- New name Deutsche Post DHL underscores two-pillar strategy based on mail and logistics
- MAIL division to focus on quality and new products in electronic communications
- DHL to strengthen cross-divisional collaboration
- Mid-term growth of 1-2 percentage points above market for all business units targeted
- Leadership culture underpinned by new incentive system
Frank Appel, Chief Executive
Officer of Deutsche Post World Net, today unveiled his Strategy 2015 aimed at making the company fit for the future. The new
Deutsche Post DHL will rest on two pillars: an integrated international logistics company focusing on quality and customer
service and a strong mail business with a clear commitment to the universal service obligation in Germany - complemented by
new value-added electronic services. The new name represents clear structures, increased cooperation and mobility within the
Group and integrated solutions for customers.
"We have to improve if we want to maintain long-term relationships with
our employees, customers and shareholders. And we can improve tremendously if we systematically address our weaknesses," Frank
Appel said in describing his vision for the Group. "Our goal is to remain 'Die Post für Deutschland' as well as 'The logistics
company for the world.'" Following the aggressive expansion phase of the recent years, the new focus will help unlock the
company's potential to increase organic growth, Appel said. "We do not have to reinvent the Group. We just have to make more
out of what we have - in the interest of our own business and our responsibility for the world in which we, the world's leading
logistics service provider, operate."
In essence, the new Group strategy provides for a two-tier structure with MAIL
and DHL as well as tighter links between the three DHL divisions, the latter being facilitated by the creation of an additional
overarching executive committee.
Other steps will be the simplification of planning processes, an even more intense focus
on the shifting needs of customers and the reinforcement of Frank Appel's open leadership culture through a new incentive
system that stresses performance and respectful interaction among employees.
Strategy 2015 is aimed at defending the
Group's strong position in the German mail market and raising profitability at DHL. In the mid term, all Corporate Divisions
should generate annual organic growth of 1 to 2 percentage points above the market average. In addition, all divisions should
rank in the top quarter of their peer groups regarding profitability, cash conversion and return on capital. In light of the
current economic crisis, the Group in the short term aims to maintain a solid cash position and reduce costs further. A key
component of this effort will be the IndEx program announced in November as one of the elements of the Roadmap to Value capital
markets program. IndEx is aimed at generating savings of at least 1 billion euros in non-operating costs by the end of 2010.
Reaching the financial targets of Strategy 2015 will contribute to a satisfactory shareholder return in the mid term.
The
new Group strategy is the result of a detailed analysis of its shortcomings and potential. This analysis, to which all corporate
divisions contributed in recent months, determined that the steps taken by the First Choice and Roadmap to Value initiatives
are indeed having an impact, but that they do not go far enough. In particular, the individual business units should work
more closely together. The DHL divisions could markedly increase revenue by responding to customer requests in a concerted
effort. In MAIL, significant growth potential was identified in dialog marketing, electronic communication and parcel.
The
following is a detailed overview of the measures and programs of Strategy 2015:
One DHL
- The collaboration between the DHL divisions will be accelerated by a Executive Committee DHL whose
function will be to facilitate cooperation among the three DHL divisions GLOBAL FORWARDING / FREIGHT, EXPRESS and SUPPLY CHAIN
in the interest of the customer.
- In a step to improve customer orientation, specific target sectors such as life sciences, technology
or automotive will be promoted under a dedicated sector management.
- The driver of innovative logistics solutions will be a new organizational unit called "DHL Solutions
& Innovation." In this central function - extending across DHL - all previous innovation activities will be bundled in
order to offer customer-specific solutions with the help of new technologies. This central function will report directly to
the CEO.
MAIL - Deutsche PostTo recalibrate the business in response to decreasing volume and
increasing digitalization, the MAIL division will refocus its core business while retaining the high quality level enjoyed
by German customers. In the process, the company will primarily concentrate on the integration of physical and digital solutions
in dialog marketing. It will also introduce an online letter to provide secure electronic communications as well as integrated
sender and recipient services at Parcel Germany. To meet these objectives, the MAIL division plans to step up investments
in coming years and may also consider partnerships. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the company's unique position as an
integrated service provider for secure and reliable communications.
LeadershipA new guiding principle based
on the idea of "Respect and Results" is designed to markedly increase the level of employee involvement and commitment. Openness
and responsibility are central to this end. To promote communication among the Group's divisions, future executives will need
cross-divisional experience. A new incentive system is designed to underscore performance differences and reward extraordinary
contributions.
Results planning and reviewThe dialog between the Group's headquarters and the business units
will be simplified and more focused. The finance and strategy areas will work more closely together to help the Corporate
Board set group wide targets that will be broken down to the individual units. The financial planning process will be streamlined
in terms of time, and the results will be reviewed more systematically.
Strategic programs and initiativesCurrent
strategic initiatives will fit seamlessly into the Group's new direction. This applies in particular to First Choice, the
successful program to increase customer loyalty that was introduced in 2007. The capital markets program Roadmap to Value
aimed at generating cash and increasing profitability will also be vigorously pursued further. In the area of corporate social
responsibility, the Group will concentrate on the climate protection program GoGreen, DHL's Disaster Response Teams as well
as education and training programs such as Teach First.
Frank Appel concluded:"Strategy 2015 is the right
tool to get the engines of this company burning and tap the potential that is locked inside. At the end of the day, it's about
connecting our businesses in such a way that we simplify the lives of our customers."
.