron-ore deposits timber land etc. Why did Ford buy a large quantity of potatoes from South America ? Ford ordered a huge quantities of potatoes from South America to explore the possibility of extracting alcohol . What did Ford do in order to transport materials to his plants and finished products to dealers? He invested in railroads, trucks ,and both Great Lakes and ocean vessels. Did some specialized firms finally become contributors to Ford’s network? And why? Yes, they did. The reason is that the specialized firms outperformed Ford company in terms of quality and cost. 8.Were the financial resources at Ford Company shifted at last ?If the answer is “yes” . to which aspect? Yes, they were. With time going on, the Ford strategy shifted from ownership based control to orchestrating channel relationships. 9.In the later part of the 20the century, on whom did Ford Company rely for logistics service? Ford Company has been buying logistics service from Exel. 10.What kind of conclusion did Ford find out in the final analysis? Ford found out that no firm can be self-sufficient in the final analysis. Unit 9 Is maritime shipping an important link in international logistics? Yes, it is. How many types of shipping markets are there in the world? -There are two types of shipping markets : one is the liner market, the other is the tramp market. 3.Before you send cargo to a buyer overseas, what do you need to do? -You need to complete the necessary documentation for insurance, cargo survey etc. 4.How to book the shipping space? The shipper can either go to a shipping company or simply go on the internet to book shipping space. When the shipping company accepts your space-booking, what will you receive in due course? -you will receive s a Container Load Plan. 6.what decides the specific location for each container in the holds? A stowage plan for the ship decides the specific location. Unit 10 what is the definition of the supply chain management? Supply chain management is the process that integrates, co-ordinates and controls the movement of materials , finished inventory and related information from supplier through companies to meet consumer requirements. What are the objectives of supply chain management? The objectives of supply chain management are to reduce total costs, minimize lead time, minimize inventory levels and cost, improve service level and streamline goods and information flows. What are the functions of TPL? TPL functions as the expertise in providing client with professional operation to reduce costs, minimize inventory etc. What are the advantages of adopting sophisticated technology? Adopting sophisticated technology can not only reduce labor costs, but also achieve greater visibility , improving customer service and using information more effectively to figure out things like trends and supplier performance. How does IT system operate? -The IT system is one of the value-adding services provided by TPL .Purchases orders will be placed online, and vendors pick up them on line. 6.What are the selling points of TPL system? TPL system has many selling points such as local service, efficient trucking service, computerized warehouses system and customized operation.