Research & references
Resources
A curated reading and reference collection: thematic analysis, primary source links and selected guides on parcel operations, China and global supply chains.
Curated reading collections
Follow a question across parcel networks, global supply chains and operating decisions. Each collection brings together three perspectives to read in sequence.
China and global connections
Which connections matter beyond parcel volumes?
Read scale, overseas fulfilment and sourcing diversity together before drawing conclusions about a logistics footprint.
Collection reading time: 14 min read
- 1China's parcel scale: what global networks should measure
China's express volumes show the depth of its domestic logistics system. Overseas investment decisions need destination demand, shipment definitions and operating evidence alongside the headline number.
5 min read - 2How China-linked commerce changes overseas fulfilment
Direct parcel shipping and destination inventory create different demands for carriers, warehouses and returns. Choose the operating model by product economics and customer promise, then make each handover explicit.
5 min read - 3China Plus X is a logistics design decision
Adding production or sourcing countries changes transport lanes, inventory buffers and border processes. Design around complete product flows before committing to a new logistics footprint.
4 min read
Networks and delivery economics
What sits behind a service promise and its cost?
Connect network design, completed deliveries and packaging volume to understand the assumptions behind parcel economics.
Collection reading time: 9 min read
- 1The network is the service promise
A parcel network converts a customer promise into a sequence of physical handoffs. Design decisions work best when cost, capacity and reliability are considered together.
3 min read - 2The last mile needs a better denominator
Cost per parcel is useful, but it can hide failed attempts and uneven route density. Start with successfully completed deliveries, then examine the work behind them.
3 min read - 3The hidden cost of shipping empty space
Dimensional weight turns package volume into a weight equivalent. Understanding the rule is only the start; consistent measurements and safe packaging make it useful.
3 min read
Evidence and circular flows
What makes an operating decision traceable?
Move from trustworthy events to documented decisions and returns disposition, keeping evidence and responsibility in view.
Collection reading time: 10 min read
- 1Visibility begins with a trustworthy event
A tracking screen is only as useful as the events behind it. Shared definitions, reliable identifiers and clear exception ownership turn status messages into operational decisions.
3 min read - 2Make shipment decisions traceable
Connect a shipment decision to dated sources, controlled records, accountable reviewers and a traceable exception trail.
4 min read - 3A return is an inventory decision
Moving a parcel back is only one part of reverse logistics. The operational goal is to decide its next destination promptly, safely and with a clear view of recoverable value.
3 min read
Focused research
Examine a specific operating question through original sources and a defined method. These studies connect cross-border handoffs and destination delivery choices to the evidence needed for a decision.
- Cross-border operations · Evidence at the handoff
After a customs update: proving the last-mile handoff
A tracking label, physical custody and a published carrier event answer different questions. Understanding the gap helps merchants and logistics teams ask for the evidence that can move an investigation forward.
7 min readRead the source notesSources reviewed:
- Destination delivery research
Parcel lockers and home delivery: from survey findings to local cost evidence
DHL's Poland and UK figures describe surveyed shoppers' main delivery method. They do not measure parcel market share or investment returns. A destination network decision needs a defined service, a complete parcel cohort and comparable evidence on cost, capacity and delivery outcomes.
7 min readRead the source notesSources reviewed:
Sources in context
Go directly to an article’s cited sources. The accompanying analysis explains why those references matter and where their scope ends.
China's parcel scale: what global networks should measure
Shipment definitions and geographic boundaries for interpreting parcel-scale statistics.
2 · cited sourcesSources reviewed:
China Plus X is a logistics design decision
Supply-chain diversification and origin rules, read alongside complete product flows.
2 · cited sourcesSources reviewed:
China-origin parcels need a policy-aware operating model
Destination-policy documents with their dates, scope and implications for China-origin parcels.
5 · cited sourcesSources reviewed:
Visibility begins with a trustworthy event
Event vocabulary, identifiers and traceability standards behind operational visibility.
2 · cited sourcesMake shipment decisions traceable
Cross-border e-commerce references for connecting shipment decisions to a controlled evidence trail.
2 · cited sourcesSources reviewed:
How to run a reusable parcel packaging pilot
Reuse research and packaging-policy context for examining return routes and complete pilot economics.
2 · cited sourcesSources reviewed:
How this library is selected
We select analysis for its operational relevance, defined scope and traceable sources. Read the source notes alongside each article, and distinguish published evidence from the interpretation built on it.
Read our editorial principles