Home: Issue 1 2013 › Moving forward
Moving forward
06/03/2013 | Channel: Logistics / Packaging
DHL Global Forwarding (UK) Limited’s recent achievement of the SC21 Bronze award is further underpinned by its own internal improvement programme
With a name that is recognised across industries and countries alike, DHL is one of the undisputed giants in global logistics. Likewise when it comes to global forwarding, DHL is once again a world leader in air freight services, and one of the foremost providers of ocean freight services. As such, this division attracts customers from companies of all sizes operating in sectors as diverse as life science, energy, automotive, engineering and manufacturing, technology, and aerospace, defence and security.
“Global Forwarding works closely within our business unit with Freight, who offer a flexible and customised road and intermodal Europe-wide transportation network, and our sister business divisions – Express and Supply Chain. Increasingly many customers, especially within the aerospace sector, see the value of working with one organisation that can offer the range of service that the DHLGroup, as the world’s largest logistics provider, can deliver,” outlines Jason King, quality and environment manager at DHLGlobal Forwarding (UK) Limited.
Senior director & head of aerospace, government & defence Peter Tuttle continues: “What we are trying to do at DHLis to be able to offer the customer complete logistics solutions, and if you consider the wider DHLGroup we have the tools to do that. Whilst some of our customers are interested in buying a completely tailored solution, others choose to trade with us just for certain parts of the supply chain, so we are flexible to those needs.”
As an operator within the aerospace, defence and security sector, DHLGlobal Forwarding (UK) Limited is an active member of the ADADS trade organisation. It was following an ADADS conference in April 2011 that the business was introduced to the SC21 supply chain programme as a growing requirement for suppliers of goods in the aerospace, defence and security sector.
SC21 is fundamentally designed to continually improve the supply chain by delivering products and services on time, and to a high quality standard. Describing how DHLGlobal Forwarding (UK) Limited became involved in the programme Jason says: “Whilst at the ADADS conference one of our existing customers explained how SC21 has driven a real improvement in their processes, and as a result they encouraged their suppliers to invest in SC21 as well. This would bring its own benefits to the suppliers, and also strengthen their competitive edge in the procurement processes for manufactured goods.”
Working in collaboration with its divisional partner DHLSupply Chain, the company’s Belfast facility began the SC21 process as sponsored by one of its customers, with Steve Barker, UK CEOCEOCEO, sponsoring the programme on behalf of DHLGlobal Forwarding (UK) Limited. The first steps were to evaluate the management commitment and system that was already in place against the requirements of SC21. As an accredited business to ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001: 2004, DHLGlobal Forwarding (UK) Limited found this beneficial in meeting the majority of the specification, alongside its existing continual improvement programme ‘First Choice’.
With DHLGlobal Forwarding (UK) Limited having achieved the SC21 Bronze award in November 2012, Stephanie Ireland, regional director for Northern Ireland, describes the next steps: “This was the first time that we’d ever quantified our performance in specific areas so it was interesting to focus people’s attention on those points and see the figures improve month-on-month. Since achieving SC21 we have found a lot more customers within the aerospace, defence, and security industries are willing to work with us, even if they haven’t gained SC21 themselves.
“Our aim now is to continue to build upon this further with aspirations of achieving the Silver award next year. We’re also trying to roll out some of the KPI’s for SC21 across all of our customers no matter what sector they operate in, as this is based upon the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) continuous improvement business model, which has applications across a number of industries,” she adds.
The programme also presented DHL Global Forwarding (UK) Limited with an opportunity to demonstrate that its own internal values are aligned to such recognised accreditation. This is primarily in the form of the internal improvement programme ‘First Choice’, which is so called because DHL wants to become the first choice for its customers by continually improving the processes used to deliver customer satisfaction.
One such development is the implementation of a new global IT platform which covers all business activities within global forwarding such as customer relationship management, operation, finance, freight tracking, and inventory management.
“Everything we do around improvement is always geared first towards listening to what the customer’s requirements are, what they might need for the future, how they see the markets changing, and how they think an organisation like DHL would need to evolve to support that. We start at that point and then work back into the business to identify what we need to do to change and improve, which encompasses everything from work practices to training, all under the ‘First Choice’ banner. Global forwarding and logistics is a very competitive business and in order to be able to succeed in this market we need to be as efficient as possible. By instilling this in our own business through schemes like SC21 and ‘First Choice’ we are then able to pass the benefits back to our customers as well,” concludes Peter.
For more information on DHL contact Peter Tuttle at
DHL Global Forwarding (UK) Limited
Services Freight forwarding and logistics
“Global Forwarding works closely within our business unit with Freight, who offer a flexible and customised road and intermodal Europe-wide transportation network, and our sister business divisions – Express and Supply Chain. Increasingly many customers, especially within the aerospace sector, see the value of working with one organisation that can offer the range of service that the DHLGroup, as the world’s largest logistics provider, can deliver,” outlines Jason King, quality and environment manager at DHLGlobal Forwarding (UK) Limited.
Senior director & head of aerospace, government & defence Peter Tuttle continues: “What we are trying to do at DHLis to be able to offer the customer complete logistics solutions, and if you consider the wider DHLGroup we have the tools to do that. Whilst some of our customers are interested in buying a completely tailored solution, others choose to trade with us just for certain parts of the supply chain, so we are flexible to those needs.”
As an operator within the aerospace, defence and security sector, DHLGlobal Forwarding (UK) Limited is an active member of the ADADS trade organisation. It was following an ADADS conference in April 2011 that the business was introduced to the SC21 supply chain programme as a growing requirement for suppliers of goods in the aerospace, defence and security sector.
SC21 is fundamentally designed to continually improve the supply chain by delivering products and services on time, and to a high quality standard. Describing how DHLGlobal Forwarding (UK) Limited became involved in the programme Jason says: “Whilst at the ADADS conference one of our existing customers explained how SC21 has driven a real improvement in their processes, and as a result they encouraged their suppliers to invest in SC21 as well. This would bring its own benefits to the suppliers, and also strengthen their competitive edge in the procurement processes for manufactured goods.”
Working in collaboration with its divisional partner DHLSupply Chain, the company’s Belfast facility began the SC21 process as sponsored by one of its customers, with Steve Barker, UK CEOCEOCEO, sponsoring the programme on behalf of DHLGlobal Forwarding (UK) Limited. The first steps were to evaluate the management commitment and system that was already in place against the requirements of SC21. As an accredited business to ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001: 2004, DHLGlobal Forwarding (UK) Limited found this beneficial in meeting the majority of the specification, alongside its existing continual improvement programme ‘First Choice’.
With DHLGlobal Forwarding (UK) Limited having achieved the SC21 Bronze award in November 2012, Stephanie Ireland, regional director for Northern Ireland, describes the next steps: “This was the first time that we’d ever quantified our performance in specific areas so it was interesting to focus people’s attention on those points and see the figures improve month-on-month. Since achieving SC21 we have found a lot more customers within the aerospace, defence, and security industries are willing to work with us, even if they haven’t gained SC21 themselves.
“Our aim now is to continue to build upon this further with aspirations of achieving the Silver award next year. We’re also trying to roll out some of the KPI’s for SC21 across all of our customers no matter what sector they operate in, as this is based upon the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) continuous improvement business model, which has applications across a number of industries,” she adds.
The programme also presented DHL Global Forwarding (UK) Limited with an opportunity to demonstrate that its own internal values are aligned to such recognised accreditation. This is primarily in the form of the internal improvement programme ‘First Choice’, which is so called because DHL wants to become the first choice for its customers by continually improving the processes used to deliver customer satisfaction.
One such development is the implementation of a new global IT platform which covers all business activities within global forwarding such as customer relationship management, operation, finance, freight tracking, and inventory management.
“Everything we do around improvement is always geared first towards listening to what the customer’s requirements are, what they might need for the future, how they see the markets changing, and how they think an organisation like DHL would need to evolve to support that. We start at that point and then work back into the business to identify what we need to do to change and improve, which encompasses everything from work practices to training, all under the ‘First Choice’ banner. Global forwarding and logistics is a very competitive business and in order to be able to succeed in this market we need to be as efficient as possible. By instilling this in our own business through schemes like SC21 and ‘First Choice’ we are then able to pass the benefits back to our customers as well,” concludes Peter.
For more information on DHL contact Peter Tuttle at
DHL Global Forwarding (UK) Limited
Services Freight forwarding and logistics