An industry of leaders
As the applications flow in for the World Mail Awards 2015,
Post & Parcel speaks to Jeff Taylor, Direct Transport & Logistics EMEA at Honeywell, which has sponsored the award for industry leadership for the last four years.
Post & Parcel: Why does Honeywell sponsor the award for industry leadership?
JT: Honeywell has been committed to the postal industry for over 40 years, working with enterprises around the globe every day to analyse and transform their fundamental business processes. We see some outstanding achievements from our customers every year and believe it’s right to recognize this. We think it’s important to review business processes relentlessly in order to meet and exceed goals, and that’s what industry leadership is all about. The award provides inspirational new stories every year.
Post & Parcel: Why has it continued to support the category?
JT: The Postal industry remains an industry in transformation, facing new challenges as core markets and economies remain under pressure. In these uncertain times strong leadership is essential for success and it is important to recognise those who lead through this adversity.
We aim to continue delivering new advanced technology solutions, so naturally we want to support those in the industry that are reaching for the same objectives.
Post & Parcel: Why is it important to recognise leaders in the industry?
JT: Because there are so many processes that need to be got right and many pitfalls. From the collection of packages to tracking the path of delivery vehicles, the challenges are constant but the opportunities for innovation are plentiful, particularly if the data from these processes is captured to make intelligent decisions. Recognising the dedication that goes into this industry is not only fitting tribute, but it helps others to remember that there is always room for improvement, and this improvement can lead to a better partnership between customers, partners and vendors.
Post & Parcel: What makes a good leader?
JT: An understanding of your customers’ needs, the ability to react and adapt to change, and a willingness to embrace new ideas and technologies.
It’s not about making the quickest sale; the best solutions that keep a company in growth mode invariably require a close inspection of customer processes and the application of some real expertise. In the postal space we employ not only subject experts, but great communicators who are ready to listen and collaborate, not just sell.
Post & Parcel: What has impressed you about the winners over the years?
JT: What strikes us the most is that each year is how the winner has stood out from the crowd, completing a major transformation of a huge businesses, creating new revenue opportunities to combat declining volumes or turning around a failing business.
Everyone in the industry likes to see a good news story and every year we hear about one in the leadership category.
Post & Parcel: Why does Honeywell support the World Mail Awards?
JT: It’s an industry we’ve invested in for decades, and we understand the potential of its mobile workforce to increase operational performance, deliver new products and revenue streams and help gain competitive advantage.
Customer demands continue to evolve, and our thought leaders spend hours with our customers in order to recommend the best solutions for their specific needs. We believe that those who are making similar efforts across the industry deserve recognition.
Being a long term partner and friend of the industry it is an absolute pleasure to see the strength of the submissions, the desire from all associated with the industry to win an award and finally to enjoy the ceremony itself and celebrate with those who have put so much into keeping this industry alive.
Post & Parcel: What part does Honeywell play in the industry and how are its leaders responding to the sectors key challenges?
JT: We invest heavily in the latest technology advancements and work with over 23,000 Honeywell engineers in concept and testing labs worldwide to deliver the solutions both large and small customers need.
We’ve been at forefront of innovations in the industry, from the barcode, RFID, voice and OCR technology. From this we’ve developed a complete suite of interoperable hardware, software and services to give mobile workers the information they need to make better business decisions, increase customer satisfaction and redefine business operations.
From the outset of liberalisation, deregulation and even e-substitution Honeywell has understood the impact these enforced initiatives have had on the Universal Service Providers and has been there throughout to deliver key solutions to allow our customers to grow revenues and drive efficiency.
The deadline for the World Mail Awards is 28 February please visit www.mailawards.com to enter.
