The logistics solution in e-commerce

E-commerce is the product of informationization and networking in 20(th) century and has aroused common attention by its characteristics. However, a unified and standard acknowledgement hasn't been found on the scope of e-commerce. IBM's definition on e-commerce includes the following three sections: enterprises' intranet, extranet and e-commerce. The business application emphasized in internet computer environment not. only covers the combination of hardware and software, e-commerce in a narrow sense which has been emphasized trade consciousness. in our common sense but also the application of the buyers; suppliers; enterprises' and their cooperators' integration through Internet, Intranet and Extranet. U.S. IT providers have proposed many of the definitions in e-commerce. Limited by their business scope, IT providers position e-commerce as an "EDI, Electronic Data Interchange" business. Electronic implements mainly mean computers or network and communication technology in the definition of e-commerce; the electronical objects are information flow, business flow and capital flow, Logistics hasn't been mentioned. Chinese experts define e-commerce in the light of foreign definitions and current situation in China. They expand original U:S. definition of e-commerce and propose a latter e-commerce concept which electronical logistics is encompassed: e-commerce means the entire business process. In the latter e-commerce definition, the electronical objects cover the entire transaction process, which includes the information flow, business flow, capital flow and logistics. The electronic facilities not only mean computer, network and communication technology but also include automatic facilities such as (fork lift truck, AGV, Robot Arm). Fundamentally speaking, electronical logistics is a component of e-commerce. E-commerce will be incomplete without the part of modern logistics process. Any of the transactions in e-commerce contains "four flows and two networks" as follow: business flow, logistics, information flow, capital flow and Internet, distribution network. The understanding of e-commerce process was limited in electronize and networking in information flow, business flow and capital flow. Electronical logistics process was neglected. With the popularization and application of e-commerce, we have to focus on the fact that the importance of logistics has obvious influence on e-commerce activities.