TNT Logistics in North America has announced that it has expanded its range
of services provided to BMW Manufacturing Co. in South Carolina, North
America. Beginning April 2004, TNT Logistics will manage the transportation
of finished parts from BMW’s supplier network to its parts distribution centres
(PDCs) located throughout the United States.
As Postcomm prepares to enter consultation on Royal Mail’s size-based pricing scheme, the debate still rages on its possible negative repercussions. Richard Simpson speaks to some of the chief protagonists.
Size-based pricing could soon emerge as the new model for bulk mail services. Royal Mail’s most recent proposals will shortly be the subject of a three-month consultation process run by Postcomm. The postal operator says that, subject to the outcome of this, a size-based pricing regime could be introduced by September 2005, although Postcomm admits it could be as far away as April 2006.
Read MoreI think that most of those in marketing can understand that Royal Mail needs to change its postal prices to better reflect the costs of handling mail.
Although the price of sending most mail will not need to change, some items will be cheaper, and some more expensive. This seems fairer than the present system, where companies sending items that are cheaper to handle subsidise those whose mail is more costly.
We understand the concerns of mail order photograph developers, and have been talking to them to see if we can find a solution that does not hit them too hard when their postal subsidy ends. And we will continue to search for a viable solution.
Following talks with companies and industry bodies, Royal Mail has made a number of changes to its original proposals to address their concerns. For example, for Mailsort and Presstream customers, the proposals now carry an additional category for large letters and packets.
We believe that marketing companies will continue to be able to design outstanding and varied creative mailings within the simple formats we are proposing.
Lorna Clarkson, Director of commercial policy, management and pricing, Royal Mail, London EC1V
Read MoreRoyal Mail is attempting to strike a deal with mail order photo developers over the introduction of size-based pricing. The move follows mounting pressure from a group of MPs amid fears of industry meltdown. The postal operator is believed to have held a number of meetings with the leading companies in the sector, although a deal has yet to be secured to replace subsidies. Royal Mail director of commercial policy, management and pricing, Lorna Clarkson, says it will continue to search for a viable solution.
Read MoreThe U.S. Postal Service’s Carrier Pickup program expands next week for a total of 204,000 city and rural carrier routes, Postmaster General John E. Potter told the postal service’s Board of Governors at its monthly meeting. Carrier Pickup lets customers go online to request next-day package pickups. There is no pickup fee because packages are picked up from customers as part of the carrier’s normal delivery route. Packages must be prepared with the appropriate postage and ready to go before they are picked up.
Read MoreRoyal Mail has signed an access agreement with Deutsche Post providing the German company with access to Royal Mail’s local sorting and delivery network.
From August 2004 Deutsche Post Global Mail will offer businesses mailing over 4,000 pre-sorted letters a day, a two-day mail delivery service. Under the agreement, DPGM will collect mail from its business customers and transport it to one of Royal Mail’s 72 Mail Centres around the UK for final sorting work. Royal Mail will then take the mail to its delivery offices, from where it will be delivered by Royal Mail’s 80,000 postmen and women.
For ordinary-sized letters weighing up to 60g – the weight range covered by basic postage – Royal Mail will be paid by Deutsche Post 13.0p for letters sorted down to the level of Royal Mail’s 1,450 Delivery Offices, and 13.375p for letters only sorted to the level of the 121 UK postcode areas.
Read MoreThe key findings of an international study undertaken by LogicaCMG reveal that Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) is high on the agenda for European retailers, food manufacturers and logistic service providers. A majority of the companies interviewed in the Netherlands, UK, Ireland, Germany, France and Belgium, gave RFID top priority in terms of planned IT investment.
RFID is seen as the successor to barcoding. By using RFID it is possible to electronically identify and track objects, such as supermarket goods, without time delays or the need for human intervention. As a result, supply chain logistics are more streamlined and efficient and this ultimately leads to lower costs and higher revenues.
Read MoreNew survey: TNT Logistics stays as Europe’s number one
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