A new state-of-the-art home for DHL

They deliver the goods, literally and figuratively speaking. Fact is, it’s become a generic name, much like Coca-Cola is to soft drink, Scotch Tape is to transparent adhesive tape, Xerox is to photocopy, Tabasco is to hot sauce or Colgate is to toothpaste. After all, DHL Worldwide Express was the first international air express company to set up operations in the Philippines in 1969. And now, DHL Worldwide Express Philippines has a new home: DHL House at 2306 Chino Roces Avenue (formerly Pasong Tamo Extension), Kayamanan C, Makati City. DHL country manager Mike Fitz-patrick, who’s made the Philippines his home, is ever proud to show his guests around the new DHL House and its many state-of-the-art facilities. This Monday afternoon, he gives mediamen a tour of the House, joined by Singapore-based Bryan Jamison, regional director for Southeast Asia, who flew in just for the launch.

So what’s new at DHL?

"Everything is new – staff, facilities, vehicles, technology," says Jamison. "Since middle of last year, we have set up a new joint venture company. Yes, ownership has changed, we’ve established a completely new infrastructure, new service centers, etc."

It’s nothing like you’d see in any other country where there’s a DHL. "Technology is dramatically different now," Jamison asserts. "Because we started from a green field and a clean sheet of paper, we took the opportunity to establish a world-class organization here and put in the systems and technologies that we have anywhere in the network. So what we’ve got here is basically the best there is from anywhere around the world."

We’re talking here of next generation scanners and electronic imaging. Jamison explains, "When we get a package or packages, all documents are imaged and sent for import-customs clearance around the world so even before the shipment leaves the Philippines, it’s immediately cleared through."

DHL was the first express carrier to introduce a WAP (wireless application protocol) tracking system which allows customers to monitor the progress of their shipment from a cell phone or a similar WAP device.

The new DHL couldn’t have chosen a better home. Jamison points out, "DHL is part of a global network and our customers are demanding from us equal services across the whole world in every country. The Philippines was a little bit behind so we brought it up to the best possible level. And we’re not thinking short-term here, we’re thinking medium to long-term."

Which can only mean that DHL is globalizing operations in the Philippines. "Yes, both hard and software," Jamison stresses.

The hard facts and figures speak for themselves: DHL services over 1 million customers worldwide through its 36 international hubs, eight express logistics centers and 5, 939 offices in 228 countries around the world. It handles approximately 162 million shipment annually via its fleet of 254 aircraft operating 714 flights daily, with additional 2,400 daily commercial flights operated exclusively for DHL. On the ground, there are over 16,326 courier vehicles servicing a total of 120,000 destinations on all continents, with 68,732 employees worldwide (there are more than 450 employees in the Philippines with a fleet of over 130 service vehicles and NAIA gateway facilities). A global leader in the international air express industry, DHL boasts a market share of 37 percent.

Vis-a-vis these staggering statistics, DHL is even more proud of its people who enable the company to deliver 24/7 service 365 days a year.

"We train our people very well," says Fitzpatrick, his Irish eyes smiling. "A lot of them are sent to Hong Kong and Singapore basically for training. We’re training Filipino managers. Eventually, all managers will be Filipinos."

DHL Philippines has got an all-Filipino senior management team, with women occupying the top five positions, refreshing news indeed for a traditionally male-dominated industry. "They all come from a background of multinational companies, all very experienced," says Jamison. "We’re a performance-based, fast-paced company and we need people who share our values, mindset, and work ethic."

We have yet to see female couriers in the Philippines. "In the US and Australia and more developed countries, there are female couriers," says Jamison.

DHL Worldwide Express Philippines has finished initial hiring but will add staff as the business grows. "We invested US$15 million in the Philippines and our plan calls for us to double the business in the next five years, which we are confident we’d do," Jamison notes.

Part of this initial investment went into setting up the new country office and four full-service centers in Makati, Ortigas, Calabarzon area and Cebu.

This is one company that operates rain or shine, in good or bad political weather. "Yes, we started operations today in Afghanistan," Jamison announces. "A press statement came out of Bahrain saying that we just got an official license from the new Afghanistan government."

Irishman Fitzpatrick, who was based in Jakarta, Indonesia for five years, relates: "I was there during the civil unrest. We had global security procedures in the place so everybody was fine, we stayed operational. We operate in all countries around the world with different degrees of risk. A lot of our competitors evacuated, we stayed."

"We evacuated the expats’ families, but the managers stayed," says Jamison. "Absolutely, we operate in times of war and peace. Something may erupt somewhere but our goal is to continue to operate every day of the week despite these disturbances."

He adds: "We’re virtually in every part of Asia including Mongolia and East Timor. We have a license to operate in Iraq."

Jamison left the peace and quiet of his native home New Zealand over 15 years ago and now oversees 16 countries east and west of Asia as area director of DHL Worldwide Express for Southeast Asia. He’s married to a Singaporean and plays mahjong like a Chinese.

Certainly, DHL keeps customers happy. "We listen to all complaints and document them all," says Jamison.

"They can come here and see with their own eyes how we handle their shipment," says Fitzpatrick. "We do a lot of market surveys throughout the region."

Most certainly, DHL keeps its employees happy. "We focus on the work environment," Fitzpatrick beams. "If our employees are happy, our customers are happy."

So go ahead, DHL it!