"How to quickly keep up with the changes of customers and their customers is a common topic for everyone."
On September 25th, the Global Sustainable Transport Summit (2024) with the theme of "Sustainable Transportation: Logistics Connect the World" was held in Beijing. Wang Wei, President of SF Group, spoke on "How to Strengthen Enterprise Management and Build a Resilient Supply Chain". He mentioned that enterprises need to achieve four "changes" in terms of corporate spirit, organizational patterns and job responsibilities, authorization and processes, and talent motivation. As the founder of SF, he rarely appears in public, but he has attended the Global Sustainable Transport Summit for two consecutive years and has been speaking out, presenting an SF that "empowers the industry and connects the world" to everyone.
01 Maintain Resilient Development and Adapt to a Changeable Future
Comparing Wang Wei's two speeches at the forum, from "Promoting Sustainable Development of Logistics" to "Strengthening Enterprise Management and Building a Resilient Supply Chain", we have seen the long-term perspective of Chinese enterprises from "surviving" to "living long and well".
How to "survive" and "live long and well" has become a common topic in the industry. "The Sage of Business" Inamori Kazuo once said, "What truly determines the height of a person's life is psychological resilience."
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Similarly, for a company, what determines its growth height is operational resilience. The power of resilience can largely determine how far a person or a company can go. In Wang Wei's eyes, national resilience is half of the key to his company's success.
This year's Global Sustainable Transport Summit has put "building a resilient global logistics supply chain" in a prominent position because, in the complex international competitive environment, having a unique, comprehensive, and efficiently operating "Chinese supply chain system" has gradually become the key to winning the global market.
Plus, the global supply chain is accelerating reshaping, and against the backdrop of China's industry continuously deepening transformation and upgrading, building a resilient global logistics supply chain, accelerating interconnection, and using logistics to connect the world has become an undeniable fact.
"The entire industry has undergone significant changes today, whether it's platforms, manufacturing, merchants, or offline stores. The needs for the entire logistics system have changed dramatically," Wang Wei said at the meeting. "I think we need to think and keep up with the changes of customers quickly. This is a common topic for the entire industry."
According to the semi-annual report of SF Holding in 2024, more than 45% of the top 500 companies in China's Fortune are using SF's international products and services. Why choose SF? The root cause is inseparable from SF's efficient supply chain services and the first-mover advantage of laying out the international network. Nowadays, the overseas expansion of Chinese-funded enterprises is the same as the concept at the beginning of reform and opening up, "Time is money, efficiency is life". SF's comprehensive international supply chain, full-link service capabilities, extensive global customer base, and core logistics facility resources all meet the demands of enterprises sailing overseas. This is also the reason why SF can achieve rapid growth in the supply chain and international business directions.In his speech, Wang Wei expressed special gratitude to the Ministry of Transport and the Postal Service for providing an excellent environment for the entire industry. Leveraging market trends and the guidance of governments at all levels, SF Express has continued to deepen business integration, constantly exploring supply chains and international markets. Recently, SF Express has collaborated with Etihad Airways to further integrate resource advantages, achieving more breakthroughs in areas such as aircraft capacity deployment, transportation schedule optimization, route network expansion, and international business integration.
All signs indicate that SF Express's "international flair" is becoming increasingly evident.
According to a report by Frost & Sullivan, by the end of 2023, SF Express had a vast global distribution network covering 202 countries and regions, operating 103 aircraft and over 200,000 vehicles, which are the largest air and land transportation fleets in Asia, respectively. Initiatives such as leveraging the advantages of the Ezhou Huahu Hub and advancing the Hong Kong H-share listing also enable SF Express to fly faster and further into the global market, aligning with the national development strategy and allowing for better control of future development initiatives.
02 2024, Connecting the World with Logistics
In the first half of 2024, facing a complex and changing global situation, SF Express, under the business strategy of "building momentum for breakthroughs and acting with the trend," captured new opportunities in domestic and international markets with its unique business model and leading integrated logistics service capabilities. The company achieved breakthroughs in various industries and scenarios, resulting in increased revenue and profits, demonstrating strong operational resilience. Behind this resilience lies Wang Wei's deep reflection on the spiritual aspect of the enterprise: "I believe that when a company truly begins to change, it must start with a change in spirit. Once this spiritual aspect is in place, and the internal management team reaches a consensus, we can then reorganize our strategic markets and product positioning."
While adhering to the tone of sustainable and healthy development, SF Express has never stopped its steps towards the international market.
Looking at SF Express's recent moves in the international market, whether it was successfully winning more than 40 cross-border supply chain cooperation projects in the Asian region in the first half of the year, or integrating and partnering with Kerry Logistics to continuously improve international express, international supply chain, cross-border e-commerce logistics, international freight forwarding, and Southeast Asian local express service capabilities, or building international logistics supply chain networks, expanding international route networks, and enhancing international air cargo capabilities, all reflect the determination to explore the international market.
As the saying goes, "To ward off external threats, one must first stabilize the internal situation." The internal transformation of SF Express has also laid a solid foundation for its overseas strategy.
In the first half of this year, SF Express has been continuously advancing the construction of a balanced network底盘 focusing on "quality, timeliness, and cost." In addition to optimizing management mechanisms and stimulating organizational vitality, SF Express has also been strengthening lean management, promoting the integration of multiple networks, and transforming operational models, continuously improving efficiency and reducing costs to enhance profitability. A series of changes in infrastructure, technology, efficiency, and personnel also echo SF Express's long-term strategy, further enhancing its operational resilience.
As is well known, frontline couriers are the most valuable asset of SF Express. In Wang Wei's view, with the change in strategy, the company's organizational model, job responsibilities, authorization and processes, talent motivation and training, etc., must also change accordingly. While focusing on consumer needs, SF Express has empowered couriers through intelligent scheduling and the "Fengyu" large model, linking their income to the difficulty of collection and delivery tasks, achieving more pay for more work. At the same time, SF Express has created the "Courier Service Center" intelligent robot, providing couriers with fast, accurate, and easy-to-understand comprehensive information and Q&A services.Enhancing user experience and the sense of achievement for delivery personnel has always been a focus for SF Express. Wang Wei emphasized, "The purpose of our series of transformations is twofold: first, to reduce the working hours and intensity for our delivery staff, allowing them sufficient time to serve customers and thereby increase their income; second, to make our services warmer and more satisfying for our clients."
To ensure that frontline colleagues have adequate decision-making power in operations, SF Express has further increased internal authorization and implemented strong incentive mechanisms to fully stimulate the vitality of front-line organizations. Wang Wei stated that it is essential to identify who is closest to the customers and who can better understand their needs. Those who can see the battlefield should be able to call for artillery fire, summoning resources from the rear.
It is evident that in response to new situations, SF Express adapts to circumstances and changes with the times, actively activating its internal dynamics, and significantly releasing the market expansion drive of various business areas and outlets. Its development strategy and operational resilience are clearly on display.
I recall this year when Wang Wei appeared "in the same frame" with the Premier twice. One occasion was when Premier Li Qiang listened to the airport construction and development report and visited the SF Express air cargo hub in Ezhou Huahu, and the other was when Premier Li Qiang attended the 7th China-Australia CEO Roundtable with Australian Prime Minister Albanese in Perth. These events are the best proof of SF Express's construction of a global logistics network and connection to the global logistics market.
As Wang Wei posed the question at the meeting, after China's postal express industry has been the largest in the world for ten consecutive years, how can it transition from quantitative change to qualitative change? Wang Wei himself provided the answer: it requires the joint efforts of multiple parties to step out of their comfort zones together.
The future will continue to unfold!
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