For the Post in 2018, one of the most difficult years since the commencement of the company’s boss Frank Appel. In the summer, the profit was reduced forecast for the year, surprisingly from 4.2 to 3.2 billion euros. The letter business declines year by year, starting in April is expected to rise, therefore the postage. In addition, the group wants to save a year of 150 to 250 million euros. Post and parcel management Board Jürgen Gerdes had to go, Appel is head of the still Commissioner.
Mr Appel, after a profit warning they need to save costs. This comes at the cost of innovation?
no, because the digitization offers great opportunities to achieve progress in Productivity. In industries such as the automotive industry, the productivity and hence the salaries are high because automation plays quite a significant role. In the service industry, to which we belong, too, are productivity and wages comparatively low. The digitization allows us now to make a change.
What are you planning exactly?
We use in the logistics, for example, glasses in which information in the field of view to be displayed. The lead to ten to twenty percent increases in productivity. Such advantages benefit all and can be passed on, for example, five percent of the employees, five percent to customers and five percent to stay in the company and the shareholders.
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order the Where do you see similar potential in?
We try a lot. For example, a Bot, the coming of the deliverer to transport letters and parcels. Or the measure of the inventory and Monitoring of safety with drones. But in this and the next year, no major economic impact. Significant effects of automation, we will see more of in the medium term, in a period of five to ten years.
Amazon automates a lot of the logistics, you can allow yourself as much time?
I don’t think we are there slower. We have in our warehouses long since been state of the art equipment such as self-propelled Equipment, accompany the employee in the warehouse. And when you see how quickly the staff of Amazon grows, it is also due to the fact that in the Camps, many people still work. Innovations I find convincing, if you show in practice a genuine and lasting effect.
check the contracts with large customers, and could also increase the prices. You encourage so Amazon, your own logistics?
to Me it is less about what others might do, rather than to improve their own services. This is the best strategy.
so you have no fear that your biggest customer will be the biggest competitors?
Even if I had this concern, it is important to take care of the own performance. In order to make themselves attractive to customers. If you’re in the mix of price, quality and performance of the Best, the customers remain with us.
Frank Appel, 57, has, since 2008, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Deutsche Post. The diploma-chemist and neurobiologist from…photo: Lino Mirgeler/dpa
The quality has suffered, the complaints in the Post and parcel sector has risen 2018 enormously. Why?
The discomfort you have to take seriously and every Single one is one too many, but we complain about today by E-Mail or on social media much faster. The Federal network Agency referred 11 800 complaints are not with the shipment amount alone, from 18.5 billion letters, and 1.4 billion packages a lot. In addition, some of the complaints attributable to our competitors, the complaints will grow even stronger. Standards in our Industry we tend to have a low number of complaints. At the network Agency, for example, there are more than 200 000 complaints about telecommunications providers, or take the recent sharp increase in the number of delays in the air travel. If the infrastructure would work everywhere as good as us, we would have some less thing to worry about.
the Boom in The online trading brings the package supplier to borders. What technologies can help really?
The complexity of the last mile is quite high, the automation will therefore take place first in areas where you have the entire System under control, i.e. within the own sorting centres or bearings. In the delivery, however, it is still a very long way. It’s not enough, a package by a robot somewhere in there. This then needs to identify: where is the ring, is it the correct Name and what happens if the receiver is there? I think, therefore, that even in 20 or 30 years we will still have people as a package deliverer. You will then use more technical assistance, such as Exoskeletons to carry heavy packages. Maybe also small, particularly high-quality broadcasts, such as Smartphones, will be delivered by drone.
companion robots have you already tested how it goes with that?
The work is technically good, but the devices are still too expensive. Since it takes a few leaps in Innovation, until it pays for itself.
there Will be more packet stations?
Yes, we do that for almost 20 years. We now have nationwide, 3500 pack stations, and build them systematically. The only question is how quickly you find the appropriate places. Nevertheless, it is handled in only a small part of the total volume. This also shows the success of the previous system. You can nowadays plan, as the customer, delivery periods, or there are neighbors who will accept packages. If the Service would be door-to-door so unsatisfactory, would let a lot more people to pack stations provide.
The package boxes for individual houses are not currently on offer, why?
The demand was much lower than we expected. Now we have to think of something New. But the Try is the beauty of entrepreneurship. Then the people with the feet, and to say certain innovations which are technically possible: actually, we don’t need that. As in the case of room service.
have you written off?
no, because we have tested the suitcase room service, technically, the works. But it only becomes relevant if all of the cars that come new on the market. We are open for cooperation with any manufacturers of the plans.
Amazon and Zalando to test the delivery behind the door, where the deliverer has the possibility to open doors using an App. What do you think?
we have looked at and tested, but for us, is just not a priority. Here, too, the question of how big is the market of customers is really, would go along with it.
your WhatsApp competitor, SimsMe is also very popular. Why do you maintain that?
We currently see a significant rise in demand, not in individuals, but from companies. We now have several larger customers, in the case of business customers, such projects are always in need of longer. We are currently observing the development of SimsMe, and then decide, but for now, I am very confident. Because in many companies, more than ever, the question of modern and secure communication is made possibilities.
you are acting for the Post – and letter business. When is a successor?
I said in the previous year, until the end of 2018. To me it makes very much fun, and I will lead once Fort. But I have clear ideas how to do it, and in the course of the year, we will present a solution.
