Author: Archive

Aramex chooses Bahrain Financial Harbour to locate its latest venture

Posted by | Nov 1, 2007 | |

Bahrain Financial Harbour Holding Company (BFHHC) today announced that it has signed an agreement with Aramex.

Commenting on the agreement with Aramex, Mr. Stephen Rothel, Chief Executive Officer, BFHHC, said: “Aramex in the last twenty five years since its inception has rapidly gained the reputation of being a transportation company of choice throughout the Middle East and Asian subcontinent. Through the years, it has showcased impressive growth through its unique and pioneering business model, customer services and innovation setting benchmarks in the transportations space.”

The Visa Application Center will be managed by a well trained Aramex staff that will receive the UK Visa applications, process all formalities as per the Embassy standards, collect Visa fees and conduct the initial non-judgmental interview will all applicants ensuring submission of the requisite documents. The Aramex staff will also undertake Biometrics for all the applicants which will be directly connected to the UK Embassy server. Furthermore, the staff will be responsible for moving passports using the Aramex Ground and Logistics Operations from the VAC to the Embassy and backwards as well as delivering passports back to applicants either at the VAC or at the applicant delivery address.

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Aramex Lebanon wins 'Station of the Year 2006'

Posted by | Nov 1, 2007 | |

Aramex has honoured its Lebanon network with ‘Station of the Year’, recognizing its outstanding efforts during the war which erupted in Lebanon in the summer of 2006.

Despite strenuous circumstances, Aramex Lebanon was not only able to continue full commercial operations, but managed to maintain high service standards which enabled clients to continue doing business – underlining the team’s exceptional level of dedication.

“The tremendous efforts put forth by our operations in Lebanon during the war demonstrate Aramex’s unwavering support and commitment to the local communities in which we operate, what the Lebanon team did was an inspiration to us all,” said Fadi Ghandour, Aramex Founder and CEO.

In coordination with the Higher Committee for Relief and locally-based NGO’s, Aramex Lebanon played a critical role in the international relief efforts in Lebanon during the war. Full resources were dedicated to distribute humanitarian aid materials across various affected parts of the country.

Held at the Dead Sea in Jordan, Aramex recognised several high performing stations at its 25th annual leader’s conference, presenting trophies for the best performances in Express, Freight, Domestic, Logistics, Revenue and Net Income, among others.

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European parcels operation sparkles despite postal misery for Royal Mail

Posted by | Nov 1, 2007 | |

General Logistics Systems, the European parcels operation, is turning out to be the jewel in the crown for Royal Mail, which has seen profits slashed in its domestic letters business over the past year.

GLS increased its operating profit by 15 per cent to GBP 115m on sales of just over GBP 1bn for the financial year 2006-7. And there was also good news from Parcelforce Worldwide which made an operating profit of GBP 10m – double the figure for last year and the second year running of profit after more than 15 consecutive years of losses.

Royal Mail said Parcelforce Worldwide grew its revenue by 7.3 per cent in a market that became even tougher, and delivered a record operating profit of GBP 10m. GLS grew its revenues by 4.9 per cent in a very competitive market and its operating profit increased to GBP 115m. “The results of both GLS and Parcelforce Worldwide demonstrate the group’s potential in areas where it is allowed to compete freely without regulatory constraint.”

However, profits were slashed from GBP 344m to GBP 194m in the letters business which has also gone through a damaging strike.

“Inland addressed mail volumes fell by 2.3 per cent – the first decline after many years of growth,” said Royal Mail. “The growth in email undoubtedly played a key factor in the fall and the realistic prospect facing the Company is for further volume decline. The peak in mail volumes looks likely to be behind us.”

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Royal Mail does not expect profit from letters this year

Posted by | Nov 1, 2007 | |

Royal Mail group has said its letters business will not make a profit in the current financial year, after revealing its 2006/7 profits fell 44pct to GBP 194m from the service.

Overall, the group’s operating profits, including its international parcel operations and the Post Office network, fell by 55pct to GBP 158m in the year ending March 25 2007.

Overall revenues rose 1.4pct to GBP 9.18bn, and letters revenues were unchanged at GBP 6.86bn, despite a 2.3pct fall in inland addressed mail volumes.

Chief executive Adam Crozier and chairman Allan Leighton claimed, in a statement issued with the financial results, that competition in the postal market had developed more quickly than the regulator Postcomm had thought when it fixed the price control for the company.

They claim competitors picked up one in eight letters posted in 2006/7 and will pick up one in five posted in Royal Mail’s current financial year. This is a level Postcomm forecast would not be reached until 2010.

Another point raised was that the average 13p access fee paid by competitors to use its delivery network does not cover its costs.

Looking at the first five months of the current financial year the statement said revenues are down GBP 78m over the same period last year.

The financial results drew comment from the Communication Workers Union, which after a series of strikes has recently agreed a pay and conditions deal with management that has been recommended to CWU members.

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Union ire at Royal Mail boss pay

Posted by | Nov 1, 2007 | |

Figures in the Royal Mail’s latest annual accounts, released on Tuesday, show that Adam Crozier saw his pay rise by 26 pct in the year to 31 March.

Mr Crozier pocketed GBP 999,000 for the 12 months, up from GBP 790,000 in 2005-06.

The Communication Workers Union called for a review, but the Royal Mail said Mr Crozier deserved the increase.

‘Review needed’

In addition to the Royal Mail seeing profits fall by a third for the 2006-07 financial year, it was recently hit by strike action over staff pay and job security.

The reason Adam is paid what he is paid is that he runs a big company, he does a bloody great job and I’m glad we’ve got him

Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton

The series of strikes ended after the Communication Workers Union (CWU) accepted a pay rise for its members of 5.4 pct from 1 October, and an extra 1.5 pct from next April.

The Royal Mail had initially offered 2.5 pct.

“Postal workers have had to take eight days of strike action this year to get any pay rise at all, while the chief executive receives GBP 1m,” said CWU Deputy General Secretary Dave Ward.

“It’s time to review pay at the top of the business.”

‘Bottom end’

Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton defended Mr Crozier’s pay.

“The reason Adam is paid what he is paid is that he runs a big company, he does a bloody great job and I’m glad we’ve got him,” said Mr Leighton.

“Getting good people to run this company is very difficult.

“If you compare his package to FTSE 100 chief executives then it’s at the bottom end, not the top end.”

Mr Crozier is additionally in line for a bonus of up to GBP 1.1m, to be paid out next year if the Royal Mail meets certain performance targets.

He took up the top job at the Royal Mail in 2003.

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Online, Newspaper Audiences Up, But Revenue Growth Slows

Posted by | Nov 1, 2007 | |

Roughly 59.6 million people visited newspaper Web sites in July, according to new figures from the Newspaper Association of America. That’s 37.1 pct of all active Internet users in the U.S., and the number represents a 9 pct increase over the same month in 2006.

In fact, it’s the second-largest monthly audience on record since 2004, when NAA started tracking Web audiences. (The top spot is held by May of this year, when NAA reported 60.3 million visitors.)

This good news for newspapers comes alongside a new report on the total print and online “footprint” of newspapers, based on analysis of Scarborough data, which found that 77 pct of adults read a newspaper in print or online every week during the third quarter. The duration of online visits is also on the upswing, with users spending an average of 43 minutes per month on newspaper Web sites during the third quarter of 2007, versus 40 minutes in the same period last year.

The historic and current figures are all available in the Newspaper Audience Database or NAdbase report produced by the NAA, which contains other data detailing newspaper readership, including the following statistics: 85 pct of individuals from households with annual incomes over USD 100,000 read a newspaper in print or online each week; so do 84 pct of college graduates. Also, 82 pct of individuals who bought something online in the last year.

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Skillsmart Retail Analysis: Online retailing potential developments and its impact on people and skills

Posted by | Nov 1, 2007 | |

This analysis explores how the adoption of online trading has introduced new opportunities for retailers and how these might affect those who work in the sector and the skills they may need. It is based largely on secondary sources and commentary from retailers themselves.
We briefly chart how online retailing has moved from being viewed as a minority hobbyist pursuit, to one which is now a mainstream route for retailers.
Like many IT based innovations, the development of online retailing channels presents businesses with a range of new choices. In this sense, the development of the technology is a ‘driver’ helping to shape the future of the sector.
However, culture and politics in companies and of consumers will be complementary drivers and will also shape how the new technology will be applied.
We speculate that on balance the development of online retailing is likely to further increase the depth and breadth of many job roles in the sector.
Within senior managerial occupations, online retail will pose a series of strategic challenges around the role of their online trading platforms and evaluation of their success. Professional and associate professionals will also be affected as online retailing will increase the breadth of activities they have to deal with.
The fulfilment of orders will also lead to new demands. Warehouse systems may increase in their complexity. Many delivery personnel will be expected to offer more than a perfunctory drop off of the item; some might even e expected to offer advice and expertise on the product being delivered.
The blurring of boundaries between online and traditional retailing will also present interesting challenges for store managers, sales and customer service roles. Where online and traditional retail operations operate seamlessly, many employees will require knowledge of the entire range of products and services on offer and skills to carryout a wide range of processes.
Within the retail sector previous developments have focused on reducing errors. It has also helped develop job roles that rely on modest levels of skills. The development of online trading may reinforce this trend.

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