Approved
DHL Worldwide Express excels by continuously pushing the boundaries
Like any other giant company, DHL Worldwide Express, one of the world's leading air express service companies, can easily cite facts and figures to prove its huge size, ubiquitous presence and success story in providing excellent service to customers worldwide.
With 39 percent of the international express market, 64,000 professional and dedicated employees serving more than one million customers every day in more than 230 countries, DHL has definitely established itself as the industry leader.
Operating in more than 635 cities and delivering to more than 85,000 destinations. To date, it owns 18,576 vehicles and 260 aircraft as well as manages one of the world's largest private telecoms networks linking DHL's 3,002 stations and 36 hubs.
To top it off, DHL is acknowledged as one of the most global customer-focused companies, as indicated in its winning the "Best Express Service" award in Asia Pacific for 15 consecutive years.
On the technology front, DHL certainly adds greater customer value through the application of next generation technology, from the current DHLNet, DHL Connect, Webship and increased super highway bandwidth availability to provide reliable data communications and responsive data transfers.
For infrastructure, investment is ongoing worldwide by opening new hubs, sub-hubs and distribution centers, including additions to its fleets of aircraft, vehicles and IT equipment.
Like any good marketeer, apart from consolidating existing markets, DHL leads in taking innovative steps by opening up new markets. For example, its recent launch of its "China First" program in Indonesia as well as the relaunching of specific services, such as the previous "Fashion First", which is dedicated to the unique needs of the country's textile and garment industry.
However, there is a certain quality that is a huge relief to find in such a bustling company and will probably prove to be the most important aspect in ensuring the durability of DHL's reputation.
"I believe in the DHL philosophy in relation to its being a good corporate citizen and I personally believe in leaving the world better than when I came into it ...," said Alan Cassels, the senior technical advisor for DHL Worldwide Express in Indonesia.
What he was referring to was the fact that DHL takes its environmental and social responsibilities seriously and is truly committed to supporting humanitarian projects around the world.
The Medecins sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders, MSF) often relies on DHL to transport vital supplies to its frontline volunteers in the difficult spots where they work, as stated by Bruno Corbe, the MSF director of logistics.
The strenuous efforts of DHL's delivery staff during the recent floods in Jakarta is another example. In this next-to- impossible situation, using unconventional means of transportation, such as rubber dinghies, they still managed to deliver most of the consignments.
"We X-ray every package to ascertain that there is no illegal item, like drugs, in it. Recently we worked with local authorities to prevent such a dispatch," added Cassels in illustrating the moral aspect of the business.
"We also have a 'Challenge Day' once a year for all the employees to do something beneficial for the local community," said Cassels, giving another example of how deeply DHL believes that such long-term community efforts will give the company a place among reputable corporate citizens that give meaningful contributions.
In doing its part to protect the environment, DHL ensures that the packaging materials it uses are recyclable, the noise produced by the planes it owns are as low as possible and its vehicles are fuel efficient and emits less pollution.
Probably, next to excellence in all the other tangible aspects, these nonbusiness, intangible factors contribute to the long term success of a company. This is because, like any good human qualities, for a company to last long into the future, it needs to exude such "human virtues".
When Alan Cassels said that one of the keys to success is by continuously pushing the boundaries, he was referring to both of the above.