Jul 1, 2022| JD Technology

JD Cloud’s Digital Human Technology Passes Assessment

Doris Liu

by Doris Liu

The Yanxi (言犀) multimodal digital human platform developed by JD Cloud was announced on June 21 to be one of the first eight companies in China to pass the capability assessment of such systems by an official research institute.

The assessment is based on the “Digital Human System Basic Capability Requirements and Assessment Method”, a benchmark highly recognized by the industry, which is a standard formulated by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) with leading domestic Internet companies and key industry enterprises.

The three dimensions of basic capabilities in technology, engineering and security guarantee were evaluated comprehensively for the participating digital humans, involving indicators such as voice technology capability, interaction technology capability, standard resource allocation, content traceability and content risk control.

The multimodal digital human platform of Yanxi, JD Cloud’s intelligent customer service system, integrates multiple technologies such as acoustic speech recognition (ASR) and multi-turn dialogue to generate natural speech, human-like facial expression and body posture, as well as offering an immersive experience to users.

Yanxi’s digital human, positioned to improve industrial service experience, is developed from complex scenarios provided by JD’s businesses in retail, supply chain, cloud computing and more.

During this year’s 618 Grand Promotion, two virtual anchors, Jing Maimai from JD and Du Xiaoxiao from Chinese internet search engine company Baidu, joined hands to interpret the shopping bonanza’s consumption trends. During the broadcast, Jing Maimai presented in a lifelike way with smooth facial expressions and body motions to catch the audience’s attention.

Another example is Qian Yan (芊言), JD’s first intelligent digital human engaged in customer service in the retail sector. With technology integration of ASR, Natural Language Processing (NLP), speech synthesis (or Text-to-Speech, TTS), real-time rendering and so on, Qian Yan is able to handle various kinds of sale-related queries, enabling 24/7 continuous service.

Furthermore, the Yanxi digital human is also adopted in many other scenarios like finance and public administration to help an array of industries upgrade to digital intelligence.

The technology embedded in the Yanxi digital human platform has been widely recognized, winning the best presentation award at the international conference ACM Multimedia 2021, with about 130 papers being published at top international AI conferences such as NeurIPS, CVPR, AAAI and ACL. Moreover, JD previously won the IEEE Signal Processing Best Paper Award and Super AI Leader Award (SAIL Award) at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) for this technology.

As the emerging metaverse concept accelerates the process of aligning business and technology, JD’s Yanxi system will continue to explore more possibilities to apply digital human technology in wider practical scenarios, benefiting thousands of professions and industries.

(liujun215@jd.com)

Dec 13, 2023| JD Technology

JD Technology’s Supply Chain Financing Extends to Third-Party Warehouses

Yuchuan Wang

JD Technology, the technology services arm of JD.com, recently announced the opening of its supply chain finance services to third-party warehouses. In collaboration with Deppon Express, JD Technology now provides warehousing operations + mortgage financing solutions to clients in sectors ranging from home appliances to wine & spirits industries.

Since 2014, JD Technology has been at the forefront of offering logistics financing solutions tailored to industry needs. At present, JD’s mortgage financing offers loans secured against stored goods. This innovative platform supports real-time, automated management of collateral, enabling around-the-clock repayment options. For merchants selling through JD.com’s retail business, JD Retail, credit lines of up to RMB 10 million can be approved automatically, with funds made available instantly. This contrasts with traditional financial institutions, as non-JD Retail merchants benefit from simpler document submission requirements and a more efficient due diligence process.

Deppon Express operates in more than 60 cities and has 1.3 million square meters of warehouse space. It provides customized solutions for large and delicate items such as home appliances, furniture, and wine & spirits, and enhances JD’s supply chain financing in monitoring and managing goods in warehouses. JD Technology’s expertise in supply chain financing is anchored by three core capabilities: the efficient management of goods, accurate valuation of goods, and a robust network for goods disposal. Specifically, in terms of product admission and valuation, JD Technology can integrate online sales data to systematically and dynamically estimate the value of goods. This approach considers various factors, including historical transaction data, product price trends, and projected market demand, and more.

JD Technology’s logistics financing solutions are making a significant impact across nine key industries, ranging from home appliances to spirits, and encompassing sectors like computer and office supplies, mobile phones, as well as baby and maternal products. The scale of its operations is vast, having overseen more than 2,000 warehouses and managing an inventory valued at over 20 billion yuan.

(yuchuan.wang@jd.com)

Sep 5, 2023| Executive Spotlights, JD Technology

Pioneering Digital Transformation: JD.com’s Robust Presence at CIFTIS 2023

Vivian Yang

by Vivian Yang

For the fourth consecutive year, JD.com proudly served as the global partner of the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), showcasing expansive exhibitions across both physical and digital platforms. This year’s participation included several of JD’s business segments—ranging from retail and logistics to technology, healthcare, industrial operations, property development, insurance, and private label. Through its uniquely designed booths, the company focused on spotlighting digitally intelligent technologies engineered to enhance service trade efficiency and improve quality of life.

JD Cloud, leveraging its digital capabilities, played a crucial role in enhancing the virtual components of the fair. For instance, its Customer Relations Management system facilitated a 10 percent increase in marketing effects for both the event organizers and participating vendors. JD’s technology was also pivotal in streamlining various operational facets, such as guest reception, enterprise services, and ticket management, which amplified user engagement and satisfaction.

Sandy Xu, CEO of JD.com, delivered a speech on the opening day, articulating the significant role that digital transformation plays in driving sustainable and high-quality economic growth. In her remarks, Xu emphasized how JD’s supply chain bridges the gap between consumers on one end, with nearly 600 million users across China connected to the internet, and the industrial internet on the other end, with a vast number of products from manufacturers and brands. JD’s digitally intelligent technologies pave the way for seamless flow between both ends.

Sandy Xu, CEO of JD.com delivered a speech at China E-Commerce Convention during CIFTIS

To illustrate the effectiveness of the company’s supply chain, JD.com boasts an industry-leading inventory turnover rate of just 31.7 days as of June 2023, managing an unmatched number of over 10 million SKUs. Furthermore, JD successfully reduced its fulfillment expense rate to 5.8% YOY, setting a new benchmark in integrating the digital and physical worlds.

Positioned as “a technology and service enterprise with the supply chain at its core,” JD.com has continuously applied digitally intelligent technologies across the supply chain continuum. This includes aspects like production, distribution, consumption, and after-sales services. As of June 2023, JD.com’s supply chain infrastructure assets were valued at RMB 140.8 billion. This robust infrastructure does more than just fortify the stability and reliability of JD’s own supply chain operations; it also serves as a catalyst for the digital transformation of the company’s partners and associated enterprises across the entire supply chain ecosystem. In doing so, JD is making a tangible contribution to the high-quality, sustainable development of the real economy.

JD.com is committed to broadening the accessibility of its supply chain infrastructure and digital prowess to all industries. Concurrently, the company gathers industry-specific insights to curate bespoke technologies and services tailored to various sectors, such as retail, energy, manufacturing, automotive, and transportation. In doing so, JD is not just advancing its own digital infrastructure but also equipping various industries with the tools needed to expedite their digital transformation journeys, thereby unlocking their value across the industrial landscape.

(vivian.yang@jd.com)