Development Of Transport Logistics In Colombia

Development of transport logistics in Colombia

Summary

With this article, the problem of transport logistics in Colombia against Latin America and the rest of the world was identified. The methodology of this article is descriptive, where the development of the theme, results, discussion and conclusions is found. The main conclusion shows that Colombia is not considered a competitive country in transport logistics compared to the rest of the world, since, the existing infrastructure is obsolete and causes high transport costs, there is low multimodalism and long delivery times; It emphasizes that there must be greater access to financing by the private sector, improvements in infrastructure and road mesh, improvement in transport and training processes to the export sector for the progress of logistics processes.

Keywords: logistics, transport, infrastructure.

Introduction

The existence of an obsolete and unplayed infrastructure to provide efficient and effective logistics services for the country, high transport costs, intermodal transport implementation failures and little access to private sector financing are some of the causes that prevent that Colombia develops competitive advantages and improves its level of logistics performance.

In this way, a good transport infrastructure that is well done is essential for access to economic activities and services worldwide. Effective means of transport, including road quality, railways, ports and air transport allow entrepreneurs to send their goods and services to markets safely and on time facilitating the movement of workers towards better jobs as the forum said World Economic in 2011 (Angulo, Figueroa, Gambin and Jiménez, 2018)

Pérez and Mina (2017) affirm that the Colombian logistics sector seeks alternative solutions to the problem presented in the country emphasizing infrastructure, supply chain management, route planning, loading and download planning in addition to the Design of distribution networks, all of them are challenges that organizations must face to impact the globalization market and increase the country’s competitiveness.

This article was made under a descriptive methodology where the approach is aimed at aspects to improve in Colombian transport logistics, establishing a comparison with the current situation in Latin America and the world. In this way, it seeks to explain how transportation logistics has developed in Colombia and how it acts as a determining variable to increase the country’s development and logistics performance. In the article are the introduction, results, discussion and conclusions that account for the development of transportation logistics in Colombia.

Methodology

The methodology for the development of this article is descriptive, focused on the problem of the development of transportation logistics in Colombia in relation to Latin America and the rest of the world, in this way, 31 articles were sought in the bibliographic databases, Especially in Redalyc, Dialnet and Google Academic, the main authors cited were Georgina Cipoletta, Gabriel Pérez, Ricardo Sánchez, Giovanny Baquero, Leidy Bernal, Mario Moreno, among others. The information obtained was reflected in a research matrix where the most relevant data were extracted to identify the problem of transport logistics in Colombia in relation to Latin America and the rest of the world.

The article begins by defining that it is logistics, supply and transport chain, giving way to the evolution of transport modes throughout history and identifying the essential characteristics that transportation must have to meet its objective. Subsequently, the national situation is determined against Latin America and the world of logistics today. In this way, it is reached that Colombia does not have an effective and efficient transport logistics system that allows the country and companies to be competitive in front of the region or the rest of the world.

Transport logistics concept

The intensification of competitiveness has turned logistics into one of the fundamental keys of commerce. According to doors, Martí and Meléndez (2014), the efficient development of logistics services facilitates the mobility of products, guaranteeing their safety, speed, as well as the minorization of their cost. Likewise, by offering an optimal supply chain, better credibility is obtained in front of the market, suppliers and customers, in addition to increasing competitiveness and even achieving the opportunity to compete internationally (Baquero, Bernal, Moreno and Triana, 2018, P. 109).

As Correa and Gómez (2009), cited by Baquero et al (2018).

In this way, Cipoletta, Pérez and Sánchez (2010) define logistics as that part of the supply chain management that plans, implements and controls the flow- just back and further- and the effective and efficient storage of the goods , services and information related from the point of origin to the point of consumption, with the objective of satisfying consumer requirements.

On the other hand, Zuluaga, Gómez and Fernández (2014) say that logistics as part of the supply chain contributes to establish their performance and adequate contribution to meet the needs of customers based on collaborative and integrative processes with the other actors of The chain, this is one of the main key factors of competitiveness of companies.

So, the purpose of logistics is to meet customer requirements, to achieve this, it focuses its activity on coordinating activities based on ensuring the flow that guarantees a high level of customer service and cost reduction: storage, storage, Office, supply, purchases, material economy, external transport, internal transport, inter-company transport, distribution, treatment and attention to orders, waste recycling and products returned by the customer, production planning, production control, production control, Information and communications, quality control, finance, maintenance, marketing, sales and environmental protection (Valenzo, Bonales and Martínez, 2009, P. 89).

González, m. (2015), states that transport is par excellence one of the fundamental processes of the logistics strategy of an organization, this component is of priority attention in the design and management of the logistics system of a company, since it is usually the individual element with greater weighting in the consolidated logistics costs of most companies.

It should be stressed that the appropriate means of transport are used in external transport according to the type of load (liquids, gas, bulk materials and unit loads), likewise, methods of uniting of loads are used, which are integrated and coordinated With customers and with suppliers. (Ballesteros, D. and Ballesteros, P., 2004).

History of transport logistics

Kant, Stenger and Wu (1994) cited by Leyva and Gómez (2010) state that logistics management was considered in the past, as a functional activity, restricted to autonomous tasks such as transport, storage, inventory and material management.

At that time, man saw the need to look for other alternatives to mobilize his objects and transport himself. Flor and Valderrama (2017), indicate that this is how transport arose, which allowed an agile and fast displacement in addition to transporting their merchandise or goods that they possessed from one place to another in the same way.

Also, Camarero and González (2007) cited by González, M. (2015) mention how transport modes have been changing throughout history, as new technological advances have been introduced. There has been a transport replacement model, so that a mode has been developing until they are imposed on existing ones, being clearly superior in an essential facet. This has happened from the annals of history, where domestic animals began to be used, to which maritime transport followed, until in the nineteenth century the railroad appeared, which was subsequently replaced by road and air transport.

Characteristics of transportation logistics

In the current context it is essential to understand the relationship between efficiency, efficiency and competitiveness as a key factor in complying with good logistics management.

In a way, logistics management from its integral approach also represents an obligation, a business support alternative to the organization and its actors so that synergies are generated for the competitiveness of the set of companies and links in the supply chain (Zuluaga , Gómez and Fernández, 2014, P. 91).

Therefore, the conception of the logistics approach as a system is a necessity for the achievement of the efficiency, efficiency and competitiveness of organizations and the improvement of their management will offer advantages by increasing the resources available for the social and economic development of the country (Leyva and Gómez, 2010).

Efficiency

Kirby and Brosa (2011) affirm that the logistics efficiency of a country or a region is directly conditioned by the level of development of its infrastructure, but also by the regulatory and regulatory framework, as well as for the quality and accessibility of its logistics services.

Efficiency makes logistics chains more sustainable. Sustainability can cause logistics chains. (Wilmsmeier, G. et al, 2014, P. 10)

Competitiveness

Competitiveness is the ability to design, produce and offer in the market products higher than those offered by competitors, considering the price according to Valenzo et al (2009), therefore, it can be said that it is competitive when before the eyes of Customers can deliver a better value, achieving lower prices with equivalent or higher benefits to those of their competitors.

Vásquez, J. (2012) explains that logistics tends to be the key factor of competitiveness in the world, where what is played is the ability and ability to react to problems and crises, raising effective solutions supported by the available tools

Therefore, competitiveness is associated with the search and maintenance of low costs, to the external inclusion of a country or industry, at the level of the exchange rate, technology leadership and even the growth rate of a country (Vélez (Vélez , P., 2015, p.19).

Transportation logistics nationwide

According to Pérez and Mina (2017), although Colombia has great wealth and an excellent potential for improvement, there are inconveniences in some international logistics processes that put the country in an incompetent state before countries that have less heritage to be competitive The world, although with the Free Trade Agreement, export and importation was increased and the processing was reduced a bit, a lot to improve and facilitate entrepreneurs, because in other countries they take two days, in ours they require of 20 averages to achieve an export.

Angulo, l. et al (2018) refer that in Colombia, on the one hand, international transport has not been handled in the best way despite having air, maritime and land media that help easy access and exit of merchandise, problems occur As for delivery times, costs, logistics, infrastructure, environmental issues, all these factors prevent important processes such as the issue of the competitiveness of our economy in relation to another.

Thus, Cadena (2013), cited by Caballero F. (2014) emphasize the increase in the needs and demands of the load generators of the road transport sector in Colombia, since they directly affect the logistics and competitiveness of the country, and the greater the degree of specialization of the load generators , your demands will be greater; Reason why transport companies must offer real aggregate values ​​that allow them.

That is why, the Logistics Magazine (2016) in its article “The current structure of supply chains in Colombia” as cited by Bastos and Gallego (2016) explains that it is clear that the supply chain must be transformed into the Next five years, since it is presumed that in the medium term there will be a greater variety of consumers; Therefore, this trend requires companies to rethink the model of their supply chain. If these wish to remain in this new market dynamics, they will have to adapt new strategies to offer solutions to the new needs of their customers.

In the order of previous ideas, the country presents great shortcomings in relation to innovation, institutionality and infrastructure and technology, which are of vital importance to achieve a better distribution chain, for this reason as Pérez and Mina (2017 (2017 ) It becomes more difficult to be competitive, because if there are no solid institutions, a good logistics infrastructure and even programs that broad creativity and innovation, for companies and the country in general, decrease the possibilities of competing strongly against markets International.

Transportation logistics in Latin America and the world

International logistics services depend on domestic factors such as infrastructure, commercial procedures and complementary services to trade, so international companies try to implement balanced standards with global needs; However, the level of services that can be achieved depends on the local operations and particular conditions of each country; Therefore, trade and transportation is essential for countries to compete in global markets (Zamora and Sierens, 2014, p. 68).

That is why, as Vásquez states, J. (2012) To develop an international logistics, the company must be multifaceted, with the management of international standards and procedures, have negotiation capacity and to make the product reach its destination in optimal conditions, in the shortest possible time and the lowest cost.

Latin America and the Caribbean, despite their improvements in recent years they persist with structural problems at the logistics level that are a brake for SME exports, among the main ones mentioned by Kirby and Brosa (2011) are the deficiencies in education and logistics training, limitations in access to best practices, structural problems of each country, limited multimodal connectivity, inefficiencies in the port operation, among others.

Developing 

The logistics infrastructure of a country is composed of all those means and tools that make the process of marketing products and services efficient from the time of manufacturing to its delivery to the final customer as expressed by Forero F. (2014), in this way, adequate logistics is the central axis of operations not only of a country but of the companies that compose it.

According to Sánchez, Cipoletta and Peroti (2014), infrastructure services contribute to the growth of the national product and have an impact on four aspects of economic development: the structure of companies spending, productivity, connectivity and accessibility factors, and general welfare of the population. In this way, costs fall while investment improves accessibility to supplies markets, storage and commercialization of goods, that is, logistics.

Korinek and Sourdin (2011) cited by Oliveira (2018) claim that the quality of logistics services plays an important role in the impulse of transport of merchandise marketed, inefficient logistics services hinder international trade as costs increase in terms in terms monetary and temporal.

Companies and countries that develop competitive advantages in logistics infrastructure can be more easily at the forefront, Forero F explains it. (2014); On the other hand, those who fight to be internationally competitive (such as Colombia), do so with great sacrifices for the lack of infrastructure and are in frank disadvantage. It has become clear that the Colombian industry is being affected by the gaps in logistics infrastructure.

Therefore, the high costs of the transport system, a consequence of deficiencies inherent to the lack of an intermodal system that integrates iron, river and port solutions as support for road transport, so far, represents the main form of national logistics transportation (Escandón, Hurtado and Salas, 2014, P. 42).

Gonzales, j. (2015) exposes how the dynamics of global logistics and the reality of the town have converged in a logistics glocalization, that is, the concatenation of the always standardized international logistics with the distinctive local needs. In this panorama, companies have to be aware and attentive to changes throughout the global logistics structure because a small normative, business or logistics change in a town in the world can have effects throughout the supply chain.

For Ospina and Sanabria, strategic infrastructure and competitiveness are necessary to promote growth, human development and integration and connectivity between the territories and the nation. To achieve this, in recent years the country has made important progress in infrastructure and competitiveness, and will continue to make efforts with the ambitious fourth -generation transport infrastructure program (4G) (4G). However, even today it continues to have an important portion of obsolete and maintenance infrastructure, to the point that the country is being left in front of the rest of the continent.

Also, from the point of view of logistics, Ruiz and Calatayud (2012) explained that government entities have emphasized a greater and better infrastructure provision, in more efficient transport services, in access to sources of financing by the financing by Private sector and in the promotion of its association and training to improve its logistics processes, with main attention to the export sectors of the economy.

On the other hand, the international general tendency, both from the supply side and on the side of demand, is the most interest in environmental issues, increased returns and growing interest in the recovery of value in them; Thus, Mihi (2007) addresses the issue of the use of reverse logistics that in turn means greater benefits and becomes a source of competitive advantages for multi -sectors and any country companies.

Results

According to the research on the development of transport in Colombia, it can be said that there are great challenges to face in search of participating more actively in the international market and being more competitive in logistics issues against Latin America and the rest of the world.

In Colombia, the high road transport costs, the lack of direct accesses in the main national production centers, the low multimodalism in the development of international trade operations, obsolete infrastructure (Clavijo, S., 2014), excess procedures and long delivery times are factors that make international trade operations stagnant.

In Colombia, the need to value logistics as an element of fundamental importance to improve the competitiveness of companies, as explained by Orjuela, Castro and SusiS (2005); In this area, the activity of managers will have to concentrate more and more.

Discussion

Colombia has a comparative advantage over other countries such as its geographical position, which allows you to optimize its commercial operations; It has great wealth, potential for improvement, easy access and exit of goods, however, it is not considered a worldwide competitive country. This is because when making a comparison with respect to the rest of the countries in the Colombian region, delay in its logistics infrastructure, this situation has been an essential fact so that the companies in the country seek different alternatives to minimize their logistics costs and be able to increase their Participation in the global market.

On the other hand, the bureaucratic process in the country leads to logistics procedures to take more time compared to other countries, it is for them that effective and punctual public policies must be taken to continue improving in the medium and long term.

Transport is a fundamental pillar of the economy, as it is part of the supply and production chain of a good number of industries. That is why to some extent one of the main national and international challenges is thus be more competitive in terms of quality and service.

Therefore, intermodism is considered to be indispensable in the country to guarantee logistics efficiency, this would make transport costs minimize and the mobilization of different goods is more optimal according to its characteristics.

Conclusions

Despite being one of the most potential countries in Latin America, factors such as high costs, obsolete infrastructure, low multimodalism and long delivery times are the causes of the problem of Colombia in terms of transportation logistics and those that make it not considered a competitive country in front of the rest of the world.

One of the challenges facing the country is the reduction of times in international trade operations and in turn, the decrease in costs, therefore, among the determining factors to carry it out is infrastructure investment.

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