EBUS609 Assignment Two

Individual Assignment
on
Challenges and Solutions in Logistics and Physical Distribution Management
under the E-Commerce Trend
(The assignment count 20% of the overall module mark)

Business Background:
E-commerce, which is defined as the activity of purchasing or selling products through online services or over
the Internet, has substantially transformed the retail sector over the past two decades.
It, first of all, has led to shifts in the associated logistics, transportation, and distribution sectors. In the meantime,
companies which are agile enough to embrace the changes in distribution channels with a host of new services,
i.e., new logistics service providers, have also prospered. Besides, the posttransaction sector of customer service
in logistics has also changed dramatically.

Requirements:
1. Write an individual report, around 2,000 words, to discuss the challenges that the e-commerce trend has
brought or may have on the logistics and physical distribution activities in related supply chains.
2. The report should be real-case based. That is, each student is required to find a specific real case to discuss
and more than 50% of the whole report should be based on that specific case. This case can be the large e-
commerce platforms like Amazon, eBay, and ASOS. It can also be a specific brand who has opened its own
online channel, such as Liverpool Football Club, and Apple. Even their suppliers or other 3PLs (e.g., for
providing professional delivery services, or the warehouse services) also work. But the case should be real and
retrievable.
3. Each report is suggested to cover 1 to 2 topics in the following: Transportation Management, Distribution
Management, Warehousing Management, 3PLs, 4PLs, Information Systems for Logistics, Customer Service in
Logistics, and Reverse Logistics. Simultaneously including all above is definitely not suggested.
4. Solutions should also be given for the identified challenges. These solutions can either be the real practices
of the selected company, or suggestions proposed by the student. But please notice that if the solutions are
suggestions proposed by the student, the student should find some evidence to support the reliability and
feasibility of the proposed solutions.
5. The deadline for submitting the report is May 10th, 2019.

Some Potential Directions:

Notice that the below topics are some tips only. It does not mean the students have to confined their discussion
to these four directions only.
1. Under the trend of global economy, the final destinations of various e-commerce orders can be located far
away from each other, and the quantities of each order may also vary a lot. Some of them, for example, may
even include one piece of product only. Online markets and retailers therefore have to find the best possible
way to fill their orders and deliver products to their customers, while in the meantime, ensure a cost-effective
logistics and distribution system.
2. One of the most obvious disadvantages of e-commerce is the lack of human interaction for customers, while
some consumers do prefer the face-to-face connection. As a result, the chance that the customers may regret the
purchase of a product from the e-commerce platforms can be high, which can then induce plenty of
posttransaction customer service activities like returning the goods and dealing with the refunding process.
3. With the presence of e-commerce, the company can either have the online channel only or with both the
online and offline channels. Different stories can be found in different scenarios.
4. Other than industrial giants like Amazon, not many retailers under the e-commerce trend have the resources
and the ability to operate multiple distribution centers in their strategic locations. Consequently, these retailers
are turning to the professional service provided by the third party logistics service providers, such as DHL,
USPS, UPS, and Fed Ex, to help them reach their customers.