10.00 - 12.00
Sorting and moving of parcels
Day 1 Tuesday 30 September

The realisation of a successful air hub (DHL Leipzig)
Vanderlande Industries, Henny van Boxtel, manager engineering express parcel, Hub Leipzig GmbH, Stefan Breidung, technical manager
Vanderlande Industries has a solid reputation for the integration of large express parcel hubs. Examples are the TNT air hub in Liege, Belgium; UPS air hub in Louisville, USA; and DHL’s new air hub in Leipzig, Germany. In a combined presentation, Stefan Breidung (manager DHL air hub, Leipzig) and Henny van Boxtel (manager engineering Vanderlande Industries) will explain how to create a successful air hub.

Case study: implementation of parcel vision
Prime Vision BV, Eddy Thans, CEO
We present, from the customer’s perspective, the extensive project to automate three TNT parcel sorting centres. This turnkey project included high-speed auto-focus camera technology, advanced OCR technology, video coding, image archiving, label identification, process monitoring and management information systems. This presentation documents the customer’s experience: what the project brought TNT in terms of efficiency, ROI, open platform, management information, the pros and cons for implementation and tips and tricks for future implementation.

Simplifying the logistics process and reducing the amount of hardware
Vitronic GmbH, Klaus Michael Bucher, sales and marketing director
Volumetric measurements of packages for invoicing and revenue recovery purposes have so far been limited to the infeed area. Our customers, however, were asking for certified systems over sorters as well, in order to simplify these processes and reduce the amount of hardware required. Vitronic has modified its well-established Volumec HS2 volume measurement system for installations over sorters. This system is certified for installations over sorters right now. It allows our customers to reduce the amount of hardware and tracking procedures significantly. The presentation will explain the new technology based on an application including multi-sided camera-based barcode reading technologies at the new Hermes hub in Hückelhoven in Germany.

14.00 - 16.00
Planning and performance
Day 1 Tuesday 30 September

Focus on networks
TNT Express, Nigel Barton, strategic operations director
TNT focuses on running delivery networks. The company constantly considers the state of networks and applies state-of-the-art optimisation techniques to ensure it operates them efficiently and at the lowest cost base. This presentation considers some of the variety of networks TNT operates worldwide and the techniques it used to add value, improve service offering and gain economies of scale.

Process attending quality assurance system for Hermes Logistics Group: a six sigma-based approach towards controlling quality of service
Spectos GmbH, Niels Delater, CEO, Hermes Logistik Group, Joerg Sziegoleit, department manager, quality management mail division
Based on six sigma, Spectos has developed an all-embracing, process-attending controlling system for quality of service for heavy mail distribution through the Hermes logistics network. Spectos investigated relevant quality KPIs for Hermes and implemented a measurement system for the whole distribution network across Germany. The objective was to pinpoint weaknesses in the network and to analyse and improve the distribution process regarding the Hermes service levels. The system was implemented by involving Hermes customers, and it created an overall transparency for the quality of service. The presentation will describe the chosen approach and the experience of implementing it.

Improvement of quality and customer satisfaction through implementation of an intelligent materials handling system
La Poste, Dominique Barret, Rémi Coste, Georg Utz, Carsten Diekmann, general manager, UK
How La Poste has changed and optimised its organisation to improve quality and services to its customers. The presentation will cover La Poste’s purchase of 150,000 of the specifically designed KLAPA (800mm x 600mm x 770mm) foldable pallet box; how the KLAPA has contributed to La Poste’s new organisation and improvements; how it was successfully designed for La Poste’s requirements.

Real-time optimising of PUD operations
Ecomond Ltd and Itella, Matti Tuukkanen, VP sales
Ecomond Ltd has develoloped a state-of-the-art tool for optimising the pick-up and delivery operations that allow companies to optimise their operations on a real-time level. This allows a great improvement in efficiency and customer satisfaction, and also reduces costs and carbon footprint. Ecomond Ltd is a Finnish software house concentrating on complicated logistical solutions. It has tools for map-based electronic order management including interfaces to ERP, tracking and all other features needed. This is a unique tool for complicated logistics.

10.00 - 12.00
Retail and customer solutions
Day 2 Wednesday 1 October

Achieving a competitive advantage through a customer-focused eCommerce solution
Seabourne Express Courier Group, Colette Roeder, group IT manager
Seabourne is currently implementing a completely new booking system from NetDespatch. The presentation will describe the story of this implementation: why a new system, why this new system? Problems and difficulties during the development and implementation phase. Evaluation of the benefits and challenges.

Revolutionising the retail network
Post Office Agents Association (POAAL), Ian Kerr, CEO
In the early 1990s, Australia Post entered into an extended period of consultation with the post office owners’ group, POAAL, with the aim of modernising its privately owned post offices and streamling its network. The end result was the landmark Licensed Post Office Agreement. Australia Post’s retail network was transformed: services to customers have been maintained or improved, the owners/operators of Licensed Post Offices have opportunities to grow their business, and Australia Post now makes a healthy profit while meeting its community service obligations. National postal operators are now asking themselves: is this the best model for our retail network?

Next-generation retail system for Guernsey Post
Guernsey Post, Gordon Steele, CEO
Guernsey Post has rolled out a low-cost, simple-to-use counter retail system across the three major islands in the Bailiwick. Costing less than a third of other comparable systems, the introduction of Swift Retail coincided with the Christmas peak. The acquisition of the largest foreign exchange business on the island and the roll-out of foreign exchange services across its network have provided further challenges. The project has not been without its problems, particularly in integrating it with government clients. However, the intuitive feel to the system, touch screens and graphical presentation, stock management functions, as well as reporting capabilities greatly outweigh any difficulties.

Let your customers do your work before the mail gets into the mail pipeline
EasyWeigh, Jelmer Jarig Huizinga, president
Privatisation, liberalisation and increased email traffic make postal operators focus on the process of the postal pipeline and how they can cut costs and find ways to increase profit and improve service. Traditionally this focus is on areas within the mail pipeline. But we pledge to focus outside the mail process; before the mail gets into the process; at home and at the office. Let your customers do some of your work: preparing mail, accurately and simply linking size and weight of letters, packets and parcels to postage prices. EasyWeigh presents four simple, cost-effective tools to weigh and determine sizes of letters and packages to help customers with their mail. The tools benefit the postal operator and customers alike: reduced workload at post offices, a decreased level of underpayment and improved convenience for customers (skip the trip). What’s more, the tools have great long-lasting communication value, and all for very little investment with an immediate and ongoing payback.

14.00 - 16.00
Automation and handling of mail
Day 2 Wednesday 1 October

Effectively transforming postal operations
Elsag Datamat spa, Andreas Porcu, head of business development, international sales

Vision for intelligent mail
USPS, Thomas G. Day, senior vice-president
The USPS is committed to utilising intelligent mail as a means to provide unique identity to each letter, postcard, flat and package that is sorted and delivered in its network. This wealth of data offers the opportunity to provide complete visibility to mail throughout the entire supply chain. As a result, opportunities will be created to improve efficiency and service, provide definitive service measurement, granular cost accounting information, customer-specific pricing, dynamic pricing and, most importantly, enhance the value of mail. This all-encompassing vision for intelligent mail is critical to a strategy of retaining and growing business for the US Postal Service.

Transformations case study
Royal Mail & Solystic

How to build a hybrid mail system using a collaborative international environment
Empresa de Correos de Cuba, Adalberto Mora, leader of ALBA’s projects initiative
The presentation will cover the most important considerations and experiences encountered during the planning and implementation of a hybrid mail system in a collaborative environment between the national postal operators of Cuba and Venezuela. These experiences may be useful for other national postal operators in developing countries, particularly the philosophy of collaboration in the use of expertise, training personnel, design of software applications in open platforms and acquiring and installing technologies. Similar principals are being used in others projects, with investment in Venezuela standing at nearly $30 over three years.

14.00 - 16.00
Parcel and express delivery
Day 2 Wednesday 1 October

Unattended delivery and b2b field solutions
ParcelXchange Worldwide & DHL Same Day Ireland, Paul Carvell, CEO
A presentation covering the issues faced within the B2B field service industry relating to spare parts delivery and reverse logistics. DHL Same Day Ireland describes how the introduction of the ParcelXchange intelligent locker system will streamline the company's delivery network, not only reducing costs by consolidating deliveries but also improving customer service by offering a convenient 24/7 ‘pick up, drop off’ location to end users. Paul Carvell of Business Direct will illustrate how the B2B delivery market has been embracing the ParcelXchange technology for a number of years, and how constant development allows the service industry to exceed customers’ expectations.

Integrated online solutions
Neopost, Simon Gourlay, director logistics systems UK
In partnership with a major UK-based express parcels carrier, Neopost Logistics applied its range of IT services to build a unique end-to-end parcels management solution. The service allows customers, operations, customer services and retail outlets to benefit from an integrated online system and manage the transactions of all consignments. It also provides shippers with ‘first click to last mile’ information on the web. These new services have cut costs and driven sales to record levels.

10.00 - 12.00
Transport and logistics
Day 3 Thursday 2 October

Developing environmental transport strategies
PostEurop, Ingemar Persson, secretary general, La Poste, Pierre Mawas, responsible prospective
With so many different environmental challenges affecting postal operators, as large users of transport, it is essential to develop new ways of being more environmentally smart. This presentation will explore some of the innovative projects being adopted across Europe to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, develop the use of electric cars and make more use of trains – as well as to optimise and minimise the use of transport.

Optimisation of the entire transportation network from pick-up, over trunking to delivery – with cases from the Swedish Post
Transvision A/S, Thorbjørn Schmidt-Jacobsen, market director, Peder Haahr, project leader
The presentation will explain how it is possible to optimise the entire transportation flow in post and express companies via an automatic planning system: structure analysis; optimal master routes; adjusting and managing the daily collection, trunking and distribution (in low- and high-density areas). The benefits in terms of transport and collection/distribution efficiency include plan overview, less time spent on planning, reduction in operational costs, etc. The presentation will also cover implementation of the system at Swedish Post as well as the use of/benefits from an automatic planning system.

Cost-efficient measures for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions at DHL Parcel Germany
Deutsche Post AG - DHL Paket Deutschland, Andreas Marschner, director operations performance and planning, Őko-Institut, Martin Schmied, deputy coordinator
DHL Parcel Germany has worked with Őko-Institut and Dortmund University on a project entitled Measures for the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Stationary and Mobile Processes in Logistics Companies (StaMoLo), which is co-funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The aim of the project is the identification of ecologically and economically efficient measures for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions within the DHL Paket Deutschland network, as well as the implementation of such measures in pilot projects. The results of the project will be presented here.

Customer case study: electric vehicles
Modec, Roger Atkins, sales director
Focus on new solutions for fleet operators looking to run zero-emission vehicles without compromising service. This presentation will show how and why forward-thinking companies have adopted Modec zero-emission vehicles. Case study examples will highlight the benefits of implementing cutting-edge technology and show how Modec vehicles could keep your company ahead of the rest.

13.00 - 15.00
Mail delivery - the last mile
Day 3 Thursday 2 October

Continuous improvement on the last mile through beat revision
Hong Kong Post, Samuel Cheung, general manager (productivity services)
The presentation will cover Hong Kong Post’s performance pledge on mail delivery service; pressure of the last mile in the mail process chain to meet customers’ demands; regular review through a beat revision exercise. The objectives of the beat revision exercise are to create a beat revision team and review workload and customers’ needs. The beat revision mechanism includes adopting industrial engineering (IE) techniques; developing a beat revision analysis system (BRAS); gathering information to grasp an overall picture of the delivery round; indoor preparation, outdoor work; demarcation of new beats; staff buy-in through effective communication.

Technology success story of GPS certified deliveries in Latin America by a private postal company
AMPM, Gabriel Reyes, CTO
The need to guarantee the deliveries of mass mail in Mexico lead us to develop an efficient, affordable and accurate strategy to certify each delivery based on a portable GPS solution. The information gathered is used to control routes, time-frames, accuracy, deviations, efficiency, identify patterns, etc. Data mining and visual analysis (via GIS systems) of the information obtained completely changes the way delivery is done.

Increasing efficiency by eliminating failed deliveries and consolidating the last mile
ParcelXchange Worldwide, Paul Carvell, CEO
The increase in internet shopping brings with it an increase in failed deliveries, which is the most expensive link in the logistics chain. Coupled with growing customer demands, this means the logistics industry is really feeling the pressure when it comes to delivering the last mile. Paul Carvell explains how the use of intelligent automated locker technology within the delivery network not only eliminates failed deliveries but also offers the consumer a more convenient solution and reduces costs by consolidating deliveries. Mr Carvell will also introduce Business Direct’s new division, ParcelXchange Worldwide, and reveal how the postal industry is adopting the division’s ParcelXchange technology to deliver the last mile.

Posties are our most important assets – the legs, eyes and ears of the organisation. How do we empower them to a new level?
Blackbay, Larry Klimczyk, managing director, Royal Mail, Shiona Rolfe, head of fulfilment
How Royal Mail is enhancing the last mile with new technologies: Proof of location (particularly important for home deliveries and new Corporate Manslaughter Act); proof of conditioning; training for new services; removal of paper and processes; and, new information-gathering services.