| The crowdsourced logistics platform is produced and developed based on the concept of sharing economy.The platform connects social delivery providers and consumers through mobile Internet technology,reducing delivery costs and giving consumers a good delivery experience.However,crowdsourced logistics platform naturally has the uncertainty of social delivery providers and random volatility in consumer demand,as well as the influence of network externality as a typical bilateral market.As a result,the platform often faces the loss due to the unbalance between the supply side and demand side of social distribution services in practice,which will adversely affect social welfare.Therefore,this article constructs a dynamic pricing model of a crowdsourced logistics platform that maximizes social welfare under different market demand environments affected by network externality,and uses optimal control theory to solve the problem,observes the changing law of the optimal price of social distribution services,and then specifically explores the influence of network externality.Firstly,considering the crowdsourced logistics platform is only affected by the cross network externality from the demand side to the supply side,the dynamic pricing problems under the conditions of rising market demand and falling market demand will be explored.In view of the rising market demand,the platform will face the loss of delayed orders caused by the shortage of social distribution services,and the loss of idle social distribution providers caused by the oversupply of social distribution services when the market demand declines,this article will take the optimal social welfare as the goal and construct a dynamic pricing model for social distribution services.Using the optimal control theory to solve it and obtain the optimal dynamic price,the optimal pricing trajectory of the social distribution service when the platform supply and demand is balanced,and the change law of social distribution capacity under the minimization of the loss cost are studied.The research results show that as market demand rises,the continuously increasing price of social distribution services can stimulate the growth of social distribution capacity until it reaches a balance with consumer orders on the demand side,and further reduces order loss costs and maximizes social welfare.With the decline in market demand,the price of social distribution services will decrease due to dynamic pricing strategy,which will promote the reduction of social distribution capacity.Moreover,the loss of idle social distribution providers has been greatly reduced,and the overall social welfare has also been optimized.What’s more,through numerical simulation,it is found that the cross network externality has a negative effect on the optimal price strategy and it will have nothing to do with changes in market demand.Secondly,a comprehensive discussion of the direct network externality between social distribution capacity and the dual impact of the cross network externality between consumers and social distribution capacity on the crowdsourced logistics platform.Through establishing a dynamic pricing model for social distribution services that maximizes social welfare and solving it,we can obtain that when the demand gradually increases over time,the social distribution service enables the platform to achieve a balance of supply and demand and minimize the loss of delayed orders through a higher price level,and the social distribution capacity has been obviously increased during this period.When demand continues to decrease over time,in order to avoid excess resources caused by idle social distribution providers,the platform will dynamically reduce the price for social distribution services to adjust social distribution capacity and optimize social welfare as a whole.In addition,using numerical simulations,when market demand increases,direct network externality will have a negative impact on the optimal pricing strategy.When market demand declines,direct network externality will make a positive impact.The cross network externality will have a negative impact on the optimal price.Finally,it mainly summarizes the content of this research and some related conclusions,and thinks from all aspects.The deficiencies in this research and the directions that can be further explored in the future are put forward. |
