Being the first choice for every customer

Deutsche Post DHL is the biggest logistics company in the world. But for us, that's not enough. For our customers the world over we also want to be the best, all the time. Like in any other company, there is always potential for improvement at Deutsche Post DHL. The difference between a good company and an excellent one is how this potential is unlocked and put to work.

This is why, in 2007, we launched First Choice, a Group-wide service improvement program with the goal of providing nothing but excellent service in all areas of our business and becoming the number one choice for our customers worldwide. Since its inception, First Choice has become one of the core elements of our corporate strategy, helping Deutsche Post DHL unlock the existing potential within the Group. But what is First Choice?

First and foremost, First Choice is an attitude. It's a mindset that has to be adopted by each and every one of us at Deutsche Post DHL - managers and employees alike. What makes First Choice so special is that our employees are directly involved in the improvement process, working in their immediate work environments to optimize service and to turn our customers into devoted fans.

First Choice is by far the most extensive program ever launched by Deutsche Post DHL as it aims to mobilize all 470,000 of its employees in identifying potential improvement measures and implementing them.The idea is a good one, but to make it work, the right tools are needed. First Choice therefore provides our employees with everything they need in the form of a tried and true methodology that combines the Six Sigma and Lean approaches to business process improvement.

The method involves a systematic yet intuitive set of steps: Customer satisfaction is measured and processes are analyzed step by step. Problems are identified and solutions are found or developed in response. The success of the measures is also monitored to ensure sustainable improvement. With the help of specially designed workshop formats, employees trained in the methodology support their colleagues in implementing First Choice. To date, a total of 17,000 employees have been trained in the First Choice methodology and more than 100,000 employees worldwide have become directly involved in the initiative.

Eight pilot projects were launched in four countries to test the First Choice method and to adjust it to meet the needs of a global logistics company. The success of program speaks for itself: Since its rollout, First Choice has already been introduced in nearly all of the 220 countries and territories in which the Group operates. More than 2,100 optimization initiatives have already been carried out and 2,800 more are currently underway.

Some projects are designed to improve the service for a single customer, while others have been developed to impact customers countrywide. First Choice doesn't stop there, however-some measures have even been developed to benefited customers worldwide. Behind each and every one of these success stories are our employees, who are committed to providing excellent service to both their internal and external customers.

Holger Winklbauer, the Executive Vice President responsible for implementing First Choice worldwide, sums up the goal of all Deutsche Post DHL employees as they go about their daily work: "We want thoroughly satisfied customers who not only remain loyal to our company but recommend our services to other potential customers. To reach this goal, we tap into one of our most valuable and powerful resources - our people."

One of the underlying tenets of First Choice is that customer satisfaction levels fuel organic business growth. "If our customers are satisfied with our service, they'll recommend us further and ultimately generate new business. Satisfied customers are the best and most effective means of advertising a company could ever have," explains Winklbauer. This is why First Choice plays such an important and strategic role at Deutsche Post DHL and is directly overseen by the company's Chairman and CEO, Dr. Frank Appel.

Customers are not the only ones benefiting from First Choice. Employees who initiate process improvements within their own work environments and areas of expertise are more effective and as a result, are more motivated. Group-wide programs such as First Choice also pay off for investors. Outstanding service is Deutsche Post DHL's answer to becoming the number one company of choice for worldwide logistics services, and this makes the company even more attractive for potential investors and its existing shareholders.

Holger Winklbauer is certain that First Choice will launch the era of enduring service excellence at Deutsche Post DHL. "First Choice spells benefits for everyone involved. This is because the program is universal - it can be used in any country, at any kind of facility or office, in any business division and by each and every one of our employees. No matter where we look, there is always room for improvement. In the past, our employees have simply lacked the tools to identify and exploit improvement potential. With First Choice our employees are continually working to raise customer satisfaction levels and in doing so, make an important contribution in effecting sustainable improvements within our company. And an analysis of the initial First Choice demonstrate exactly that: First Choice has led to quantifiable improvements in the area of customer satisfaction. We need to continue on this path, but with greater consistency."