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TNT expands facilities in Singapore for better customer service

Posted by | Jul 30, 2008 | |

TNT has launched its newly designed and expanded Singapore Country Depot and an enhanced Customer Contact Centre within its existing complex on Changi South Lane in Singapore to keep up with the growing demand for express and freight services in the region.

The EUR 7 million investment is part of TNT’s broader EUR 100 million investment in South East Asia to establish a leadership position in the region over the next five years. The investment is aimed at strengthening TNT’s network coverage, connectivity and infrastructure.

The expansion of the Singapore Country Depot and Customer Contact Centre follows the launch of TNT’s freight services for time-sensitive heavy shipments last month. Both facilities occupy an area four times the size of the previous premises.

The upgraded centres are located within TNT’s 16,723 sqm premises in Changi South Lane. The integrated facility was established in 2007 to meet increased business growth in Singapore, and houses TNT’s Life Sciences Express Hub.

TNT said it expects better synergy, communications and operational efficiencies between its facilities by situating both the depot and the contact centre within the same premises as its regional distribution centre operations. This will in turn translate into seamless supply chain management solutions and enhanced service levels for customers.

Additionally, the Customer Contact Centre handles the complete range of TNT’s services, from Express, time-sensitive air freight, to tailor-made solutions, offering customers a single point of contact. It also features dedicated customer service departments managing TNT’s customers in the healthcare, high-tech, and equipment and machinery sectors, respectively.

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Obama and McCain take up DHL Wilmington cuts as campaign issue (U.S)

Posted by | Jul 30, 2008 | |

US presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain yesterday 29th July, turned DHL’s planned closure of its Wilmington air hub and its proposed cooperation with UPS into a top-level campaign issue. More than 8,000 jobs would be lost in a key political battleground amid growing fears of a US recession. Separately, pilots of DHL airlift supplier Astar Air Cargo took further legal action against the planned DHL-UPS airlift deal.

Obama, who discussed the DHL issue with Ohio officials earlier this month, yesterday wrote to the White House Domestic Policy Council calling on the US justice department to investigate the DHL-UPS agreement for potential anti-trust issues, and urging government support to help DHL workers find new jobs should the deal go ahead.

The Republican candidate, John McCain, issued a statement saying he supported the demand for the proposed DHL-UPS deal to be reviewed by federal and state agencies “for any potential violations of applicable law”. He also favoured government assistance for DHL workers who lost their jobs.

The statements were welcomed by Wilmington mayor David Raizk who commented that since Ohio was such a critical state “in some ways, the road to the presidency leads through Wilmington”. The “ Save The Jobs” coalition of community leaders and DHL Wilmington workers had previously called on both Obama and McCain to visit the hub to talk directly with affected staff. McCain will visit Wilmington in early August, according to the Dayton Daily News.

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Spanish unions seek a study into universal service

Posted by | Jul 30, 2008 | |

The Spanish Postal Advisory Council, the highest advisory body of government in postal matters, discussed on the 29th of July the proposal submitted by UGT and supported by CC.OO (both unions are affiliates of UNI Post & Logistics Global Union) for an Observatory on the provision of universal service. The Council has agreed to the creation of a working group for analysis and study of the provision of universal postal service in rural areas and in special environments. The unions welcomed the decision which responds to a need that has long been targeted in connection with the mismatch and neglect suffered by these areas in recent times.

The unions also said they believed that the Government, in the form of the Ministry of Public Works, wants to impose unilaterally reform of the postal sector without discussion with the unions. UGT believes that with the creation of the proposed Observatory, the Government rightly responds to a very real social unrest. The unions said there is a need improve management, as at this moment the post office needs to meet the European quality standards for the provision of universal postal service.

On another issue, the President of the Council (Assistant Secretary of Public Works) reported that the Government does not have in its agenda, any project under way to change the current Postal Law. The Government has a period of 2 years to transpose into Spanish law the recently adopted European Postal Directive. In this connection the unions demanded that when this takes place that the government immediately open negotiations with all unions.

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Postbank remains on track in first half-year

Posted by | Jul 30, 2008 | |

In the first half-year of 2008, Deutsche Postbank AG asserted its position well in an environment characterized by the capital market crisis and an inverse yield curve. In key product categories, new business was expanded and market gains achieved. There was a positive trend in operating results while charges on the income statement resulting from the trend on capital markets were again relatively moderate.

In comparison to the first half-year of 2007 – the last before the capital market crisis started – Postbank improved its core operating figures – net interest income and net fee and commission income. Due to market turbulence, net trading income and net income from investment securities declined. As a result of enhanced efficiency and rigorous cost control, administrative expenses moved down considerably. Allowances for losses on loans and advances was appreciably below the level of the previous year.

In the first six months of 2008, profit before tax fell by 26.1pct to EUR337 million. Adjusted for the impact of the financial market crisis, the result increased by 43.4pct to EUR654 million. Return on equity before tax declined to 13.9pct (previous year: 17.5pct). The cost-income ratio of the whole bank increased to 73.7pct (68.7pct ), while in the classical banking business (without Transaction Banking) this figure rose to 71.8pct (66.6pct ). Adjusted for the financial impact of the market jitters, there was a year-on-year improvement of profit before tax, return on equity and the cost-income ratio in the first six months.

In view of the positive development of the operating business after the first half year of 2008, Postbank sees itself as well on track for achieving an operating result before tax (without positive and negative non-recurring effects) of between EUR1.1 billion and EUR1.2 billion for the current fiscal year. This guidance is given despite the inverse yield curve and high volatility on capital markets.

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Royal Mail selects Intermec CN3 Mobile Computer to improve service to customers

Posted by | Jul 30, 2008 | |

Intermec has announced that Royal Mail has awarded Intermec a contract to provide over 25,000 of its rugged, handheld CN3 mobile computers.

The Intermec CN3 mobile computers have been chosen as part of Royal Mail’s investment in new technology to modernise the business, improve efficiency and customer service while cutting operational costs.

The Intermec CN3 mobile computer will enable Royal Mail to improve on its current paper-based system for collecting signatures for the majority of its tracked products, including Special Delivery and Recorded Signed for services. A signature will be collected on the handheld device which is then sent via GPRS wireless technology to enable sending customers to confirm delivery, and view the signature, within 15 minutes. The CN3 mobile computers will be rolled out to postmen and women who deliver guaranteed delivery items by van from late summer.

As the leader of the class of small, advanced, rugged mobile computers, the CN3, with up to four integrated radios including GPS, enables more expedient processes for the mobile worker through 1D and 2D bar code scanning. The CN3 handheld also runs Windows Mobile which supports direct push wireless email giving the Royal Mail users real-time connectivity with the corporate network.

Pat Byrne, Intermec President and CEO added, “As one of the major trend-setters in European and global postal services, Royal Mail is strengthening its leadership position with the selection of the CN3. As the global supply chain continues to evolve, in-transit visibility will have a significant impact on improving customer service and revenue generation.”

Intermec will provide further commentary regarding the announcement on its upcoming earnings conference call on 31st July.

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Royal Mail workers get mobile computers (UK)

Posted by | Jul 30, 2008 | |

After extensive trials, Royal Mail has finally chosen a supplier for the hand-held computers it wants to introduce to its delivery network. Postal workers across the country will soon become very familiar with the new CN3 units as Royal Mail takes one further step forward on its modernisation plan.

The contract has gone to Intermec which will be providing some 25,000 units. Royal Mail said the CN3 hand-helds were easy to use and had fared well during trials. The units can scan barcodes and log digital signatures, similar to those already being used by other parcel carriers alerting the sender of items like special delivery within 15 minutes. The CN3 is also fitted with GPS.

The Intermec CN3 mobile computer will enable Royal Mail to improve on its current paper-based system for collecting signatures for the majority of its tracked products, including Special Delivery and Recorded Signed for services. A signature will be collected on the handheld device which is then sent via GPRS wireless technology to enable sending customers to confirm delivery, and view the signature, within 15 minutes. The CN3 mobile computers will be rolled out to postmen and women who deliver guaranteed delivery items by van starting late this summer.

The CN3, with up to four integrated radios including GPS, enables more expedient processes for the mobile worker through 1D and 2D bar code scanning. The CN3 handheld also runs Windows Mobile(R) which supports direct push wireless email giving the Royal Mail users real-time connectivity with the corporate network.

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Poste Italiane helps pave the way for the delivery of electronic postmarks

Posted by | Jul 30, 2008 | |

Poste Italiane’s Director General, Massimo Sarmi introduced an application to enable Posts the world over to deliver electronic postal certification marks.

The plug-in developed by Poste Italiane with the help of Microsoft applies an electronic postal certification mark that provides evidential proof of an electronic event, in a certain form, at a certain time, and involving one or more parties. This certification mark can be seen as the electronic equivalent of a registered letter. It brings all the benefits of the traditional paper-based postmark to electronic documents. Features such as date and time stamping, digital identity capture, content verification and encryption prove that the content of an electronic message has not been altered. The electronic postal certification mark acts as evidence of who signed what and when.

The Advanced Electronic Services user group, part of the UPU’s Telematics Cooperative (an association of UPU member countries that work together to develop technical applications for the benefit of the postal world), and countries currently using electronic postmarks also contributed their expertise to the project. These include Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Portugal and the United States.

With this application, the UPU will work to provide member countries wishing to offer electronic postal certification marks the necessary infrastructure to do so.

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GBP 1/4m extension for APC Overnight

Posted by | Jul 30, 2008 | |

APC Overnight has invested GBP 250,000 in extending its national sortation centre at Essington near Wolverhampton.

The company has increased the sorting area by 50 per cent with the addition of an 80m x 30m mezzanine floor, which is serviced by five lifts designed to deliver parcel cages in less than 40 seconds.

APC Overnight now has room to allocate a specific area for each type of business, including the M Sort area for local Midlands-based deliveries, in a bid to streamline and speed up the sortation process.

Ivor Skinner, director of APC Overnight, said: “This investment allows us to create a dedicated area for MailPacks and CourierPacks, which makes perfect sense for the entire operation. These consignments are often the most time sensitive, so now we can segregate them on arrival and take them straight up to the mezzanine to be processed.”

The company has also devoted an area on the mezzanine level to its Security Freight System, which handles valuable items, such as laptops. All parcels travel in separate sealed cages and are hand-scanned using a camera-based system before being sorted and resealed into cages for delivery.

In addition, the company has installed a 1,400 sq m weatherproof canopy over its unloading bays.

The canopy is free of vertical supports to allow vehicles and staff to move around freely, and is designed to be lightweight yet flexible in order to withstand adverse weather conditions.

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