Year: 2006

Pinpoinr track and trace system goes live

Posted by | Dec 13, 2006 | |

PalletFORCE, one of the UK’s fastest growing palletised distribution networks, brings its pinpoint track and trace IT system to the IMHX Show as part of its commitment to “provide innovative logistics solutions for the benefit of our members.”

The pinpoint system, designed by logistics specialist Trans-aXion, is now live, providing comprehensive real-time ‘track and trace’ for all of the Network’s Member Depots and their customers. Every pallet is registered with a unique identification, which customers can use to trace deliveries throughout the distribution process via the pinpoint website.

The investment in pinpoint underlines PalletFORCE’s commitment to delivering a high-quality service. The Network has recently established a new mission statement – to “provide innovative logistics solutions for the benefit of our members” – which will be showcased at IMHX. As Chief Executive Mick Scarlett explains, “service means more than getting pallets from A to B. Networks must seek to offer ‘added value’ to members and their customers, and PalletFORCE is looking to actively develop the breadth and quality of the services we offer.”

PalletFORCE has been a significant success story in the five years of its operation. Since August 2001, when 560 pallets were handled from 36 Member Depots, PalletFORCE now handles around 6,500 per night (with the capability to handle twice that) and has more than doubled its number of Member Depots to 90.

Read More

Pitney Bowes – Chairman & CEO Interview

Posted by | Dec 13, 2006 | |

BECKY QUICK, CNBC ANCHOR: Next year is looking a whole lot greener for the U.S. Postal Service. An overhaul bill passed through the Senate over this last weekend. And that is set to relieve the Postal Service of billions of dollars in retirement expenses and keep the cost of postage down. Of course, the president still needs to give his stamp of approval on this whole thing. So let`s get into what is at stake for business with Michael Critelli. He is the chairman and CEO of Pitney Bowes.Michael, thanks for being with us today.

MICHAEL CRITELLI, CHMN. CEO, PITNEY BOWES: You are very welcome, Becky.

QUICK: You know, we have heard a lot about this bill that is out there. What is it actually? What would it do? And what does it mean for business?

CRITELLI: Well, you know, we are in a USD900 billion industry that employs 10 million Americans. It stabilizes the Postal Service financially by fixing and funding its retirement obligations. It sets an annual cap on price increases of the CPI, the consumer price index. And it gives the Postal Service the same ability that we are used to with utilities, airlines and other people, promotional rates, off-peak rates, discounts for other benefits to promote the use of mail, all of that that is now possible, that just wasn`t possible under the old law. And that will start to go into effect in 2008.

Read More

Polish Post Offices install value-added payment services

Posted by | Dec 12, 2006 | |

VeriFone Holdings, Inc. have announced that PKO Bank Polski’s wholly-owned acquiring arm, eService, will be delivering value-added payment services to Polish Post offices via VeriFone’s Vx 510 payment platform and PINpad 1000SE system. Polish Post branches will be able to use eService and the VeriFone solution to deliver services including cash advance, mobile top-up, and electronic bill payment.

The initial rollout of the solution has started at Polish Post branches in Silesia. VeriFone is now partnering with eService to expand the solution to Polish Post regions nationwide, with further systems set to be installed in 2007.

eService is already providing this range of value-added services to agencies of PKO Bank Polski – the largest bank in Poland – via an installed base of VeriFone Vx 510 and PP1000SE PINpad systems.

The compact Vx 510 payment solution offers value-added applications, while reducing transaction time to just a few seconds and features include; a backlit display, easy-to-read menu prompts and an intuitive ATM style interface.

Read More

UPS system delivers savings; UPS has spent USD600 million to automate package sorting and cut time, miles and cost. For drivers, it's a real help.

Posted by | Dec 12, 2006 | |

When Rick Schetinski starts his United Parcel Service truck each morning, he no longer worries about overlooking packages during a rapid-fire delivery schedule averaging 17 stops per hour.

Thanks to a huge computer-automation project at the Maple Grove distribution center where his truck is loaded, Schetinski receives a list on his handheld computer of everything in his truck and where it’s going. “In years past, the truck was loaded but you didn’t know what was in it” or where it was, Schetinski said. “It would take you 20 minutes a couple of times a day to go through the truck to see what you had.”

UPS says the automation system – akin to putting the Dewey Decimal System in a library to replace random book piles – is a key to handling increasing package volume, up 8 percent this year, and coping with the increased volume of holiday deliveries. The Maple Grove distribution center, one of three serving the Twin Cities, expects a peak volume of 86,000 packages a day around Dec. 20, up from 59,000 packages a day the rest of the year.
Automating a fleet of delivery trucks is quite a feat considering that the back of a United Parcel Service truck resembles a cardboard-box jungle. Hundreds of boxes and envelopes crowd the floor and eight shelves in each truck, differentiated only by small labels that spell out their destinations.

Read More

Feature on the BBC’s ‘Watchdog’ programme

Posted by | Dec 12, 2006 | |

Spring Global Mail was featured on the BBC’s ‘Watchdog’ programme broadcast on 12 December 2006. The BBC were highly critical of Spring’s role in delivering what it considers to be ‘scam’ mailings from foreign companies to UK consumers. We feel that Spring was misrepresented in the programme and we are now considering what action to take in response.

The issue of deceptive or scam mailings is something we take very seriously and we have considered our policy on this matter carefully. This is summarised in the following statement:

“Spring Global Mail is a provider of international mail services. Whilst we are responsible for the delivery of the mail, we are not responsible for the content. This is the responsibility of the customers who send it.

We have a clear policy for dealing with deceptive mailings. If the ASA or OFT inform us that one of our customers has breached the British Codes of Advertising and Sales Promotion or the Misleading Advertising legislation, we inform the customer and either request them to change the content in accordance with the advice received or, if the complaint is more serious, we terminate the customers’ contract and cease trading with them. This policy has resulted in the direct cancellation of 13 customer contracts and, we feel, clearly demonstrates our willingness to take action.”

Read More

DHL Spain strengthens outlet network through agreement with Prodesa

Posted by | Dec 12, 2006 | |

Following the signing of a collaboration agreement with press distributors, Prodesa, last year, DHL Express has expanded its Spanish outlet network to more than 375 sales points throughout the country.

Under the agreement, the Prodesa Rail Press and La Tienda Z outlets will offer DHL services functioning on the basis of a new pre-payment system, which provides clients with the packaging of their choice, together with a folder containing simple instructions to help them complete the documentation required for their shipment. Once wrapped, they can hand the package in at the collection point at their own convenience.

Read More

Deutsche Post reaches deal with union to merge domestic parcel and mail operations

Posted by | Dec 12, 2006 | |

German postal service provider Deutsche Post AG said Tuesday it reached a deal with its main union to merge its domestic mail and parcel delivery operations.

The company will transfer its package and parcel business from its express unit to its mail corporate division, putting oversight for both under one board member. Pending board approval, the transfer could be complete by next month.

The company said the move will let it improve service for its German customers, including package tracking and better delivery times, and add Euro2.6 billion (USD3.4 billion) to the division’s revenue, bringing it to about Euro15.5 billion (USD20.5 billion) annually.

Shares of Bonn-based Deutsche Post fell 0.1 percent to Euro32.21 (USD42.66) in Frankfurt.

Read More

Second-class report for UK postal services

Posted by | Dec 12, 2006 | |

Postal service provision is “chronically poor” throughout many areas of Britain, the chairman of the public accounts committee (PAC) has said.

Sir Edward Leigh made the critical comments as he attacked postal regulator Postcomm for its limited progress in encouraging competition within the UK postal market.

Publishing its report into the progress of Postcomm since it enforced new regulatory guidelines on the Royal Mail in March, the PAC says that while progress has been made, more is needed.

“You would expect that a new regime for the quality of postal services would aim to improve collection and delivery times and reduce the number of pieces of mail lost by Royal Mail. If so, you would be mistaken,” Sir Edward said.

“Neither of these aspects of performance is targeted under the current regime introduced in April of this year. Given that people are now receiving their mail later in the day and that over 15 million letters and parcels are being lost, stolen or damaged in a year, it is pretty clear that the interests of ordinary users of the post are not an absolute priority.”

Today’s PAC report calls on Postcomm to monitor the activities of Royal Mail more closely and foster a sense of competition within the postal market to encourage the development of more efficient procedures.

Royal Mail vociferously rejected the PAC report’s claims. A spokesperson said: “It is absolute nonsense to suggest anything other than Royal Mail’s quality of service is at record levels. Its performance is among the very best in Europe and its prices are among the very lowest.”

Read More

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

P&P Poll

Loading

What's the future of the postal USO?

Thank you for voting
You have already voted on this poll!
Please select an option!



View ResultsHide Results

MER Magazine


The Mail & Express Review (MER) Magazine is our quarterly print publication. Packed with original content and thought-provoking features, MER is a must-read for those who want the inside track on the industry.

Subscribe to MER

 

News Archive

Pin It on Pinterest