Schenker – Program of Excellence in Developing Relationships Schenker – Carter – Drivers

SITUATION/PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:
Schenker is a logistics company. Its business in a large part is based on cooperation with companies employing drivers and drivers themselves as they play a crucial role in the process of providing services to customers, building the company’s position on the market and its effective operation. The results of the satisfaction surveys conducted among drivers and shippers showed that relationships with the company require more attention on every stage of the cooperation. As the response to this need the projects entitled Program of Excellence in Developing Relationships Schenker- Carter- Drivers.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION/SOLUTION:
The objective of the program was to increase the stability of cooperation among carters by building long-term relationships based on partnership and also to increase the satisfaction among shippers and drivers in their cooperation with the company. The project also assumed the improvement of the image of the company in the eyes of clients and reinforcing the company’s competitive advantage.

The program was divided into several projects:

Sorting out the cooperation with drivers concerning such issues as:

• changing personnel policies towards drivers, (e.g. a new system of assessment of drivers, new training programs);
• corporate logos, car leasing and shared use of cars in national and international transportation;
• introducing common life insurance for drivers;

Actions enabling shippers work for the benefits of the company e.g. through education, reduction of communication costs between Schenker, carters and drivers;

Introducing the system of fuel cards for carters;

Creating a new database facilitating management of shippers and drivers;

Each projects from the Program is managed by a different leader. Additionally, the company created a post of a coordinator of the entire Program whose job is to monitor all the works. This process also involved the managers of the highest managerial level who were the decision makers in the projects. Operational employees from various company branches as well as representatives of shippers and drivers were invited to work on specific tasks.

BENEFITS:

• Better system of managing drivers and carters;
• Improvement of communication between carters and drivers, better feedback;
• Increase in the satisfaction level, involvement and loyalty of the drivers.

CHALLENGES:

• Some of the aspects proposed in the projects required integrating in the internal aspects of the operation of shipping companies (e.g. way of recruiting drivers). Not all the firms were ready to such changes, perceiving it as their internal matter. The method adopted to overcome this problem is careful communication with shippers;
• Shippers’ interest in the cost saving projects was lower than it had been expected. In this case Schenker decided to work out solutions which would give better results and clearer benefits from the partners’ viewpoint.

WORTH REMEMBERING:

• To prepare and make the program work effectively it is indispensable to involve employees of various levels including managerial staff;
• Communication with all interested parties – the dialogue which aims at reaching an agreement, elucidating doubts, persuading the necessity to introduce some solutions so that the proposed changes are introduced not only on paper but also in real daily operation.