The foundation of the top 10 respectable logistics firms for 2023 is made up of impartial, scientific criteria. Three key factors are used to assess and rank companies: (1) The most current year's financial statements demonstrate the company's financial capacity; (2) The Media Coding method is used to evaluate the company's media reputation by coding articles about it on prominent media channels; (3) A survey of research participants and pertinent parties will be carried out in October and November of 2023.
List 1: 2023's Top 10 Reputable Logistics Businesses - Industry group International logistics services for third and fourth parties, warehousing, and freight forwarding
List 2: Freight transport industry group's top 10 respectable logistics firms in 2023
List 3: Port exploitation industry group's top 5 respectable logistics corporations for 2023
List 4: Express delivery and last-mile delivery industry group's top 5 respectable logistics organizations in 2023
The international economy is going through a challenging period as the main forces behind global growth are waning as a result of a number of incidents as COVID-19, trade and political tensions, and consumer spending surges. very widespread, causing uncertainty to permeate the whole global economic landscape. With a GDP growth rate of just 4.24% in the first nine months of 2023 and an estimated 5.0% rise for the whole year, the General Statistics Office presents a serious challenge to the Vietnamese economy. The aforementioned growth rate, however, is still greater than the 3.0% worldwide growth rate predicted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The aforementioned issues impact not only the overall economy but also the logistics sector, as they provide significant obstacles for companies operating within it. Businesses and the government are working nonstop to help the logistics sector restore its development momentum, highlighting its critical role and positioning it as the primary engine of the economy.
The signing of sixteen free trade agreements shows that the trend of international economic integration also benefits logistics companies. Environmentally friendly logistics solutions and a robust digital transformation are also crucial supporting elements. After overcoming the present challenges, local logistics companies will take advantage of fantastic chances to establish a solid reputation and strengthen their place in the domestic and global supply chain.
Economic picture of the Logistics industry in 2023
As a vital link between the production, distribution, and consumption of commodities, the logistics sector is one of the major economic drivers. Vietnam's logistics sector has had significant growth in the last few years, averaging between 14% and 16% annually. According to Mordor Intelligence, the market for freight transport and logistics is expected to reach 45.19 billion USD by 2023 and develop at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.34%.
The first 11 months of this year saw a decline in the export and import turnover of products, with declines of 5.9% and 10.7%, respectively, in comparison to the same time last year due to unanticipated bad events in the world economy. The whole amount of freight transit in our nation is anticipated to reach 2,062.3 million tons during the first 11 months of 2023, up 12.9% from the same period in 2022. The volume of products showed a considerable decline of 22.4% when rail travel was the only mode of transportation. Air, road, and sea transport climbed by 13.6%, 11.7%, and 9.9%, respectively, while inland canal transport had the biggest rise, reaching 18.5%. When the total amount of products that passed through seaports in 2023 is taken into account, only the amount of goods imported via seaports showed positive growth at the end of the first quarter. In January, the total amount of goods that passed through the port increased negatively. Over the course of the first eight months of this year, the quantity of products exported has not improved cumulatively but has instead tended to decrease; in contrast, the amount of goods imported and domestically produced has increased positively but has not surpassed 4.0%.
Figure 1: Over the first eight months of 2023, the cumulative increase rate of cargo volume via seaports
According to a Vietnam Report poll, the majority of logistics companies saw a drop in their financial performance. Interestingly, up to 40.0% of companies reported a considerable decline in earnings out of the 66.7% of enterprises that reported lower profitability. Up to 60.0% of enterprises had lowered their overall expenses, which was one of the many bright spots in the cost factor of logistics organizations. Additionally, this appropriately depicts the government's initiatives to cut lending interest rates, manage inflation, and stabilize macroeconomics.
Figure 2: Variations in logistics companies' income, expenses, and earnings throughout the first nine months of 2023
Obstacles that logistics companies must overcome
In light of the global economic downturn and the business outcomes of the first nine months of 2023, local logistics companies are now dealing with the following issues:
First, let's talk about the trio of 03 factors: declining order volume, sluggish economic expansion, and global political unrest. The production, distribution, and consumption of commodities both locally and globally are all related to the logistics sector. It is difficult for the economy to prevent growth slowing down when negative variables for the economy present, such as political instability and high inflation following stimulus programs in many nations during the COVID-19 era, which marked the end of the time of rapid expansion. This is the unfavorable element that affects logistics companies the quickest, particularly those that support global logistics operations.
Second, having to do with the rivalry among companies in the sector. As more and more international companies join the market with the intention of controlling it and are ready to lose three to five years to win market dominance, there is intense competition in terms of both price and service. Moreover, these companies are developing their ecosystems, entering the logistics market, and managing delivery tasks on their own thanks to the growth of e-commerce platforms, where the output of the logistics sector is now rising in size. items of the business. Businesses must make sure that vehicles attain their full load capacity, minimize expenses, and take advantage of scale in order to participate and stay in the game. The aforementioned difficulty also requires firms to streamline operations and encourage the use of automation technologies and digital transformation; this is particularly challenging for small logistics companies that lack the funding and staff.
Figure 3: A few difficulties faced by logistics companies
Thirdly, with respect to the set of variables influencing company expenses, these are: volatility in energy prices; pressure on exchange rates; high rates of inflation; and challenges in obtaining funding for investment endeavors. Logistics companies are the most severely impacted by the economic downturn, despite the fact that the government has effectively regulated and supported these variables. This is because the significant drop in income makes firms more vulnerable to factors that raise operating expenses.
In addition, the infrastructure supporting the logistics sector has an impact on costs. Space and area play a major role in logistics infrastructure, interfering with public transit and infrastructure. Public investment has been strongly encouraged by the government, particularly in transportation projects including the North-South road, Long Thanh Airport, and high-speed rail. Better transportation infrastructure, nevertheless, hasn't been able to advance the sector. short-term logistics. Based on the findings of the Logistics Industry of Vietnam Report expert interviews, the infrastructure for warehousing to process and store products is not truly linked with the planning of economic area growth. Vietnam lacks a centralized location for logistics companies, which results in dispersed infrastructure for logistics, which is the main driver of high logistics costs.
And lastly, about human resources in the logistics sector. Human resource issues predominate and restrict corporate potential. Due to the industry's formation and rapid global growth, as well as the defined limitations of the implementation process, the professional component of the logistics sector's human resources is becoming more and more concentrated. The Valoma Logistics Human Resources Development Association projects that over 200,000 personnel will be required in the logistics industry by 2030. In the meanwhile, only roughly 10.0% of market demand is satisfied by the capacity to fulfill logistics human resource demands. Only around 5.0% to 7.0% of the workforce now employed in this industry is appropriately educated in logistics services. As a result, it may be said that Vietnam lacks both sufficient and high-quality human resources for logistics.
Outlook for the logistics sector in 2023 and some tactics to assist companies in solidifying their positions
When 34.5% of firms responded to Vietnam Report's study, logistics companies also expressed confidence about the country's economic recovery and its growth objective of 6.0% in 2024. It is predicted that the logistics sector will expand more favorably. Positive indications of a rebound in global demand have led to optimistic predictions, which will have a favorable effect on the logistics sector's earnings in the near future. Furthermore, the Vietnam Maritime Administration's policy adjustments on the draft to replace Circular 54/2018/TT-BGTVT have given the port system—the gateway for international trade—a launching pad. In light of this, the draft suggests raising the cost of container loading and unloading services by 10% starting in 2024 in certain locations, including the Hai Phong port and the Cai Mep - Thi Vai port cluster. Ports may raise their service fees by an additional 10% if they are able to handle ships with a gross weight exceeding 160,000 DWT. This would result in a 20% increase in loading and unloading expenses over current levels. The future for logistics companies generally, and port operators in particular, is becoming increasingly favorable due to the combination of rising transportation demand and rules permitting higher service costs.
Supply chain flexibility
Because of the constant application of technical innovations and changing supply chain patterns, business moves more quickly than before. In today's digital landscape, companies and their supply chains need to be flexible to be competitive, much alone grow. Logistics companies must be able to self-manage, execute, and control phases in the operating process, proactively managing directly instead of depending on external units, in order to achieve supply chain flexibility and remain ahead of the curve. Above all, logistics companies are able to address issues as they arise, minimizing or eliminating their negative effects on the company. Moreover, any modifications to a company's procedures may be managed internally. If not, they will be forced to depend on a managed service provider to identify and resolve any issues that arise with their systems.
Accept automation and satisfy the need for data and visibility in real time.
The persistent worldwide labor shortage is a glaring issue for the logistics and 3PL sectors. This scarcity has an impact on the manufacturing and delivery processes by raising the cost of items by a considerable amount. Manufacturers and logistics service providers are using automation to address the manpower deficit. By establishing end-to-end connectivity between back-end WMS/ERP systems and a range of e-commerce solutions that are becoming more and more popular, logistics companies may take advantage of automation.
It should be mentioned, nevertheless, that organizations need to have a long-term and thorough understanding of their business processes because as additional platforms and systems are used in those processes, an increasing amount of data must be gathered. Control data flows to enhance operations monitoring and management. Furthermore, it's getting more and more typical for clients to ask for ongoing information updates throughout the shipment procedure. Customers and companies alike gain from having insight into delivery locations and timings since it enables them to better plan and manage their operations.
Demand less than truckload, Less than truckload (LTL)
Smaller shipments are being requested increasingly often from logistics companies in general and those involved in last-mile delivery in particular due to the growing popularity of e-commerce and the demand for speedier distribution. This is a result of firms' lack of time to wait until they get enough orders to cover the total tonnage of shipping vehicles. Less-than-truckload, or LTL, is one way to solve the problem. This approach involves placing several smaller orders from various units on a single carrier, which results in numerous delivery stops replenishing the vehicle's load. Leaders in the sector claim that this approach is frequently used by them and offers several financial advantages along with a considerable reduction in environmental effects.
Digital freight marketplace
A digital network called the Digital Freight Marketplace connects shippers and carriers to coordinate shipments. In addition to helping carriers identify additional business prospects, the platform facilitates shippers' search for carriers and assists both sides in negotiating the best project pricing.
Implement ecosystem integration
Logistics companies want a solution that unifies all the many systems both internally and externally since they are integrating more platforms and apps into their digital ecosystems than ever before. Integration of the ecosystem is the answer to this issue. By merging B2B and EDI (electronic data interchange), integrating data and applications, and integrating secure data transfer technologies into a single software platform, an organization can connect and integrate its primary revenue-generating business processes with ecosystem partners. This is known as ecosystem integration.
Therefore, businesses may utilize a single, all-inclusive integration platform rather than using many alternative solutions to link various systems and trade partners. This simplifies connections and procedures, which lowers integration complexity while also reducing mistake rates. Furthermore, since information can be exchanged over time, ecosystem integration often results in improved data flow across systems and businesses and is less expensive than using several solutions. true.
The poll indicates that Logistics firms focus on the following 5 short-term tactics to achieve exceptional growth, support businesses during this challenging time, and understand the development patterns in the market. The following are the businesses of Vietnam Report: Simplify operations to reduce costs;(2) Develop and enhance human resources;(3) Find new markets and expand the supply chain;(4) Boost after-sales initiatives to engage customers; &(5) Raise funds for technological equipment to support digital transformation.
Figure 4: Top 5 strategies prioritized by Logistics businesses
By 2024, logistics trends are expected to continue to rise in order to stay up with advancements in technology and the world economy. In order to improve supply chain management, the logistics sector will, in general, give priority to automation, solve the manpower deficit, and pursue real-time monitoring.
Even if these trends will still have an influence on the logistics sector in 2024, trend-setting emerging technologies must be integrated with current infrastructure and solutions in order to succeed.
Promoting inland shipping in Vietnam: saving costs, reducing emissions
As part of the domestic Logistics development strategy, domestic maritime transport will be the key to go hand in hand with the development of the road network. Considering the structure of goods through seaports in the first 8 months of 2023, domestic goods account for half of the total volume of goods and is equal to the total volume of export and import goods. In addition to serving international trade activities, the seaport system also serves domestic goods circulation and is an essential part of Vietnam's Logistics network.
Vietnam has a long coastline, favorable for the development of a seaport system. Among the 34 seaports in Vietnam, there are 2 special seaports: Hai Phong seaport and Ba Ria - Vung Tau seaport; 11 class I seaports; 7 type II seaports and 14 type III seaports. These ports are distributed along the coast from North-South. Transporting goods by sea has a huge advantage in terms of transport costs per volume of goods, with costs 10.0% - 15.0% lower than road transport. In addition, concentrating a large amount of goods on one vehicle helps reduce emissions. This is also a green transportation method, contributing to reducing the negative impact on the environment caused by Logistics activities in general. Despite such advantages, inland maritime transport, as well as inland waterway transport, have not developed rapidly, improving Vietnam's Logistics efficiency due to the connection of seaports to other modes of transport as well as The location of industrial parks is still not high.
Figure 5: Goods movement structure via seaports in the first eight months of 2023
In order to promote inland shipping, it is necessary to link seaports to the inland port system, as well as to highways and railroads. Due to the link, sea transport is a more advantageous option for firms looking to transfer products, since it lowers logistics costs and fosters local economic growth. More significantly, sea transportation by itself cannot guarantee the greatest levels of efficiency and flexibility. For this reason, it is urged to combine with at least one other form of transportation.
Furthermore, a long-term strategy for lowering logistics costs is to balance the "trade balance" of economic areas. This is a problem that requires attention. In order to maintain a balance between the quantity of "exported" and "imported" commodities from that place or economic zone, this is considered as economic growth in such locales and regions. The aforementioned approach fully optimizes the state of empty containers in addition to using technology, which raises existing logistics expenses. Physical impediments prevent technology from helping to minimize logistics costs, which is why there is an imbalance in "trade balance" in many communities and economic zones.
Analyze logistics companies' communication efforts.
The issue categories Finance/Business data and Stocks continue to be the most regularly appearing in the media, making up 17.6% and 14.9% of the total quantity of encrypted material, respectively, according to media analysis data. good developments in stock prices indicate that the subject group Stocks has seen a significant rise in the rate of good news compared to the previous year. There is an extra subject group, Image/PR/Scandals (10.7%), with a percentage of above 10.0%, in addition to the two previously indicated topic groups. Investing in opening ports has been a major focus of the past year. Finishing agreed cooperation projects with industry firms has helped the Management subject group move up to fifth place and set an upward trend over the previous three years.
Figure 6: The top five issue groupings that will be covered by the media most often between 2021 and 2023
When the ratio of positive to negative information difference to the entire quantity of encrypted information is 10%, a firm is deemed "safe" in terms of information quality; nevertheless, this is also when the "best" level is attained. exceeds 20%. Approximately 55.8% of companies in the logistics sector presently meet the 10% threshold, which is a decrease of (-6.1%) from the previous year. The above results can be explained by the fact that the global and Vietnamese economies are having an adverse effect on the amount of goods in circulation, which is causing a decline in business results for industry participants. This, in turn, is contributing to a rise in negative news.
In terms of information sources, although it has increased from the previous year (+7.1%), companies are still reluctant to speak out proactively and the press often provides the bulk of information. the press.
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