dachser magazin 02/13 english
TRANSCRIPT
EDITION 2/2013
THE WORLD OF INTELLIGENT LOGISTICSmagazine
AIR FREIGHT HEAVY LOADTO BRAZIL
FOOD LOGISTICS A NEW NETWORKFOR EUROPE
DACHSER GROWS WITH AZKAR
TRUSTING IN THE FAMILY
New in the Dachser management: Azkar CEO Juan A. Quintana (left)
and president of the board of directors José A. Orozco
02 DACHSER magazine
NUMBERS THAT COUNT
World patent champions
Patent applications worldwide
Mini world champions Swiss innovators submit 4,000 patents a year to the
international patent offices. Extrapolated to the 8 million
inhabitants, the Swiss thus have the most industrious
inventors. (Source: Interpharma)
Source: World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO, 2011
Source: World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO, 2011
“I’ve found it,” proclaimed Archimedes the Greek of Syracuse on discovering the principle of buoyancy. Discoveries and inventions like these keep reinventing the world we live in.
EUREKA!
15.1%
24.6%
7.6%6.7%
20.4%
16.0%
8.9% 8.4%
23.8% 23.5%
21
3
China
526,412 patents Japan
342,610patents
USA526,412patents
ChinaEuropean Patent
Office Japan South Korea USA
Percentage 2008
Percentage 2011
DACHSER magazine 03
CONTENTS
04
16
20
28
COVER STORY
Integration: Dachser’s shared path with Azkar and Transunion 04
FORUM
People and markets: 10Quality management in food logistics; Dachser in figures; social networks Symbols: Signs of change 14
COMPETENCE
Distribution: Logistics for cosmetics manufacturer Rituals 16Food Logistics: An interview with Alfred Miller about demanding markets and the European Food Network 20vivengo: New standards in European food logistics 23
NETWORK
Air & Sea Logistics: Air freight to Brazil – a heavyweight takes off 24Network competence: News from the world of Dachser 26Iberian Peninsula: Markets with prospects 28
BUSINESS LOUNGE
Improvisation: Bernhard Simon meets Dr Christopher Dell 32
GOOD NEWS
Teamwork: The “yellow angel” principle 35
ImprintPublished by: Dachser GmbH & Co. KG, Memminger Str. 140, 87439 Kempten, Germany, Internet: www.dachser.com Overall responsibility: Dr Andreas Froschmayer Editor-
in-chief: Anne Huschka, Tel.: +49 831 5916-1423, Fax: +49 831 5916-8-1423, e-mail: [email protected] Editors: Martin Neft, Christian Weber, Theresia Gläser Publisher:
Burda Creative Group GmbH, Arabellastr. 23, 81925 Munich, Germany, Tel.: +49 89 9250-1320, Fax: +49 89 9250-1680 Managing director: Gregor Vogelsang, Dr-Ing. Christian Fill
Project manager Burda Creative Group: Marcus Schick Design: Ralph Zimmermann Photos: all photos Dachser except Denis Doyle (pp. 1, 3, 4–9), iStockphoto (pp. 2, 3, 10,
11, 14, 15, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31), Tony Baggett/panthermedia.net (p. 13), Voith (pp. 24, 25), Rituals (pp. 3, 16–19), Jörg Reuther (pp. 3, 20–22), Frank Schinski (p. 35),
Illustration: Ralph Zimmermann (pp. 32–34) Printer: AZ Druck und Datentechnik GmbH, 87437 Kempten, Germany Circulation: 38,000/54th volume Publication: 4 x per year
Languages: German, English, French. The DACHSER magazine is printed on NovaTech paper certified in accordance with the FSC® mix for sustainable forestry.
F Our DACHSER
eLetter is packed with even
more information.
To find out more, visit:
www.dachser.com/news-en
DACHSER magazine 5
COVER STORY
What can Azkar customers expect?
J. Quintana: As a logistics provider we are
first and foremost a customer-oriented com-
pany. This distinguishes us from classical
product suppliers. We need to precisely un-
derstand our customers’ changing needs at
all times and respond to them accordingly
with flexible solutions. As a result of interna-
tionalization, multicultural aspects are nowa-
days also increasingly influencing operating
activities. In cooperation with Dachser this
opens up exciting perspectives for both our
customers and us.
Azkar and Dachser have been cooperating
since the beginning of 2007. The acquisi-
tion followed at the beginning of this year.
What was the deciding factor for Azkar?
J. Orozco: We had a very good feeling about
the cooperation right from the start. Both
companies shared the same basic approach to
corporate leadership and logistics. For us it
was important in light of the unclear issue
of management succession at Azkar that in
Dachser we have found a company that will
continue and secure our successful develop-
ment as a family business and keep the Azkar
spirit alive.
J. Quintana: Azkar and Dachser have pur-
sued common goals with a similar set of
values and a fundamentally long-term strat-
egy for some time now. On this basis, our
collaboration with Dachser’s management
board has also been very close and trusting.
What overlap was there between the
respective business models?
J. Quintana: Azkar and Dachser have a
similar entrepreneurial basis. In both com -
panies the top management personalities ‡
At talks in Madrid: Juan A. Quintana (l.) and José A. Orozco (r.)
Azkar is an evocative brand on the Iberian logistics market. Since being acquired by Dachser, the company is even more intensively associated with the European network. CEO Juan A. Quintana and president of the board of directors José A. Orozco talk about the merger of two family enterprises and new perspectives for logistics customers.
TRUSTING IN THE
FAMILY
COVER STORY
6 DACHSER magazine
act as ‘entrepreneurs within the enterprise’.
This means the respective decision-makers
on the ground assume responsibility for
local business, their customers and the func-
tioning of the network. In this respect, too,
Azkar brings a very sound basis of 15,000
portfolio customers in Spain and Portugal
into the union. With over 3,000 staff work-
ing in 71 branch offices and supported by
some 2,000 external drivers the company is
able to contribute significantly to increasing
both the extent and quality of the products
and services offered. And now that with
Transunion an Iberian air and sea logistics
operator has also been added to the network,
this presents excellent possibilities for us to
offer our customers complete supply chains
overland, in the air and by sea with a focus
on exports.
First cooperation, now a joint under -
taking. How do customers benefit from
Azkar being fully integrated into the
Dachser network?
J. Quintana: We are now a full member of
the Dachser family and as such are fit to
take on the challenges of the future. Our
customers can also build on this depend -
ability and on our stable network. Companies
operating Europe-wide, such as the health-
care provider Hartmann, can integrate with
us even more closely because with procure-
ment logistics from Germany we are able to
map the entire supply chain from a single
source. The merger enables us to offer our
customers integrated services which are
unique in this form in Spain and Portugal.
Moreover, we are also looking to develop
new niches in the Iberian market. For
example in the field of dangerous goods, a
segment in which Dachser has many years
of experience.
What potential do you see specifically
for the Iberian market?
J. Quintana: In Spain and Portugal the
crisis has dictated difficult market conditions
of late. However, Azkar managed to weather
Air and sea freight extendedWith Transunion, Dachser took
over a family-run international air
and sea freight forwarding com -
pany at the beginning of the year
following 15 years of successful
cooperation. “Transunion is a
perfect match for Dachser and
our Global 2.0 growth strategy,”
ex plains Thomas Reuter, manag ing
director Dachser Air & Sea
Logistics. “We are taking over
Transunion along with the existing
management team headed by
Federico Camañez and all employ-
ees and will lead the company
into the future as an autonomous
ASL country organization within
the Dachser network.” As a market
leader in Spanish air and sea
freight operations, Transunion has
maintained good volumes espe -
cially on the strong Spain – Latin
America trading route. But Dachser
customers in Europe also stand
to benefit from the takeover, among
other things from better access
to the growing Turkish market.
Added to this are nine branch
offices at Spain’s major sea and
airports. “In combination with
Azkar’s overland transport net -
work,” Reuter says, “we now cover
almost all aspects of the logistics
busi ness on the Iberian Peninsula.”
INFO
hhAs a logistics provider we are first and foremost
a customer-oriented company. This distinguishes us
from classical product suppliers. We need to precisely
understand our customers’ needs at all times and respond
to them accordingly with flexible solutionsJuan A. Quintana,
Azkar CEO
Logistics at Azkar’s Madrid warehouse
DACHSER magazine 7
COVER STORY
the storm comparatively well, while keeping
staff levels stable. This has created the basis
for continued dynamic growth aligned
with an export-oriented strategy within the
Dachser network. The decisive factor for our
customers is our ability at all times to offer
excellent quality at fair prices. This is the
key to the future.
J. Orozco: I am confident. While the crisis
on the Iberian Peninsula is not yet over -
come, the markets are nevertheless beginning
to stabilize. Economists are signalling that
things are picking up.
J. Quintana: Azkar as a company was not
in a crisis. In the past few years we have
deliberately targeted new markets and are
therefore positioned differently today from
five years ago. On the one hand our activities
still focus on our domestic markets and on
the other hand now also clearly on exports
and business abroad. Integration into
Dachser’s network offers the best possible
prerequisites to continue along this sus -
tained path of growth.
What, in your opinion, are the main drivers
of growth in this process?
J. Quintana: Size and network competence
are the decisive criteria in the logistics
market. In 2013, Dachser is steering towards
the five-billion-euro threshold in terms of
revenue, to which the Iberian Peninsula
contributes 500 million euros. That is not
only a competitive advantage; it also creates
the best possible conditions for the future.
Azkar brings very loyal customers into the
equation that we have served for many years.
They know us and we know their needs
inside out. Together with Dachser, we are
aiming to continue to build on this.
J. Orozco: Service providers have to manage
their local and regional business, but increas-
ingly with a global understanding. As supply
chain management becomes increasingly
complex, demands on a new quality also
grow, which we as a learning organization
are required to meet time and again.
How have you been accepted as new col-
leagues by the Dachser management?
J. Quintana: I can answer that question in a
single sentence: we have felt at home with
Dachser from the word go. When meeting
our new colleagues, for example recently at
Dachser’s Global Leadership Conference
in Hamburg, we have always felt totally ‡
Dachser welcomes its new Iberian colleagues with open arms.
“We have been working intensively on the Iberian market for 30 years.
Whenever the topic of quality comes up with our major customers
there, the name Azkar is mentioned. We in Benelux are therefore excited
that Azkar is now part of the Dachser family. The corporate manage-
ment of Azkar and Dachser are well-matched and form a solid basis for
future cooperation.”
Aat van der Meer, Dachser Benelux
“I love Spain. Every year I spend a few days, or better a few weeks,
there on holiday. I have always experienced friendly people, excellent
cuisine and great architecture. That’s one reason why I’m pleased
that Azkar is now part of the Dachser family. In day-to-day operations
this opens up whole new possibilities to offer customers such as
Seat high-quality and intelligent possibilities both in Spain and at the
production site in the Czech Republic. Together with Azkar we can
make the best of these new opportunities.”
Petr Kozel, Dachser Czech Republic
“In Scandinavia we are very pleased about the new addition to the
Dachser family. We have previously had super service from Azkar as a
partner. We are therefore confident that its full integration will make
us all stronger. We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new
colleagues.”
Finn Skovbo Pedersen, Dachser Nordic A/S
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY
The name Azkar has an evocative ring in Spain
COVER STORY
8 DACHSER magazine
With the new strategic alignment
on the Iberian Peninsula, Dachser
is consistently expanding its
European network. Michael Schilling,
managing director European Network
Management & Logistics Systems,
points the way ahead.
“Through the acquisition of Azkar we
have closed one of the remaining
gaps in the Dachser network. It has
always been and still is our policy only
to make acquisitions or build up our
own organization when we can be
sure the company in question is
compatible with us and we are in a
position to incorporate it in line with
our philosophy of a ‘wholly integrated
network’. Azkar’s management
now carries responsibility for the whole
of the Iberian Peninsula. This results
primarily from a uniform understanding
of the market in which we do not
distinguish between Spain and
Portugal, but rather experience full
integration of the two markets as a
day-to-day reality in line with the
motto ‘one market, one system, one
team’. We will continue to develop
this absolutely stable, powerful and
unique basis in the best interests
of our customers.”
COMPLETELYCOMPATIBLE
Logistics at a high level: the customer always comes first
DACHSER magazine 9
COVER STORY
welcome. Personally, I have been particularly
impressed by the openness for all topics and
issues as well as the highly flexible mindset.
Bernhard Simon has said “Azkar will bring
greater changes for Dachser than Dachser
will for Azkar”. Do you share this view?
J. Quintana: With the acquisition of Azkar
and Transunion Dachser’s centre of gravity
has shifted slightly from central Europe
towards the Ibero-American markets. With
their historically rooted experience especial-
ly in the Latin American markets, Spain
and Portugal can also provide important
impulses for Dachser’s ongoing internation-
alization.
J. Orozco: We see it as our responsibility to
bring new ideas and talents into the com -
pany. And to do so with passion and profes-
sionalism.
J. Quintana: Ultimately what counts is
mutual trust. I am convinced that with the
joined forces of Dachser and Azkar we can
position ourselves as strong brands in the
Ibero-American world. I believe there is
great potential for the future here.
Dachser and Azkar: two families – one history A glance at Azkar’s company history reveals astonishing parallels to
Dachser’s evolution: from its foundation in 1933 up to the 1970s, Azkar was
a regional company. This was followed by an expansion phase that lasted
into the 1990s. With the help of agencies and external partners new markets
were developed first in the east of the country and then throughout Spain
and finally Portugal. A third phase at the turn of the century heralded a period
of consolidation, professionalization and internationalization. This included
cooperation with Graveleau, at the time Dachser’s French and Portuguese
subsidiary. From 2007, this cooperation with Dachser became closer
through the first takeover of shares. Effective from 15 January 2013, Dachser
acquired the remaining shares in the Spanish logistics provider.
INFO
hhService providers have to manage their
local and regional business, but increasingly
with a global understanding
José A. Orozco, president of the board
of directors at Azkar
Valencia
Madrid
Barcelona
Bilbao
Sevilla
Oporto
Lisbon
Iberian network competence
With Azkar and Transunion and the locations in Spain and Portugal, Dachser’s network will become even more efficient.
SPAIN
PORTUGAL
FORUM
10 DACHSER magazine
Mr Pflüger, what does quality management
mean for Dachser Food Logistics?
Chr. Pflüger: On the one hand logistics
providers are part of the supply chain and
are subject to the same statutory food-safety
requirements as manufacturers. We are there-
fore obligated to ensure traceability and
“good hygiene practice” in line with HACCP
standards. So we can’t simply choose whether
we want to manage quality or not. Apart
from the legal aspect, we at Dachser on the
other hand aim to provide a first-class quali-
ty service. This means our QM system not
only needs to take account of the sensitive
nature of the transported goods, but also the
customers’ desire for punctual, complete and
undamaged delivery of their goods, as well
as prompt information.
What do you do in order to meet these
requirements?
To start with, QM is organized on the one
hand in a central unit at head office in
Kempten and on the other hand decentrally
in all facilities. Central QM reports directly
to the board of management. This shows just
how seriously we take quality policy at
Dachser. If you have to deliver several thou-
sand consignments a day up and down the
country within 24 hours, you can’t avoid stan-
dards. We define all workflows with pro -
cess descriptions and work instructions and
document these in our QM manual. Head
office additionally monitors compliance with
these guidelines through evaluations and
audits and coordinates training and develop-
ment of the QM system, for example in the
event of changes to the relevant laws, stan-
dards, forwarding processes or equipment.
This is where our 24 quality management
officers come in. A quality management offi-
cer is responsible in every branch office for
compliance with the standards and laws and
further refines the processes.
How much of this do your customers
notice?
Apart from food safety, customer satisfaction
is our top priority. Suppliers notice this from
the low number of complaints and damage
ratios as well as our responsiveness. In partic-
ular during seasonal peaks and 4-day weeks
it is noticeable that we deploy only our own
staff for the transshipment and order picking
process as well as for value added services.
In the event of manufacturer recalls a crisis
management team immediately takes care
of the matter. Thanks to our sophisticated
IT systems we are able to trace the consign-
ment concerned within a matter of minutes.
We frequently receive letters from our cus-
tomers thanking us for the quick and smooth
handling of recalls. But there are also direct
contacts: our quality management officers
are the first port of call for our customers
in all matters relating to quality. They en-
courage an exchange of views in circles or
work together to develop packing solutions
designed to minimize damage.
What role do certificates play in this?
Certificates in accordance with DIN ISO
9001 and IFS Logistics are in fact to some
extent a by-product of what we do. Of course
our customers expect such documents – and
they make a lot of things much easier.
And I won’t deny that we are proud to have
so far been awarded the “higher level” in
all branch offices and in all IFS Logistics
audits. To obtain the higher level you have
to achieve a result of over 95 percent and
we even get as much as 99.15 percent. But
QM is not an end in itself and does not
primarily serve to pass audits. Most recently
we have completely integrated our ware-
houses into the ISO system.
QU
ALI
TY
MA
NA
GE
ME
NT
Standards in food logistics
TRANSPARENT PROCESSESFoodstuffs are sensitive goods. Christian Pflüger,
head of Food Logistics quality management at Dachser,
talks about challenging food logistics.
DACHSER magazine 11
FORUM
Providing the best quality the market can
offer – with this objective, Dachser Food
Logistics satisfies the market demands for
high-quality service. This ambition has evolv -
ed historically. Back in 1988 the logistics
provider produced a first “refrigerated goods
service manual” which systematically describ -
ed all necessary activities and processes and
defined an organization-wide quality level.
Today all 27 Food Logistics branch offices
are certified in accordance with DIN ISO
9001:2008 as well as IFS Logistics. At a
number of branch offices where organic
products are stored, Dachser is also accredit -
ed to handle organic produce.
In February 2013, the first branch offices
were certified in accordance with the now
binding IFS version 2 – again achieving
“higher level”. The challenge of the new
version is compliance with the food defence
requirements. To satisfy these, providers must
implement procedures designed to enable
them to identify and minimize deliberate
and unauthorized manipulations of food
products.
Quality management at Dachser is backed
by a transparent process chain that is en -
sured through package scanning. This allows
Food Logistics
BETTER ON THE SAFE SIDE
In food logistics quality is the measure of all things and an absolute
must to ensure food safety. Dachser relies on a commitment to quality that
goes far beyond the legal requirements.
ISO 9001 defines minimum requirements for a QM system
in order to meet customer as well as statutory demands on product
and/or service quality.
IFS Logistics is an audit standard based on a homogeneous evaluation
system with the objective to establish comparability and transparency
throughout the entire supply chain.
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is a preventive
approach to analysing and controlling hazards in health-critical processes.
STANDARDS
Dachser not only to provide customers with
a gap-free shipment history including cur-
rent status in real time, but also with a supply
chain event management system. The tool
for proactive, automatic display of delivery
obstacles (“Active Report”) has become a hit
with Dachser customers, whose customer
service departments no longer have to chase
up consignments. Thus early decisions can be
taken concerning appropriate procedures for
goods approaching their best-before date –
a USP compared to the competition.
FORUM: PEOPLE & MARKETS
Strategy
TARGETING REVENUE OF 5 BILLION EUROS
The head of Dachser’s management
board had good news when he
presented the company’s financials
in Munich at the end of March.
Corporate data 2012
Revenue: € 4.41 bn
(+ 3.7%)
Staff: 21,650(+ 650)
Profit centres worldwide: 347
Tonnage: 37.5 m tonnes
(+ 1.1%)
Consignments: 49.8 m(+ 1.0%)
Revenue by business field 2012
European Logistics: € 2.661 bn
(+ 1.4%)
Air & Sea Logistics: € 1.305 bn
(+ 7.4%)
Food Logistics: € 573 bn
(+ 13.2%)
Dachser increased group revenue to EUR
4.41 billion in the 2012 financial year,
which is 3.7 percent higher than 2011. This
was achieved despite a difficult and unstable
economy in many parts of the world, espe-
cially in Europe. “Even against this back-
ground we succeeded in consolidating the
organic growth of the previous years and
maintained our stable position on the mar-
ket,” summarizes Simon. As a family enter-
prise that takes a long-term approach to
planning, Dachser adopted a counter-cyclical
approach in 2012 and compared to 2011
increased its capital investment by around
10 percent to EUR 148 million. “This
way,” says Simon, “we are laying
the foundation for further
growth.” The recent acquisi-
ti ons of the Spanish logistics
providers Azkar and Trans -
union have also contribut -
ed to this (see also p. 4 ff ).
Including these acquisi -
ti ons and expected organic
growth, Simon is anticipat-
ing that Dachser will ex-
ceed revenue of five billion
euros for the first time in
the current business year.
IN BRIEF
At Dachser by far the lion’s share
of the profit is ploughed back
into the company. With an equity ratio
unchanged at 41 percent at the end
of 2012, Dachser is able to finance
its investments largely from cash flow.
12 DACHSER magazine
hhDespite the still
difficult market
situation in Europe,
Dachser aims to continue
to grow organically in 2013
Bernhard Simon
DACHSER magazine 13
FORUM: PEOPLE & MARKETS
WHEN CARS LEARNED TO WALK ...
150 years ago, on 30 July 1863 near Detroit,
Henry Ford was born. His method of building
cars on a moving assembly line not only
sealed the fate of the horse as a mode of
mass transportation, it also gave momentum
to a modern industrial production increasing-
ly based on the division of labour. While
critical observers saw the production line as
the symbol of a progressive “detachment”
from work, to Henry Ford it was a blessing.
Structured work processes allowed him to
introduce the eight-hour working day, above-
average pay and profit participation for
workers. Which in turn was intended to bene-
fit his company. The logic being that the
purchasing power of his workers stimulated
sales of the cars they produced and hence
the entire economic cycle. The same sort
of pragmatism was reflected in the model
range: “Any customer can have a car painted
any colour that he wants,” was Ford’s credo,
“so long as it is black.”
Social networking
CAREER ON THE WEB
Social networks are also changing the way
companies communicate with job applicants.
“DACHSER Careers” on Facebook
encourages dialogue.
The world is networked. Any time, anywhere. Social networks like
Facebook, google+, twitter, linkedin or tumblr connect people
across continents and cultural divides. On Facebook alone
almost one billion people worldwide connected up in April.
“Communication always follows its target group,” says Birgit
Kastner-Simon, head of Dachser’s Corporate Marketing divi -
sion. “The social web and Facebook first and foremost have also
changed the way companies develop and communicate brand
messages. The maxim is: listen and act quickly, while remaining
authentic and personal.” And this is precisely where the new
“DACHSER Careers” page comes in, to be found on Facebook
since March. The “DACHSER Careers” Facebook page has
been designed, configured and launched in-house under the
direction of Julia Gebauer.
She will also be responsible for
future topic management and
regular updating. Anybody
who is interested can sign up as
a fan of “DACHSER Careers”
and participate in the dialogue.
Dr Thilo Büsching, Profes -
sor for Internet Management
at the Würzburg-Schweinfurt
University of Applied Sciences,
sees employer branding on the Web as an ideal opportunity
for companies to address potential candidates and communi -
cate their plus points in an active dialogue. “The main thing is
on the one hand to find topics, media and interaction forums
that really spark the interest of the target group, and on the other
to answer questions openly and authentically. Sensitive, timely,
data protection-compliant, creative and at the same time normal
dialogue is the no. 1 success factor. Benefits, services portfolio
and corporate culture are communicated en passant. And of
course the prospects for young people. Ideally, young talents
would base their applications on the Web 2.0 criteria or the HR
department would succeed in directly approaching high potential
candidates via social networks.” As part of a living corporate
culture, the media economist believes career pages on the Web
should not be seen as a stand-alone channel, “but always as an
integral part of the company’s overall communication policy”.
www.facebook.com/dachsercareersF
hAdam and Eve were deceived by the
crafty serpent’s promise of divine
wisdom. They were tempted into eating of
the forbidden fruit – and were promptly ban-
ished from the Garden of Eden. The Biblical
text about the Fall of Man has inspired dozens
of artists, who interpreted the fruit as an
apple. For centuries, the bitten apple served
as the Christian symbol of original sin.
Nowadays, the first thing people tend to
associate with the bitten apple symbol is a
telephone. The logo that now adorns all
Macs and i-devices was created for iPhone
manufacturer Apple by designer Rob Janoff
in 1977.
With the apple it’s the same as with other
symbols: what people think of when they see
them can rapidly change. This doesn’t pre-
vent states, organizations and corporations
from creating symbolic insignia: they target
the recipients of their times – and use strong
images, colossal monuments or memorable
logotypes to appeal to the basic human need
for points of reference.
Building with significanceArchitects traditionally play an important
role in this. The more monumental an edifice
is, the more likely it is to become imprinted
in the collective memory. The pyramids of
Giza, for example are still a symbol of the
power of the pharaohs 4,700 years after they
were built. Today stone blocks have been re-
placed by steel and glass, but the trend for
monumental buildings is unbroken, symbol-
ic as they are of the economic potency of their
owners.
The title “world’s tallest building” is current-
ly held by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The
skyscraper is more than twice as high as
the Empire State Building, which was the
world’s tallest building until 1972. This
was overtaken by the World Trade Centre.
At the time, no one would have dreamt that
one day the Twin Towers would stand for a
nation’s vulnerability. A similarly tragic
change of symbolism befell the Titanic.
Designed as a symbol of luxury and privilege,
since her tragic maiden voyage the luxury
liner has above all stood for delusions of
grandeur.
They make complex concepts simpler and have anidentity-building effect: symbols have served as pointsof reference for human cultures – and hence as mirrorsof societies and their economies – through the ages.
FORUM: ESSAY
14 DACHSER magazine
SIGNS OF
CHANGE
Brands and mediaWe might expect that with the dissemination
of mass media and the Internet the power
of symbols would diminish. But the opposite
is the case: the more complex the world
appears to be, the more we yearn for simple
identifying markings.
Companies take advantage of this and every
year plough billions into creating brands
and logos. With success: the Mercedes star,
the Lacoste crocodile, McDonald’s golden
arches or the Coca-Cola logotype are literal-
ly familiar to every child – at least in western
consumer societies: studies show that three-
year-olds in the US already recognize an
average of 100 logos. Accordingly, well-
known brands come at a price: experts value
the brand with the bitten apple alone at a
full 70 billion dollars, original sin or not.
Incidentally, the Biblical symbolism did not
prevail in the case of the serpent either.
Instead of being confined to the sidelines as
an agent of the devil, the snake is nowadays
used as a symbol for many medical insti -
tutions. Even going back to the Ancient
Greeks, the snake was believed to have
healing powers. S. Ermisch
At sign, e-snail, apetail...pretty imaginative, the associations symbol interpretershave given to one of the most widely used symbols in the world. In e-mail addresses the @ links user and domain name and isconsidered the standardsignal for the Internet.Its origin is unclear, but is commonly assumed to date backto pre-online times.Some trace it back tomediaeval times, as a contraction for the Latin word “ad” (to, toward, at) or a derivation of “arroba”, a unit of weight or volume used in France,Spain and Portugal and corresponding to 10 kilogrammes or 15 litres.
hhThe more monumental
an edifice is, the more
likely it is to become imprinted on the
collective memory
FORUM: ESSAY
DACHSER magazine 15
Symbols have a strong impact: be it as messengersof peace, saviours, seducersor monuments of power
COMPETENCE: DISTRIBUTION LOGISTICS
16 DACHSER magazine
Part of the concept: the shop becomes an oasis
of wellbeing
DACHSER magazine 17
COMPETENCE: DISTRIBUTION LOGISTICS
Dutch cosmetics manufacturer Rituals is on course forsuccess with its luxury Home and Body cosmetics. Not least thanks to reliable Europe-wide distribution thathas to meet the one or the other challenge.
h It’s all about pampering yourself: with
five products in an attractive gift box
the “Ultimate Hammam Collection” allows
you to experience the Turkish Hammam
ritual at home. The products give a nice
warm tingling after-sensation on the skin, fill
your bathroom with the fragrance of euca-
lyptus and make you feel like you have been
reborn. “Most people go through life running
on autopilot,” says Raymond Cloosterman.
The founder of the Dutch cosmetics brand
Rituals should know. At the end of the
1990s he was working for a major consumer
RELAX ANDBREATHE DEEPLY
goods manufacturer in Paris. Managing
global brands was his daily bread and butter.
Then his employer released him from his
duties for three months: Cloosterman was
supposed to develop a new brand, but was
initially overwhelmed by having so much
free time on his hands. “I was used to dash-
ing from one appointment to the next,” he
says looking back. The Dutchman made
use of his new freedom in order to travel.
His travels introduced him to a number of
ritu als designed to promote wellbeing,
such as Indian Ayurveda, Chinese Tao ‡
COMPETENCE: DISTRIBUTION LOGISTICS
18 DACHSER magazine
time slots. This means route planning be-
comes especially important.” Roland Bloem,
sales manager at Dachser in Zevenaar in the
Netherlands adds: “As some of the products
contain alcohol, the regulations governing
dangerous goods transports are relevant.”
Dachser is responsible for collecting the
Rituals products from the central warehouse
in the Netherlands and distributing them
Europe-wide.
A clear conscience In the four years since the start of coop -
eration the number of consignments has
steadily grown. In 2012, the figure was up
by 27 percent compared to the previous year.
And Rituals is growing not only in terms of
sales, but also when it comes to applications:
anybody wanting to discover the ceremonies
for themselves can find guidance and inspi-
ration at one of the Rituals spas. These oases
Combatting stress: relaxing as if in a Turkish spa
and Japanese Tatsu. Back in Amsterdam, he
opened a store for Home & Body products
in 2000.
Shops in top locations But the brand expert was up for more. He
wanted to sell his products internationally.
Today Rituals employs a staff of 1,155 who
market over 400 products in 13 different
countries. The range extends from body and
skin care, via perfumes and make-up, teas
and room fragrances, to a range of comfort-
able clothing. Germany is one of the biggest
sales markets alongside the UK, Spain and
Belgium. It is planned to add another ten
stores to the existing 47 bespoke stores in
Germany in 2013 alone. Rituals is present
with a shop-in-shop concept at another
28 locations across the country. These are
mostly up-market department stores in
top locations, for example Alsterhaus in
Hamburg and KaDeWe in Berlin. “We are
of course very pleased about these inner-city
locations, but at the same time they re pre -
sent quite a challenge for our logistics part-
ner,” says Mark Hoppenbrouwers, Supply
Chain Director at Rituals. “Deliveries may
only be made to the downtown shops and
department stores within narrowly defined
Dachser Netherlands coordinates logistics for Rituals
from Zevenaar
hhDeliveries may only be made
to the downtown shops and department stores
within narrowly defined time slots. This means route
planning becomes especially important
Mark Hoppenbrouwers, Supply Chain Director
at Rituals
DACHSER magazine 19
COMPETENCE: DISTRIBUTION LOGISTICS
of wellbeing can currently be found above
all in the Netherlands and Belgium. But that,
too, is set to change. Rituals is positioned
in the up-market segment at affordable
prices. In times of economic uncertainty this
goes down well with consumers. At the tra-
dition-rich de Bijenkorf department store in
Amsterdam Rituals is one of the fastest-sell-
ing brands in the cosmetics department, not
least because a caring attitude towards the
environment and sustainability are also
among the company’s values. The products
are not tested on animals and the company
uses natural, renewable and organic ingredi-
ents in nearly all of its products. Supply
Chain Director Hoppenbrouwers is equally
convinced: “Once you have discovered one of
our ranges for yourself, you won’t want to
miss these relaxing and meaningful rituals as
part of your day-to-day routine.” D. Kunde
On track for growth Rituals has its head office in
Amsterdam and in 2012 generated
revenue of EUR 180 million.
The company is on track for
growth: the company plans to add
at least 100 new products and
50 more outlets in 2013. The Home
and Body cosmetics products are
sold Europe-wide in 250 Rituals
stores as well as 450 shop-in-shop
outlets. They can also be found
on board airlines and in hotels.
The rituals are demonstrated at
bespoke spas. Products can
also be ordered from the webshop
under the following link:
www.rituals.com
Rituals for relaxation and wellbeing
Ayurveda originates in India. The philosophy aims to restore balance
between body, soul and mind through cleansing and meditation,
followed by a richly nurturing ritual.
Hammam is an Oriental cleansing ritual that has been practised for
hundreds of years.
Sakura comes from Japan and celebrates the flowering of the cherry
blossom. It is a symbol of love and happiness.
Tao is an ancient Chinese philosophy centred around achieving
harmony between Yin and Yang – two opposing forces that can only
exist if they are in equilibrium.
Tatsu comes from Japan and translated means “The sign of the dragon”.
It is the symbol for water, purity, courage and strength.
INFO
Transform your everyday routine into a wonderful ritual
F
COMPETENCE: FOOD LOGISTICS
20 DACHSER magazine
Food logistics at Dachser remains on track for growth. Alfred Miller, managing directorDachser Food Logistics, talks about challenging markets and the prospects of the new European Food Network.
But this doesn’t mean people are suddenly
consuming less food.
In what areas did Dachser Food Logistics
gain?
We recorded the biggest increases in our core
business, distribution of national and inter-
national groupage. We also saw double-digit
revenue increases in the field of full truck
loads, whereby intra-European direct trans-
ports grew the strongest.
So you can confidently say: you got every-
thing right...
In principle, yes. We see ourselves confirmed
in our philosophy that quality and trans-
parency in the provision of services pay off
STRATEGICALLY REPOSITIONED
IN EUROPE
Mr Miller, in 2012 Dachser Food Logistics
recorded the strongest growth figures in
the company with a rise in revenue of 13.2
percent. Where does this strong growth
come from in light of the otherwise gener-
ally muted trend in logistics?
Alfred Miller: Not only did we achieve the
strongest revenue growth in the history of
our business field, we also notched up a
revenue record as well as a historical high
in terms of numbers of consignments
and tonnages. However, we can’t compare
logistics for food products and other daily
consumer goods with logistics for indus -
trial goods. In that segment we are indeed
seeing more restrained growth at the mo-
ment due to the general economic trend.
A new European network, a new productworld – for DachserFood Logistics thismarks the start of a new era (see alsopages 23 and 27).
DACHSER magazine 21
COMPETENCE: FOOD LOGISTICS
for our customers over the long term.
Customers who choose Dachser for their
logistics operations place great importance
on a high service level, a low damage ratio
and good supplier evaluation when it comes
to selecting a service provider. We see meas-
urable, high quality as a major factor that
differentiates us from the rest of the market.
But for all the euphoria over the higher
volume of business, the dramatic price devel-
opment in the road haulage market is a cause
for concern. We are not satisfied with the
results of the past few years.
What does this mean for operating busi-
ness?
All stakeholders must finally be clear on
one thing, namely that there are fewer and
fewer drivers. Part of the increase in revenue
in 2012 therefore results from unavoidable
price adjustments due to higher purchase
prices for haulage contracting. At the same
time, however, customers and legislators are
making greater demands on performance,
quality and food safety. We must there -
fore critically examine the compatibility of
all processes affecting goods transport with
one central goal, to ease the workload of
drivers and forwarding agents resulting from
services not related to transport.
But ultimately that can’t compensate the
underlying problem of a growing shortage
of drivers in the long term?
That‘s correct. At Dachser we are continuing
to step up our initiatives, but it’s still not
enough for the market as a whole. If the
gap between supply and demand for trans-
port services continues to widen, this will
inevitably be reflected in the short term in
prices. In recent years many smaller market
participants have paid the price of hoping
for better times with their existence.
It sounds like there’s no way out. What
solutions do you see?
The fact that there are only a handful of
larger food forwarders left in Germany and
that they are not being joined by any new
ones is an unmistakable sign that prices here
are too low. But unfortunately cost leader -
ship and good quality seldom go hand in
hand. We invest millions of euros a year in
our infrastructure in order to provide our
customers with first-class logistics. We in-
tend to continue to do so, but will look very
carefully in future at where we invest and
whether these investments are appropriately
honoured by our customers.
In Poland Dachser is now working to -
gether with Fresh Logistics, a member of
the Raben group. How do you assess the
new partner and what prospects for eastern
Europe do you see from this partnership?
This partner is not so new to us actually;
it’s a company we’ve known for many years.
Fresh Logistics is market leader in Poland
and additionally offers our customers excel-
lent access to the Baltic states and the Czech
Republic. Conversely, Raben/Fresh Logistics
is hoping for the same effect in the regions
of Europe to the west, north and south – a
win-win situation for partners and export
customers on both sides.
In the Netherlands, too, you have recent -
ly switched partners to BakkerLogistiek.
What are your expectations of this cooper-
ation?
Bakker, like Dachser, is a family-owned
company and the leading Dutch provider
for temperature-controlled food logistics.
The Netherlands is by far the most important
target market for the German food industry
– even ahead of France. Conversely, for the
Dutch Germany is also the most important
trading partner for food products. What I
said above with respect to the new relation-
ship between Fresh Logistics and Dachser
therefore also applies by analogy here, possi-
bly even more so.
What do the latest partnerships and acqui-
sitions mean in terms of Dachser’s network
strategy?
The cooperation agreements with Fresh
Logistics and Bakker bring us an important
step closer to our vision of a pan-European
full-coverage food network with uniform
high quality standards. In their national
markets our partners have excellent access to
retailers as well as to producers. Consequent-
ly, customers are equally well served in our
network be it for inter-company transports
or deliveries to processors, retailers or whole-
salers. The ongoing expansion of our partner
network as well as the acquisition of the
shareholding in Papp were for us nothing
other than the implementation of our strate-
gy for Europe to work together in the core
countries with leading specialists in the
market. Dachser’s European positioning con-
stitutes a clear signal for the market.
Against this background what do Dachser
and its partners expect to achieve by setting
up a new European food network?
The establishment of the European Food ‡
hhWe are striving for sustainable growth,
not growth at any price Alfred Miller
Alfred Miller is relying on European networking
COMPETENCE: FOOD LOGISTICS
22 DACHSER magazine
Network with Dachser as a competent and
experienced systems leader is a milestone in
the development of our business field and a
goal we have been working towards for some
time. The network is being set up to consol-
idate the expertise of leading European food
logistics providers for customers operating
Europe-wide. In some cases we have already
been cooperating with these service providers
on the basis of bilateral agreements for many
years. In a multilateral cooperation the rela-
tions between the partners are for the first
time being placed on a uniform footing. On
this basis we can grow together by defining
rules and internal standards: for processes,
liability, documentation, interfaces, quality
management, netting and more besides.
What potential do you see for a European
Food Network?
A common framework and standards open
up new possibilities for us and our partners
to enter a new dimension in European cus-
tomer relations. Suppliers can entrust their
export consignments to our network in the
knowledge that this network will offer them
the best possible transport conditions. Our
partners know the local market conditions
like the back of their hand, have a full-cover-
age network of locations and the necessary
pulling power to ensure efficient handling.
This is of enormous benefit for food pro -
ducers that operate a number of European
production sites and expect the same high
standards of service everywhere.
Doesn’t a network always imply for the
partners sacrificing autonomy for the
benefit of the greater good?
The individual partners stand to benefit more
from the partnership than they will lose. It
will offer every partner a unique development
opportunity: whereas all partners currently
focus on domestic and export business in
individual countries, they will in future as
part of a large-scale, clearly structured or -
ganization be able to participate in complex
major contracts and offer their services
throughout Europe. This gives their com -
panies a much more secure operational basis
for the future. The exclusivity of the network
underscores this because every service in the
contract territory is performed exclusively
in cooperation with the contracting part -
ners. Costs and benefits thus remain within
the organization.
What does the EFN promise our cus-
tomers?
We and our partners share the opinion
that the process of consolidation currently
taking place in European logistics flows
and providers is set to continue. We are
already witnessing that producers are no
longer planning their distribution structures
in terms of national boundaries, but in
regions. This regionalization makes stan-
dards indispensable. Demand-side compa-
nies are becoming ever larger, ever fewer
and ever more demanding. There are now
only a few European logistics providers
capable of comprehensively meeting the
requirements of the major food multi na -
tionals. The European Food Network is
intended to become a constant this customer
category can rely on.
hhThe European
Food Network
consolidates the expertise
of leading European
food logistics providers
for customers operating
Europe-wide Alfred Miller
Miller takes a differentiated view on
the 2012 results
DACHSER magazine 23
h The European Food Network focuses
on foodstuffs in the non-frozen tem-
perature range, such as pre-packed meat
and sausages, dairy products, confectionery,
convenience products and wine or spirits.
With the new vivengo product family,
Dachser is setting milestones in intra-Euro-
pean food transports. For the first time trans-
port operations are being precisely defined
across the network with uniform transport
and IT standards at the highest level. Transit
times are calculated uniformly on the basis
of predefined distance radii across all par -
tici pating countries in the network. The new
line will be phased in from October 2013.
With the European Food Network, Dachser is also phasing in a new product familyfrom October 2013: vivengo. This will offer manufacturers and retailers a standardizedservices portfolio for intra-European food transports.
SETTING NEW STANDARDS
The artificial name vivengo is
a composition of the Latin prefix
“vi”, which is intended to stand
for dynamism and at the same
time for “viveri” (Italian for victuals),
and the word stem “vengo”
(Spanish: I am coming), which
underscores the dynamic compo-
nent of transport and appears
in the name of all products.
Goods need to reach their destination without
delay? vengospeed stands for short transit
times with daily collections. The transit times
are based on distance radii from the collection
branch office. Within Germany, delivery is
effected on the next day irrespective of distance.
INFO
To-the-day delivery according to consignee
specifications is called vengofix. The product
supports optimum incoming goods processing
for your customers. The coverage is oriented
towards the transit times for vengospeed.
Where there is a greater time margin, vengoflex
will ensure your products reach their destination
as cost-effectively as possible. For delivery
within Germany the transit time is at most one
day longer than for vengospeed.
COMPETENCE: FOOD LOGISTICS
COMPETENCE: AIR FREIGHT
24 DACHSER magazine
A HEAVYWEIGHT
TAKES OFF
h Just a few centimetres more and the
upper section of the “Vorecon” is safe-
ly placed onto the aircraft pallet. Extreme
caution is called for from the driver of the
truck-mounted crane, because the valuable
planetary gear is now standing on the apron
at Frankfurt Airport – unpacked and dis -
assembled in two parts – ready for loading.
“Air freight in excess of ten tonnes is stowed
without packaging,” says Torsten Müller,
dispatch manager at Voith, who is super -
vising the maiden flight to Brazil along with
staff from Dachser.
The machines, 2.14 metres and 2.53 metres
high and weighing just below 30 tonnes,
had been transported, carefully packed, by
truck from the Voith works in Crailsheim to
Frankfurt Airport first thing in the morning.
On the oil drilling rigs off Brazil’s Atlantic coast, uniform pressure on the pipelines will in future beguaranteed by planetary gears from Voith. The journey from Crailsheim in Baden-Württemberg,south-west Germany, to Santa Barbara in SouthAmerica poses quite a challenge.
Brazil is South Amer-ica’s biggest economicpower by far. Above all by virtue ofits natural resources. Recently vast oil deposits – experts say in the region of 55 billion barrels – have been discoveredoff the coast of Rio de Janeiro, elevatingBrazil to the ranks ofthe oil superpowers.By way of comparison:oil reserves in theUnited Arab Emiratesare estimated at 97.8 billion barrels.
The journey will continue this evening
on an Emirates cargo plane destined for
Viracopos in Brazil. “This model has been
specially constructed to allow it to be dis-
mantled in the middle,” Müller explains.
Otherwise transport by scheduled cargo -
liner would be impossible. The upper section
of the machine and the lower oil sump
have been lashed to the pallet using tension
belts. It’s already dark when the two sections
are lifted into the belly of the aircraft.
The pallets are anchored and lashed to the
floor of the aircraft in order to prevent
them from sliding around during the flight.
Tonight the large-scale gears are the biggest
items of cargo on board the Boeing 777F –
with around 21.5 tonnes, one of the packag-
ing units is on the limit.
DACHSER magazine 25
COMPETENCE: AIR FREIGHT
Offshore useViracopos Airport in Brazil lies to the north
of São Paulo. From here the journey contin-
ues by truck to Santa Barbara, 100 kilometres
away, where the variable speed planetary
gear will be handed over to the customer. The
première was a success. Two more “Vorecons”
are to be transported to Brazil by air. The
remaining 89 gears will be delivered in sec-
tions by container vessel from Hamburg to
Santos between now and September 2015.
The “Vorecons” are used in oil production.
By 2017 the consortium of operators is
planning to build and erect eight floating oil
platforms 300 kilometres off the Brazilian
Atlantic coast. These platforms are to extract
the oil reserves at a depth of up to 7 kilo -
metres below the water surface. In these
so-called pre-salt clusters deep beneath
layers of stone and salt on the seabed the
operators are expecting to find a mixture of
oil, water and gas. Using a novel approach,
the entire mixture is pumped up and separat-
ed on board special vessels. The crude oil
is bunkered on ships while the gas is returned
to the subsea oil field and thus preserved
for later utilization. In the past, most of the
gas was combusted and therefore lost. In
a planetary gear unit several gears are
arranged and rotate around a central shaft
like planets around a sun. Hence the name.
The func tion of the “Vorecon” gears is based
on the power-splitting principle. This en -
sures the gas can be returned to the oil field
with a constant pressure of up to 550 bar. “In
simple terms, the Vorecon functions like a
clutch,” Müller explains. Electric motors
reach their full output immediately, but
because you want to increase the speed of
the compressors slowly the “Vorecon” is used
as a coupling to control the transmission.
Once the motor and compressors have
reached their full output the transmission
switches into neutral.
Everything from a single sourceOn this project it was important for dis -
patch manager Müller to be able to obtain
everything from a single source. “It worked
out very well,” he says. “We found the over -
all concept convincing. Everyone on the
Dachser side is deeply committed and pas-
sionate.” The transport operation was pre-
pared by Julia Doellel from Dachser Air &
Sea Logistics’ key account management in
Munich in a seven-month planning phase.
“For the project we were able to draw on
the know-how and experience available
within the company,” says Hubert Diepolder,
key account manager at Dachser. With the
help of the Air & Sea Logistics colleagues
from Kaufbeuren, the chartering department
in Frankfurt and the sea freight depart -
ment in Hamburg, the “Vorecons” reached
their destination safely. And it will stay
this way until the final delivery two years
from now. D. Kunde
hhWe found the overall
concept convincing.
Everyone on the Dachser
side is deeply committed and
passionateTorsten Müller,
Voith dispatch manager
Voith Vorecon gears are produced
at the Voith Turbo division in
Crailsheim. Voith sets standards
in the markets energy, oil & gas,
paper, raw materials and
transport & automotive markets.
Founded in 1867, Voith employs
42,300 people, operates in
over 50 countries around the
world and in 2011/12 generated
EUR 5.7 billion in revenue.
INFO
Mega gears on a mega journey:loading in Frankfurt
Suitably disassembled…
… the sections are loaded into the belly of the aircraft
26 DACHSER magazine
NETWORK COMPETENCE
Uniform standards and precisely defined
quality criteria everywhere in Europe are the
core elements of the new transnational net-
work that is scheduled to start in the autumn.
In the EFN, leading European food logistics
providers are consolidating their national ex-
pertise in the transportation of foodstuffs in
the non-frozen temperature range. The net-
work participants will cooperate exclusively
under the systems leadership of Dachser
Food Logistics and will offer their customers
clear standards for processes, documenta -
tion, interfaces or quality management. From
Food Logistics
FOOD LOGISTICS IN A NEW DIMENSIONFrom 1 June, Dachser Food Logistics and selected partners
will launch the European Food Network (EFN).
Denmark H. P. Therkelsen
Norway, Sweden, FinlandThomsen Spedition
GermanyDachser Food Logistics Heidelmann, Dischinger
PolandFresh Logistics
Czech RepublicRaben Logistics Czech
Sloveniavia Brummer Logistik
HungaryLiegl & Dachser
AustriaBrummer Logistik
ItalyPapp Italia
SwitzerlandGalliker Transport
BelgiumDachser
LuxembourgDachser
NetherlandsBakker Logistiek
UK, Ireland Peter Green Chilled
Lithuania, Latvia, EstoniaFresh Logistics
October, daily scheduled services will network
Europe’s economic centres, a dense network
of locations will ensure short transit times
and documented processes will create trans-
parency. Concurrently with the EFN a new
product world is also being introduced:
vivengo (see page 23).
On pages 20–22 you can read
why Dachser Food Logistics managing
director Alfred Miller is relying on a
Europe-wide network.
F
FranceDelanchy Dachser Food Logistics France
NETWORK
DACHSER magazine 27
Software optimizationA new version of the Shipment Pointer eLogistics
application is now available. The forwarding
software can now be used to search directly for
various reference numbers: SSCC, order, delivery
note, purchase order or consignment number.
The new Shipment Pointer is now also available
in 13 languages as an app for Apple iOS, Android
and Blackberry OS.
INFO
+++ NEW WAREHOUSE NEAR
DORTMUND +++ In Dortmund
Dachser is answering the growing
demand for contract logistics
services and has opened a new
warehouse close to the A2 motor-
way near Recklinghausen. In addi-
tion to classic warehousing services, the logistics
provider also offers customers value added services
such as display building and labelling on an area of
5,800 square metres. “The excellent infrastructure and
links to the A2 and A43 motorways give us access to
the entire Ruhr region,” says Jürgen Sobkowiak, deputy
branch manager in Dortmund, explaining the convenient
location of the new warehouse. What’s more, Sobkowiak
continued, the so-called “ARA ports” Amsterdam,
Rotterdam and Antwerp are also within easy reach. The
Dachser Air & Sea Logistics locations in Düsseldorf
and Ladbergen connect the region with the world’s
major economic centres. +++
+++ NEW BRANCH OFFICE IN RIO DE JANEIRO +++
Dachser’s network in Brazil is continuing to expand. At
the beginning of May, a new branch office opened its
doors in Rio de Janeiro. Branch manager is experienced
forwarding agent and Rio expert Leonardo Gazen. +++
+++ TELEGRAM FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC +++
Dachser Czech Republic is further expanding capacities
in Kladno and Brno and rolling out targospeed 10 and 12.
+++ New direct connections: with Cargoplus direct from
the Czech Republic to Moscow. Direct services to Spain,
France and Germany have just got faster. +++
Rio’s landmark: Cristo Redentor
The new building in Kladno
+++ DACHSER UK REINFORCES TEAM IN READING +++ Dachser UK is promoting the expansion of the network in the
UK as well as distribution to all key European markets. Two business development managers at Dachser’s new sales
office in Reading will in future be responsible for the markets in the south of England. The office is located close to the
M4 motorway, half way between London and Oxford. From here, Gary Fitchett will take care of customers in central
and southern England while Darren Phillips will look after the south-west. “With these two experienced logistics
specialists competently backing up our sales team we are now also set to pursue our sustained path of growth in the
south,” explains Nick Lowe, managing director of Dachser Ltd in the UK. With the acquisition of J A Leach in Rochdale,
the new branch office in the north-west is already doing very well, Lowe adds. To be able to meet customer needs
in the north-west even more effectively, Dachser had taken over the transport and logistics business of J A Leach
Transport back in April 2010. +++
DACHSER magazine 29
NETWORK: IBERIAN PENINSULA
h “¿Qué pasa?” – What’s up? News from
the Iberian Peninsula seems to hit
the headlines every day: credit bubble, euro
crisis, economic reform efforts, alarming
youth unemployment figures. It is frequently
disquieting, but nowadays more and more
often also optimistic. Take “fútbol” or “fute-
bol” for example. The Spaniards are celebrat-
ed soccer world champions and European
champions and the Portuguese – first and
foremost brilliant star striker Christiano
Ronaldo – also consider their “seleção” to be
world champions – of the heart. At the ‡
GROWINGIN LINE WITH
THE CHALLENGES
It is located in the heart of Europe and is at the same time an ideal point of departure for transports to the growthmarkets of North Africa, Asia and Latin America: the Iberian Peninsula.
Vibrant Spain: Plaza d’España in Barcelona
30 DACHSER magazine
Ponte: the bridge across the River Tejo in Lisbon
NETWORK: IBERIAN PENINSULA
domestic product of 1.6 percent for the
current year. But economists are already
seeing light at the end of the tunnel: since
January 2012, the young conservative gov -
ernment of the Partida Popular has been
pursuing a bold economic reform program-
me. The main aims are to reduce the deficit
and cap government indebtedness.
As part of this programme, significant re-
ductions in public spending and cuts in
government investment projects have al -
ready been made. Consequently, experts are
anticipating renewed GDP growth in 2014.
The main pillar of the economy is car pro-
duction. 18 plants across the country produce
more cars than France or the UK. In 2011,
the export ratio was as high as 35.5 percent.
Machinery, electrical appliances and chemi-
cal products also play a significant role in
foreign trade. Although over 50 percent of
the country is used agriculturally, this sector
of the economy accounts for a mere 3 per -
cent of revenues. Goods are exported prima-
rily to Europe – with a slightly downward
trend. Between 2000 and 2010, exports
declined from 73.4 to 67.7 percent. Some
20 percent of these are destined for France,
some 11 percent for Germany and around
8 percent for Portugal.
Spain’s neighbouring little sister has been
suffering from a recession since 2011, which
the centre-right coalition government under
prime minister Pedro Passos Coelho is reso-
lutely fighting. Since June 2011, it has been
rigorously translating the adjustment pro-
gramme supported by the EU and the
IMF into action. Initial successes in the
field of privatization are already in sight.
Partly thanks to the commitment of major
Chinese corporations, according to finance
minister Vitor Gaspar the government has
already collected a large portion of the five
million euros requested.
The benefits of all these developments are
also being felt in the logistics sector. The
SCI/logistics barometer, which the consult -
ing firm regularly uses to gauge the econom -
ic situation within the industry, shows a
rise in business activity on the Portuguese
market in August 2012 for around five
percent of German logistics providers.
The pull of Lisbon In Portugal two thirds of all trade is handled
between Lisbon and Oporto. The affluent
belt around the capital generates almost
end of last year, headlines from the logistics
world also caused quite a stir when news
broke about Dachser’s acquisition of
Spanish logistics provider, Akzar, and air
& sea logistics specialist Transunion (see
also edition 1/2013). For the Kempten-based
family enterprise, this move marked one of
the biggest acquisitions in the company’s
history and a further milestone in the ex -
pansion of its worldwide logistics network in
line with the company’s strategic growth
programmes.
Spain and Portugal are currently going
through turbulent times. Following a minus
of 1.4 percent in 2012, the renowned Funcas
economic research institute in Spain is even
forecasting a deficit in the Spanish gross
Spain’s motorway network covers nearly14,000 kilometres. The state investmentplan provides for expansion to over15,000 kilometres by2020. 94 percent of the population shouldbe able to reach a motorway in less than30 kilometres.
DACHSER magazine 31
NETWORK: IBERIAN PENINSULA
half of Portugal’s GDP. Seven of the coun-
try’s ten top listed companies are head -
quartered in Lisbon, including Energias de
Portugal, Portugal Telecom and Jerónimo
Martins. As an interface between over -
land and seaborne transport, a maritime
service centre and an industrial location, the
seaport is especially important for the econo-
my. The principal goods handled at the ma-
jor commercial centres are textiles, apparel
and shoes (over 20 percent), machinery and
equipment (16 percent) and vehicles and
other means of transport (eight percent).
hhThe objective
is clear: expansion
of the European network
has top priority
Jens Lengefeld,Manager of the Partner,
Hub & Traffic Organizationdivision at Dachser
Iberian Peninsula refers to all countries south-west
of the Pyrenees. The name
goes back to the Iberians, the
pre-Christian inhabitants of the
peninsula. They were named
after the main river Ebro (Iberus).
Spain Area: 493,519 km2
Population: 42.2 million
Portugal Area: 89,261 km2
Population: 10.1 million
Principality of Andorra Area: 467 km2
Population: 81,222
Gibraltar (British crown colony)
Area: 6.5 km2
Population: 27,967
SHORTHAND
Foodstuffs account for eight and base metals
seven percent.
Dachser has been represented with a branch
office of its own near Lisbon since 2007.
With the acquisition of Azkar the company
now operates additional locations under
this brand name in Oporto, Coimbra, Faro
and Guarda. Around 200 employees ensure
the speedy and reliable movement of goods.
In neighbouring Spain, Dachser operates
with a five-platform concept in which
Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza, San Sebastián
and Valencia play the main role with fixed
routing and optimum capacity utilization
of transport services.
Madrid’s location in the heart of the Iberian
Peninsula and the radially arranged trans -
port network make the region around the
capital Spain’s biggest and strategically most
important logistics hub. Not only are 60
percent of international and one third of
national goods flows handled here, the capi-
tal also generates almost 20 percent of
Spain’s gross national product. The excellent
geographical location has attracted compa-
nies from the aircraft and vehicle construc -
tion industries as well as textile, chemical
and food sectors to the Spanish metropolis.
Numerous branch offices of foreign corpora-
tions such as Siemens, Bosch, Software AG,
Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Porsche
and L’Oréal also have a seat and produc -
tion site in the Spanish capital.
“On the Iberian Peninsula Azkar has a highly
efficient network of 71 locations and unlike
its competitors is not only present in the most
densely populated conurbation areas,” says
Jens Lengefeld, manager of the Partner,
Hub & Traffic Organization division. In
the past, Azkar has concentrated mainly on
inner-Iberian freight transport services. For
the future, Dachser sees growth potential
primarily in exports. Overland freight ser-
vices as well as contract logistics, full loads
and pan-European load forwarding will in
future operate under the “Azkar” brand name.
“From a logistics perspective
the varied landscape of the
Iberian Peninsula presents a major
challenge.”
Ramon van Dilst, export manager, Waddinxveen,Dachser Netherlands
"When the Iberian Peninsula
comes to my mind, I think about
a beautiful country called Portugal;
a land of interesting people,
delicious port wine and rich, ancient
culture.”
Bianca Barella, marketing and communication,Dachser Brazil
“The Iberian peninsula has high
growth potential. Indeed, our
economies are complementary
in several domains such as
the textile or automotive industries.
During this economic crisis,
efficient logistics connections are
the key to success.”
M’hamed Chraïbi, branch manager, Mohammedia, Dachser Morocco
VOICES
The proven entargo quality will remain
unchanged. Air & sea freight services in
Portugal will continue to be offered under
the “Dachser” name. From 2014, air & sea
freight operations in Spain will no longer
be handled under the “Transunion” name,
but similarly under “Dachser”. “The objec -
tive is clear: expansion of the European
network has top priority. However, we shall
also begin with integrating Transunion’s sea
freight capacities and Dachser‘s internatio n -
al Air & Sea Logistics network,” Lengefeld
says. “¿Qué pasa?” – No question: it’s all
change on the Iberian Peninsula. K. Fink
BUSINESS LOUNGE: DACHSER FACE-TO-FACE
32 DACHSER magazine
Mr Simon, what does it look like on yourdesk right now?Bernhard Simon: My desk doesn’t play a
key role in my day-to-day work, which is
why there’s usually nothing on it. Dachser is
a decentrally structured organization. I’m
therefore on the road a lot within the organ-
ization. I can’t afford to be tied to my desk.
Dr Christopher Dell: The idea of an emp-
ty desk really appeals to me. It stands for an
empty playing field and myriad possible
outcomes. As a player on this platform every
meeting and interaction confronts you with
a given framework of rules and a sense of
opportunity.
B. Simon: What you’re describing is actual-
ly very like my day-to-day work situation.
Wherever I go I have my virtual desk on
which I quickly spread out my ideas. Like
this, we can dynamically and adeptly devel -
op our respective moves. With a different
team composition and positions each time;
although you do need a framework of rules
for orientation.
How is the human striving for order and orientation compatible with a world that ischanging constantly and at an ever fasterpace?Chr. Dell: This desire for order is justified.
Especially in volatile markets, where flexi -
bility is continuously postulated. When
familiar structures collapse, many people feel
as if they are staring into an empty tunnel
and endeavour more than ever to clutch to
a learned set of rules. Anticipated order be-
comes dysfunctional when it hides, suppress-
es or overlays real facts with fear. The only
remedy against this is openness. The essence
behind improvisation, as I understand it, is
that all the cards are laid on the table.
B. Simon: At Dachser we produce our own
future scenarios. These objectives are what
give us scope to be able to act with greater
agility. By contrast with a listed company, in
a family enterprise improvisation can thrive
as a creative stimulus in day-to-day business.
Chr. Dell: Improvisation relies on anchor
points that continuously play to one another
and constantly realign and form new rela-
tionships in each new situation. This brings
us back to the metaphor of the empty desk,
which as a symbol for an empty playing field
defines the framework and the possible out-
comes of the improvisation as a management
method.
Dachser’s history is a history of growth.How plannable is growth and what does it mean for the organization of the familybusiness? B. Simon: Listed companies are like a tradi-
tional orchestra that is limited in its freedom
by the composers’ scores and notes and has
to follow strict rules, for example as pre-
scribed by the Stock Exchange Act, stock
corporation law and many other provisions.
Under these conditions the creation of
something new is subject to strict formal
requirements. I compare family businesses
on the other hand with jazz musicians who
pursue a specific set idea. At Dachser they
are guided by fundamental corporate values
and bring together people who – to stay with
the metaphor – make music together and
try to create something innovative. Values
therefore set the pace and the theme. From
generation to generation.
In improvisation, what is it that determineswhether the end result is a pleasing soundrather than just noise? Chr. Dell: Sound and noise aren’t in fact
that far apart. But we’re talking here about
aesthetic, not natural categories. What may
be pleasing to one person’s ear is totally un-
hh In skilled
improvisation the
special quality lies in learning
to enjoy the dissonance
Dr Christopher Dell
BERNHARD SIMON MEETS...DR CHRISTOPHER DELLThe high art of improvisation: Bernhard Simon spoke with improvisation theorist, musician and composer Dr Christopher Dell about management where planning reliability stops.
DACHSER magazine 33
acceptable to another. That’s no different in
music than it is in a company.
So there is no ultimate truth?Chr. Dell: Just take politics, for example.
Politicians often act as though what has been
negotiated is a natural fact of life and there-
fore without alternative. In fact our scope of
action is usually much wider. Family busi-
nesses as we have described them here are not
dependent on supposed natural claims and
may in the short term call things into ques-
tion which over the long term may turn out
to strengthen the company and give it new
structures. A look at music might serve to il-
lustrate this: in the days of Christian chants,
the four semi-tone steps in a major third were
considered a catastrophe. According to pre-
vailing opinion, church music had to be lin-
ear, in unison. In skilled improvisation the
special quality lies in learning to enjoy the
dissonance.
B. Simon: In logistics we come across such
dissonances all the time. Especially when it
comes to complex supply chain management
BUSINESS LOUNGE: DACHSER FACE-TO-FACE
In jazz individual virtuosity combines with the capacity to play freely
processes. Every day we experience a new
environment. Frequently it is unpredictable,
be it due to weather conditions, congested
traffic, deviations or the like. Given this, it’s
just not possible to plan a logistics system
absolutely clearly and with all its ramifica-
tions under laboratory conditions. Time and
again improvisation is called for. But such
dissonances also have a special appeal; they
have a charm and beauty all of their own.
Is planning reliability merely an illusionthen? B. Simon: By no means. We are continu-
ously working to set standards and define
clear processes. But not as foregone con -
clusions. It’s just as important to define at
what point people should take solo decisions
and when it is necessary to decide in uni son
– often across several thousand kilo metres’
distance. Otherwise such a system would be
deprived of its human powers of judgement.
Chr. Dell: The real challenge lies in utiliz -
ing standards but not thinking in standard
terms.
Standards are also understood differentlyacross different cultures. The term “now” is interpreted differently in Germany, for example, than in southern Europe or LatinAmerica. Given this, is it at all possible toimprovise in a targeted way?B. Simon: If goods are scheduled for de -
livery on a specific date and at a specific
time it’s important for everyone to be able
to rely on that happening. But there is room
for manoeuvre even within such agreed
limits. If I require feedback “now”, then in
the Mediterranean region I shouldn’t expect
a response at midday when the majority
of the workforce is on their lunch break.
“Now” translates as two in the afternoon,
when the message can be relied on to reach
the correct addressee. Adapting to the local
conditions and prevailing rules is part of
the art of operating a worldwide network.
Chr. Dell: In improvisation, play doesn’t
start until all the players are present. This
also makes it easier to quickly overcome
cross-cultural barriers. By being present on
the playing field the way you described ‡
BUSINESS LOUNGE: DACHSER FACE-TO-FACE
34 DACHSER magazine
Dr Christopher Dell
lives and works as a theorist
and composer in Berlin. Reclam
Jazzlexikon describes him as
Europe’s leading vibraphonist
and he has won numerous
awards for his musical works.
The head of the Berlin Institute
for Improvisation Theory studied
philosophy, music, composition
and organizational development
at the universities of Darmstadt,
Hilversum, Rotterdam, Boston
and Kaiserslautern. He currently
holds a guest professorship at
the Faculty for Urban Develop-
ment at the Technical University,
Munich. He is the author of nu-
merous publications, among
others “Die improvisierende Or-
ganisation” (“The Improvising
Organization”), Bielefeld 2012.
Bernhard Simon,
head of Dachser’s management
board, was impressed when
he met with Dr Christopher Dell
by the improvisation master-
mind and professional musi-
cian’s multifaceted educational
background. In the interview
it quickly became apparent that
the two men share the same
“wavelength” in viewing improv-
isation as a necessary means
for orchestrating companies
operating in the field of globally
networked logistics.
PERSONAL FILEit earlier, Mr Simon, improvisation can be -
come effective as a new, free resource.
What does this mean for types of corpo -rate organization? Does it mean projectwork and the interaction of small groups become the engine of innovation? B. Simon: Project work in place of hierar-
chical processes is becoming ever more im-
portant in an increasingly dynamic environ-
ment. Only flat hierarchies will enable us
to be quick enough to keep redefining
the rules on the playing field. The challenge
here lies in repeatedly networking this
kind of organizational unit across the com-
pany.
Chr. Dell: As the smallest interaction unit
project work must therefore be task- or top-
ic-focused. And it must follow an inner
logic. It’s a bit like a freshly painted house.
If the workmen keep running in and out in
their droves and touching things up, the
whole house has to be painted again. In
an improvising organization it’s obviously
unthinkable for one trade not to know what
the other is doing. Project work therefore
requires greater effort to coordinate and
correspondingly steer the various projects
towards the target horizon.
What requirements must project staffmeet? Chr. Dell: To be able to improvise you need
to be a master of your craft and be familiar
with all the plans. You have to be a musician,
composer and conductor rolled into one,
as well as being able to read a score. That’s
essential. Every jazz ensemble would fall
apart unless each of its members is com-
pletely au fait with the production process
and production conditions of the project.
Only then can any player in the band play
a solo or an accompanying role.
B. Simon: A project leader needs to know
where the company is heading and what
role the project plays in the overall scheme.
Being able to communicate this bigger
picture is an essential task. It’s what charac-
terizes the culture of a learning or ganiza -
tion.
Chr. Dell: Placing the focus in improvisa -
tion technique on learning and translating
experience into knowledge sets the right
requirement profile for all players. And it’s
remarkably consistent with that of a jazz
musician.
hhAt Dachser we
produce our own
future scenarios. These
objectives are what give
us scope to be able to act
with greater agility
Bernhard Simon
DACHSER magazine 35
GOOD NEWS
and all for one: this is still the most reliable basis for
successful teamwork. At Dachser’s Bad Salzuflen
branch office Ersun Yildirim (right) and other colleagues
from the warehouse pull on their yellow jackets
at 6 a.m. and assist drivers with loading goods for
short-distance transport, shipment allocation, checking
dangerous goods loads and load
securing. The “yellow angels” are much
appreciated by drivers like Eike Penner (left).
Other branch offices have in the meantime
also adopted this teamplay concept.
ONE FOR ALL,