DHL 1997 Annual Report Download - page 30

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27
Streamlining production
In 1997, the design for an automated letter processing system was
completed. The introduction of a significantly more detailed barcode
for standard letters will enable the fully automated sorting of letters right
down to house numbers. The full potential for rationalizing letter proces-
sing will be known once the pilot project has been completed in the first
half of 1998.
Also successfully completed in 1997 was a pilot project for establishing
an information-technology-based information and planning system.
This IT-based system, developed to optimize maintenance and materials
management, will be implemented at all production sites in 1998.
Four IT-based Mail Redirection Centers and one COA processing center
for redirection applications were commissioned in 1997 in order to
further improve service quality. In 1997, trial tests were conducted on a
data processing system designed to maintain more than four million
items of sorting-related information – names of towns, streets and post
office box holders, among other data. The system will be implemented
nationwide beginning in July 1998. It reduces data maintenance
work and allows data bases to be updated much more frequently than
in the past.
Increased service for key accounts
With individualized offers, tailor-made products and intelligent
services, Deutsche Post, in anticipation of growing competition, has
made customer orientation the key of their marketing and sales
strategy. As part of these efforts, we reoriented our Letter Mail sales
organization and introduced the Key Account Management concept.
A new department at headquarters and regional key account managers
at our directorates are assigned to customers with large letter volume,
customers in the mail-order business, public organizations, insurance
companies and manufactures of brand-name products. We have also
Letter processing center