EDITION 4/2014

THE WORLD OF INTELLIGENT LOGISTICSmagazine

Michael Schilling, Chief Operations Officer Road Logistics at Dachser

AIR & SEA GROWINGIN TANDEM WITHTHE MARKETS

FOOD LOGISTICS SMART MANAGEMENT OF PEAK ORDER PERIODS

THE TEAM FOR EUROPE’S STRONGEST GROUPAGE NETWORK

NETWORKENGINEERS

02 DACHSER magazine

NUMBERS THAT COUNT

is the load that one of today’s 20-foot

sea containers (TEU) can carry.

TRADE IN TRANSITIONIn the history of trade between Europe and Asia, the road to get from camel to container has been a long one. As the past teaches us: it’s not about how we open ourselves, but that we do so in the first place.

can be transported by the biggest

of the Triple-E-class ships that ply the

waters between Asia and Europe.

of cargo is about the maximum that a well-built camel can

carry—or slightly less if the road is long and the terrain rough.

Horses can carry 120 kilograms at best and domestic

donkeys not more than 100 kilograms.

10,000 kilometers is the length of the main route of the Silk Road from Xi’an to the Medi -

terranean. The first caravans bearing rolls of silk probably visited Rome

as early as 100 BCE, 1,300 years before Marco Polo began his travels.

would now be needed in order to traverse the Silk Road with the weight contained

in a single shipload on just one of today’s giant commercial freighters. This figure represents

about eight percent of the current population of the world’s camels.

21,750 kilograms18,000 containers

1,305,000 camels

80 days of trade between Asia and Europe

is transported on maritime routes.

The Silk Road began its decline

500 years ago, after Vasco da Gama

discovered a maritime route

to India. One of the largest

container ships on the

seas today is named the

“Marco Polo.”

95 percent are needed by the giant

Triple-E-class ships

for a round trip between

Asia and Europe (including

stopovers). But 2,000 years

ago, transporting silk and

porcelain from China could

have taken up to a decade

to reach Europe.

300 kilograms

DACHSER magazine 03

CONTENTS

04

16

20

28

TITLE STORY

Network Engineers: Master plan for intelligent European logistics 04

FORUM

People and Markets: 10Third brake light for greater traffic safety and sustainable development through education Essay: Bringing life into balance 14

EXPERTISE

Food Logistics: Holiday operations: intelligent management of peak order periods 16Careers in logistics: Warehouse Specialist 20Project-based shipping: Big moves in America 22

NETWORK

Network Expertise: News from the Dachser World 26Asia Pacific: Growing in tandem with new markets 28

BUSINESS LOUNGE

Motivation: Bernhard Simon in conversation with psychotherapist Dr. Thorsten Kienast 32

GOOD NEWS

Executive power: Fast-tracking a career 35

Publishing informationPublished by: Dachser GmbH & Co. KG, Memminger Str. 140, 87439 Kempten, Germany, Internet: www.dachser.com Overall responsibility: Dr. Andreas Froschmayer Editor-

in-Chief: Anne Reiter, tel.: +49 831 5916-1423, fax: +49 831 596-8-1423, e-mail: anne.reiter@dachser.com, Martin Neft, tel.: +49 831 5916-1420, e-mail: martin.neft@dachser.com

Editors: Christian Auchter, Theresia Gläser, Christian Weber Editorial Assistant: Andrea Reiter, tel.: +49 831 5916-1424, e-mail: andrea.reiter@dachser.com Publisher: Burda Creative

Group GmbH, Arabellastr. 23, 81925 Munich, tel.: +49 89 9250-1320, fax: +49 89 9250-1680 Managing Directors: Gregor Vogelsang, Dr.-Ing. Christian Fill Project Manager Burda

Creative Group: Marcus Schick Design: Ralph Zimmermann, Kerstin Spörer Photos: all photography Dachser except: thinkstockfotos.de (pp. 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 22–25, 26, 27,

28, 29, 30, 31), Marcus Vetter (pp. 1, 3, 4–9), Jörg Reuther (pp. 3, 16–19), Meena Kadri (p. 12), Horst Nilgen (pp. 20, 21), Michael Palm (p. 35) Illustration: Ralph Zimmermann

(pp. 32–34) Printer: Holzer Druck und Medien Druckerei und Zeitungsverlag GmbH, 88171 Weiler im Allgäu Print run: 40,000/55th volume Publication: 4 x per year Languages:

German, English, French, Spanish. DACHSER magazine is printed on NovaTech paper certified in accordance with the FSC® mix for sustainable forestry.

F Further information can be found in our DACHSER eLetter.

TITLE STORY

04 DACHSER magazine

Everything according to plan: Armin Blaschek, Department Head Production

Systems, Reiner Pecher, Department Head Construction, and Thomas Schmalz,

Head of Production Management (l. to r.)

THE NETWORK

DACHSER magazine 05

TITLE STORY

Dachser is number one in the European groupage market because it has established the conditions to get there: a comprehensive network of shippingservices and branches together with forward-lookingand strategic network and capacity planning.

hA strong will makes the difference.

Michael Schilling, COO Road Logis-

tics, knows this first-hand. When he began

at Dachser in 1989, the family company had

4,000 employees and a small network in

Europe. “The Internal Logistics Depart-

ment, where I became a project employee,

was just being established. An optimistic,

pioneering spirit could be felt everywhere.

What we wanted was to develop and ‡

K ENGINEERS

TITLE STORY

06 DACHSER magazine

expand the European overland shipping net-

work,” Schilling remembers. “With every-

thing we had to do, we couldn’t hide behind

textbooks. What we needed was practical

knowledge, and we had to roll up our sleeves

and get things done.” Now, 25 years later,

Dachser has bridged the last gap in its Euro-

pean network with the acquisition of the

Spanish logistics provider Azkar, the leading

logistics company on the Iberian Peninsula.

“Over the last few decades, Dachser has

transformed itself from a regional, medium-

sized company to a global logistics provider,”

says Schilling. Earning a quick payoff is

not the goal. “Long-term business policies

are needed in order to put the company in a

solid position for the future.”

A significant pacemaker is a high-perfor-

mance European overland shipping net -

work. It is the responsibility of Thomas

Schmalz, Head of Production Manage -

ment, and Armin Blaschek, Department

Head Production Systems, to create mile-

stones for the entire operation from indi -

vidual mosaic tiles. They and their team work

at the Head Office Kempten to continually

optimize production systems and the net-

work of branch offices and transit ter -

minals. “What we want is to identify the

right locations for the network in order to

continue to improve the runtimes and the

efficiency of the entire system,” says Schmalz.

The objectives: de liver greater benefits to

the customer and constantly strive for qua -

lity and service.

Planning excellenceWhile network development is centrally

managed by the Dachser Head Office in

Kempten, when it comes to site development

and expansion measures—for example most

recently in Lyss—the responsible parties in

the individual states and regions are always

closely integrated into planning and imple-

mentation processes: “When planning and

developing the network, the network ex -

perts in Kempten work hand in hand with

the branch office and the country managers,”

explains Michael Schilling, COO Road Lo -

gistics at Dachser. This is part and parcel

of achieving operational and planning ex -

cellence in network management. Schilling

is convinced that “this is the only way to re-

alize the requisite high degree of quality,

service, and responsibility that will result in

additional growth and sustainable competi-

tiveness.”

Against this backdrop, Thomas Schmalz’s

unit manages around 20 network develop-

ment projects throughout Europe every

year. “And the scope and scale of the pro -

ject is different in each case,” Schmalz em-

phasizes, “from expanding a location by five

gates to strategic planning for a country

organization.”

Take Lyss, for instance. “We saw as early as

2008 that the branch office in Basel would

be reaching the limits of its capacity in the

following four to six years,” remembers Urs

Häner, Managing Director European Logis-

tics Switzerland. They realized very quickly

hhOnly operational and planning excellence

in network management makes it

possible to realize the requisite high degree of quality,

service, and responsibility

Michael Schilling, Dachser COO

Road Logistics

What we need is a new view of reality. We need to understandthat much is connectedthat we see as sepa-rate, that the invisibleties that bind things together are oftenmore important regard-ing what happens in the world than thethings themselves.

Frederic Vester (1925 – 2003),Systems Researcher

From planning to construction: the new Swiss branch office in Lyss

DACHSER magazine 07

THEMA: XXXXXXXXXX

that the Basel area did not have any suitable

properties for an expansion and that the per-

square-meter prices for industrial properties

were very high. “Because an expansion in

Basel was not in the cards, we considered

splitting the Basel branch office up,” Häner

remarks.

More than 100 parametersAt this point, the network engineers in

Kempten got into the game. It is their re-

sponsibility to ensure that the local and

regional needs of the country organizations

correlate with the requirements of the

complex and high-precision machine that

is Dachser’s European network. To do that,

they apply sophisticated IT tools and

methods. Using software that has been spe-

cially customized for Dachser needs, the

network experts routinely examine the

progress of the volumes processed by all

locations in the overland transport net -

work. “We can analyze more than 100 pa-

rameters,” explains Armin Blaschek. “This

enables us to get down to the nitty gritty.

As we recently did in Lyss, we incorporate

all the relevant variables—such as trans -

port infrastructure in Switzerland, the fleet

capacity there, and the shipment information

over a representative period of time—into

the decision-making process,” says Blaschek.

“This way we can keep an eye on all the

locations. We are constantly examining if we

are on the right path and in line with our

overall strategy,” Thomas Schmalz empha-

sizes. “This also gives us the flexibility to

decide whether we need to step on the gas

or ease off the accelerator, depending on the

economy.” Planning therefore does not be-

come an end in itself; it can be adjusted at

any time to the markets and current demand.

“It is our goal to turn location advantages

into network advantages,” stresses Schmalz.

To achieve this, the network engineers in

Kempten use conclusive simulations to ‡

Site and volume analyses ...

... result in a carefully planned network expansion.

Armin Blaschek’s (r.) team: Stefanie Südbeck,Florian Zizler, and Andreas Liebl (l. to r.)

TITLE STORY

08 DACHSER magazine

Dachser Road Logistics – a power network for Europe

“Know-how and network and system

expertise are the ‘door openers’ for

inte grated logistics.” And on the way to

the goal, the seamless network in

Europe that grew continually and con -

sistently has tremendous meaning for

Michael Schilling, COO Road Logistics

at Dachser. Schilling sees the expansion

of system and charter transport marked

by major milestones. The ’90s saw

organic growth in Eastern Europe and,

after the acquisition of Graveleau,

the integration of locations in France

and in the Maghreb. On the Iberian

Peninsula, the network was signifi -

cantly strengthened by the acquisition

of Azkar in 2013.

Today, Dachser’s European Logistics

network has 256 own locations in 22

countries as well as 68 partner locations

in 14 additional countries. The pan-

European over land transport connec-

tions encompass 36 countries and en-

sure seamless service for Europe,

North Africa, and parts of the Middle

East. The Food Logistics business unit

services 29 countries through around

140 locations.

INFO

DACHSER magazine 09

TITLE STORY

determine how changes in individual mech-

anisms affect the entire network: “To put it

simply, we pour tonnage into the system

and the square-meter figures pop out at the

bottom,” says Armin Blaschek with a wink.

Of course, there is more behind it. Because

Dachser can simulate the volume increases in

individual regions and allocate them geo-

graphically, it is even possible to integrate

future volumes into the planning process.

“Hence, we can make our network manage-

ment proactive and forward-looking. Loca-

tion selection, cost estimates, and calculat -

ing the specs for the new branch office are

the cornerstones of our expertise that comes

from broad-based experience. Our planning

horizon extends as far as seven years out,” re-

veals Thomas Schmalz. Basically, future

expanded capacity is taken into consider a -

tion today in order to be able to deal with

the volume increases of tomorrow.

“In Lyss, we found a site that is only a stone’s

throw away from the optimum location

based on the numbers,” says Armin Blaschek.

In further analysis, the specialists then used

IT methods to check every potential site in

the future service area of the transit ter mi -

nal. “We are not just taking the distance as

the crow flies into consideration,” emphasizes

Blaschek. “The calculations take topo -

graphical features and language borders in

account, which are particularly relevant for

the Swiss Alps.”

Keeping an eye on all the detailsAll of these calculations and scenarios ulti-

mately provide the COO Road and the

country manager with a precise foundation

for decisions on further development of sites

and country organizations. Once they give

it their go-ahead, implementation begins

immediately. Construction & Real Estate,

headed by Thomas Hörmann (see also

DACHSER magazine 1/2012), then puts

the strategy into action jointly with the coun-

try organization and the network engineers.

A staff consisting of experienced architects,

real estate experts, and service technicians

integrates every imaginable operational de -

tail into the construction concept. “These

include transport connections as well as a

sufficient number of holding slots for trucks

and storage areas for swap bodies and semi-

trailers,” explains Reiner Pecher, Depart -

ment Head Construction. Special features

at the new branch office—for example, sound

insulation or the option to supply the fa cil -

ity with energy from solar power—are just

as relevant, of course.

“We monitor the project from A to Z—

from the construction phase and beyond its

completion,” Schmalz stresses. This ensures

that the implementation of the plans always

remains close to day-to-day business and

the operational possibilities and require-

ments. “As soon as any problems arise, for

example with the sound insulation, we are

on board and are supporting the project

with our expertise and our planning options,”

confirms Schmalz.

The transit terminal in Lyss began opera-

tions in September 2014. Managing Direc -

tor Urs Häner is very pleased with how the

project went: “Dachser has a great deal of

experience with the construction of new

branch offices. The entire process, right up

to completion in August, went off without

a hitch in just eight months.” Both the team

from the Dachser Head Office and the

seasoned core crew from the Birsfelden

branch office provided energetic support in

the initial phase. Urs Häner is delighted

that Dachser now has ten branch offices in

Switzerland’s most important commercial

centers.

“The beneficiaries are the customers—not

just in the region, but throughout the entire

Dachser network,” Armin Blaschek empha-

sizes. After all, as a result of the growing

network, ultimately, freight distribution

services become faster, resulting in “all the

positive effects on reliability and capacity of

the European transport network, including

optimized fuel consumption and a more

balanced carbon footprint,” says Blaschek

and continues, “The expansion, by itself

merely a mosaic tile, becomes a real mile-

stone for the entire network.” M. Schick

Superbly positioned

The Swiss logistics market is growing. Urs Häner,

Managing Director European Logistics Switzerland,

talks about new perspectives from the heart of Europe.

How has the Swiss logistics market been developing

most recently?

As a result of the weak euro in recent months, imports have been doing very

well. In contrast, however, exports—apart from watches and clocks and

pharmaceuticals—have had an uphill battle due to the strong Swiss franc. It is

very gratifying that the domestic market is and will remain the backbone of

the economy. Dachser is superbly positioned on the Continent and overseas.

What does Dachser do in Switzerland?

Our core business consists of domestic and European groupage transport as

well as intercontinental air and sea transport.

What customer benefits were you primarily aiming for with the

network expansion in the Canton of Bern?

With the new location in Lyss, we have shortened delivery times throughout

Europe by 24 hours. This also applies to parts of Western Switzerland, namely

the Cantons of Neuenburg and Fribourg. As a result, we can be more flexible

with regard to customers’ requirements. Short-distance transport has also

become more efficient as we are racking up fewer kilometers. Being a more

sustainable operation is something that customers value.

FACE-TO-FACE

RE

SP

ON

SIB

ILIT

Y

PROMISINGKNOWLEDGE

Puja, the young computer instructor, considers education

her gateway to opportunity

FORUM

10 DACHSER magazine

hPuja is 18. She lives with her parents

and four siblings in Chhitauni, a tiny

village in India’s Uttar Pradesh state. Here

in the countryside, the prospects for girls in

particular are anything but rosy. The staff of

the "Education to Sustainability” project,

administered by relief organizations HWA

and PACE in a total of 136 villages and

hamlets in the districts of Varanasi and

Sitapur, succeeded in convincing Puja’s par-

ents that a good education is important for

girls, too. Once her father gave his consent,

she enrolled in and completed a free com-

puter course at the Swawlambam Training

Centre. With great success. Puja has since

been working as a computer instructor at a

private school. “Now I can finally help sup-

port my family and prove that it was good

for me to take the course!“

Better training and education“Education to Sustainability” is the name

of the aid project in India that Dachser has

supported and promoted in Uttar Pradesh,

jointly with aid organization terre des homes,

since 2005. “Our goal is to provide children

with better education and training and con-

tribute to environmental preservation and

sustainable agriculture,“ explains Dachser

CEO Bernhard Simon. Girls and women, in

Some facts & figures on the Dachser aid project with terre des hommes

Among other milestones reached in 2013 –14:

490 children were enrolled in the project’s unofficial education centers

6 education centers for 150 children, primarily girls,

were additionally established

329 youths were recently enrolled at the training centers

237 youths received training/were trained at summer camps

26 biogas plants were installed

1,380 trees were planted

AID THAT IS EFFECTIVE

particular, are especially disadvantaged in

India, he noted, and often have no opportu-

nity to earn a diploma and receive training.

So far, thanks to the aid project alone,

more than 11,000 children have been able

to attend a school. “Between 2005 and

2015, Dachser will have invested around

EUR 900,000 in the project region,” Simon

added.

Sustainable developmentIn addition to education and training,

sustainable development of agriculture has

played an important role in the project.

Mamata Devi is a 38-year-old farmer from

Ghughari village. Since 2008, she has been

part of a self-help group that was founded

under the project. “Before this, our family

was extremely poor,” she reports. “We had to

take out expensive loans in order to buy

seed.”That has fundamentally changed. The

self-help group supports her with small,

affordable loans; in addition, there was also

training on sustainable farming methods.

Today, Mamata can plant high-value vegeta-

bles and sell them in the marketplace. Of

at least equal importance for her is that she

is able to pass on her knowledge to younger

women and, as a result, has garnered tremen-

dous respect within the village community.

Dachser, working jointly with terre des hommes, the international children’s charity, has been helpingpeople to help themselves in India’s Uttar Pradesh region since 2005. And with ongoing success.

DACHSER magazine 11

FORUM

In the Indian metropolis Mumbai, food carriers perform a logistical

masterpiece every day—and all without the aid of technology.

The last mile

THE (ALMOST) HUNDRED-PERCENTERS

Dabbawallahs are simply incredible.

According Forbes Global Magazine,

the food carriers in the Indian metropo-

lis of Mumbai, which has population

of millions, make only one error per 16

million potential delivery drops. With

99.999999 percent reliability, the 5,000

lunch box logisticians meet the highest

quality requirements. Incidentally, not

one computer and almost zero techno -

logy is involved—which would make

almost no sense anyway because most

Dabbawallahs can neither read nor

write.

These workers transport the roughly

300,000 food containers every day from

their subscribers’ homes (where the fam-

ilies prepare them) to their workplaces—

via train, on bike, or on foot—and all

without the benefit of IT. An ingenious

coding system that includes colors, sym-

bols, and numbers is used to mark the

boxes (or ”tiffins”) when the Dabbawal-

lah collects them from the dispatching

home. A network of interim stations pro-

vides for orderly sorting and punc tual

forwarding. Professor Coimbatore K.

Prahalad of the University of Michigan,

sees a “model system of simplicity in

management and organization” in this

logistic phenomenon. Ever since, major

multinational concerns—such as Audi,

Satayam Computer System, and the

UK-based Virgin Group—have repeat-

edly dispatched their own complexity

researchers to Mumbai to enable these

experts to gain an understanding of the

Dabbawallah system.

The secret of their reliability, as Dutch

business & finance journal Works ThatWork sees it, can be found in an

eminently close interrelationship of all

persons involved, and under extremely

flat hierarchies. “The Dabbawallahs’

success is based on one simple, humble

approach,” the magazine determined.

“Teamwork always takes precedence

there over personal performance.” And

the math certainly adds up. The Dabba -

wallahs’ business is booming. Demand

is expected to rise by five to ten percent

each year.

FROM 0 TO 100Traffic lights: to some, they are a

constant annoyance; to others,

the only blessing amidst a chaos

of city traffic. This year, they turn

100. In August 1914, the first

electric traffic light went into ope-

ration in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. It

had been preceded by a number

of attempts to steer city traffic

down a more rational path. Take

London’s Parliament Square, for

instance: signal arms brought

the flood of vehicles, horses, and

pedestrians to heed the rules of

orderly traffic flow during the day,

while gas lanterns took over

this task at night. The colors of

traffic lights—or “stoplights”—

came into play for the first time

in New York and Detroit in 1920.

The color choice was inspired by

the signal colors used on railro-

ads, which at the end of the 19th

century used red for “stop,” green

for “approach with caution,” and

white for “all clear." Today, traffic

lights stand for more than light

signals—they can also “think,”

too. The “green wave” for exam-

ple, delivers an optimal, compu-

ter-controlled flow of traffic. And

researchers are already testing

out new streetlights that “talk”

to truck engines and drives via

WLAN—so that these vehicles

can be conducted through cities

at optimal speeds and with the

maximum potential gas savings.

Innovations have been clearly

given “the green light” to go

ahead.

One hundred years of the traffic signal gets the green light

IN BRIEF

New record for trainees and interns:

at the beginning of the school year, 589 trainees

and interns began working in an extraordinarily

promising industry of the future. Enrollment

has broken all records. Joining their ranks

are 45 professional drivers.

FORUM: PEOPLE AND MARKETS

12 DACHSER magazine

DACHSER magazine won the Gold Fox Award. The

jury judging the competition for efficiency in Corporate

Publishing honored the magazine’s editorial design,

linguistic craftsmanship, and the associated unique

content it provides for further exploration. In few other

industries have responsibility and customer contact

been so broadly delegated across so many levels as in

the transport sector. “This magazine ties these aspects together at the vari-

ous levels,” according to the jury evaluation. The gold award honors “a media

concept that demonstrates an above-average efficiency performance in all cri-

teria, and can therefore be considered an inspiring role model in its category.”

Traffic safety

SEEING THRICE IS NICE:A THIRD BRAKE LIGHT

IFS Logistics 2.1

ON THE ROAD AT A “HIGHERLEVEL”

The risk of rear impact collisions

is particularly high during the

darker fall and winter months. To

increase traffic safety particularly

at this time of the year, Dachser

is testing the use of an additional

(third) rear brake light.

Dachser Food Logistics ensures

logistics quality that conforms to the

latest IFS Logistics Standard.

Foodstuffs are sensitive goods; accordingly,

the logistics they involve are equally demand-

ing across the entire supply chain. The IFS

Logistics Standard was established in 2007

to ensure reliable quality in the storage, pack-

aging, loading, unloading, and transport of

foodstuffs and non-food products.

Today, IFS Logistics is a leading standard in

the certification of shipping, storage, and

distribution activities, regardless of whether

the products are packaged or unpackaged,

temperature-controlled or not, or transport -

ed by ship, airplane, railroad, or truck. This

standard, together with its recent revision

per the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)

Guidance Document, now enjoys global

recognition as well.

In 2014, Dachser Food Logistics, as one of

the first logistics providers, passed the au-

dits—based on the current Version 2.1—with

flying colors, earning a score above 99%. “This

is further testament to the quality that our

customers have come to appreciate from

Dachser, validated independently in a more or

less official way,” extolls Christian Pflüger,

Head of Quality Management at Dachser

Food Logistics. He emphasizes that Dachser

did not achieve this “higher level” for the sake

of a certificate, though: “For us, quality has to

be right every day.”

From now on, Dachser will have to prove that

this assertion remains equally valid in the

future, under much tougher conditions. The

“Multi-Site Certification” option, which was

established with the new Version, means that

unannounced visits by the external auditor

must be allowed at any time. Pflüger: “We have

nothing to fear from surprise audits. What

better way is there to demonstrate consistent-

ly superior quality to the outside world?”

GOLD FOR EFFICIENCY

“We voluntarily started to equip select -

ed units with a third brake light on the

roof edge,” explains Elmar Fünfer, De-

partment Head Technology/Technical

Purchase at Dachser. “This represents

another element in the panoply of safety

components already installed.” By con-

tinuously renewing the company’s fleet

of trailers, state-of-the-art units are

constantly available. Furthermore, for

this failsafe fleet of trailers, additional

brake lights are being mounted on the

top center of the rear panel. “We also

have trucks with fixed bodies for short

distance traffic equipped with an addi-

tional, third brake light. In view of the

increasingly high density of traffic on

all roads, and especially in inner-city

traffic, we want to ensure that drivers

see when the brakes of our vehicles are

applied as promptly as possible, to coun-

teract the potential for rear-end collisions

at stoplights and traffic jams, for exam-

ple,” the department head emphasized.

Whether the third brake light will

soon be part of the basic equipment for

new vehicles in the future is something

that still has to be decided by lawmakers.

Elmar Fünfer is already convinced:

“No matter what: this safety equipment

will contribute to traffic safety.”

DACHSER magazine 13

FORUM: PEOPLE AND MARKETS

Order is half the battle—so they say. Actually, its significance for humankind is much greater.

EVERYTHING

IN ORDER? Everything previously encountered is sup-

posed to be put in perfect order so that

people can identify it and use it for their

own purposes.

Under these circumstances, perceived cer-

tainties sometimes have to be tossed over-

board. Plato, for example, no longer saw

gods in the stars, but just rocks. In his

cosmology, the entire universe could be un-

derstood through its building block struc-

ture—from the basic elements earth, fire,

water, and air to mathematical principles,

such as lines, surface area, and numbers, to

the orbits of the planets. Even the cosmos

of ideas could be arranged in a proper order.

Aristotle was even more precise in his

Physics: in his cosmos, Earth was the center

of a cohesive world order that reached as

far as the fixed stars in the sky, with nothing

existing outside of it. What held it together

was motion, emergence, and dissolution.

Don’t let it drive you crazySince that time, the attempt to understand

the world within a higher order has been

on the agenda of scholars and scientists time

and again. As historian Golo Mann noted,

“contentment with order” is hardly con -

ceivable without “the desire to break it”; for

this reason, the reflections of skeptical con-

temporaries all too often led to damnation,

an insane asylum, or even to being burned

at the stake. Nevertheless, universal scholars,

such as Leonardo da Vinci, Goethe, and

the naturalist Alexander von Humboldt,

never grew tired of embracing the big pic -

ture and investigating its principles of order.

hGetting one’s bearings in the infinite

reach of the stars does have its pit -

falls. The Greek philosopher and astronomer

Thales of Miletus made that discovery

once, long ago. While gazing up at the sky,

he failed to notice a water well in front of

him and fell in— very much to the

amusement of a Thracian maiden.

“Why are you trying to find out

what is in the sky when you don’t

even know what’s in front of

you,” she reportedly scoffed,

thereby showing herself to be the

true philosopher in the end. Com-

menting on this same subject to -

day, the Swiss thinker and professor

Anton Hügli notes that “for people

who love order, there is nothing

worse than stumbling over what

doesn’t fit into their orderly world

and isn’t foreseen in it: what’s uncon-

ventional, offensive, paradoxical. In

other words, the holes, the water

well—and the laughter following their

downward plunge, coming not just from

Thracian maidens.”

The dilemma of Thales of Miletus

was and is a typical symptom of

all those who are trying to get

their bearings in an ever more

complex world and want to

identify a reasonably firm

framework for it: scientists,

philosophers, artists, and

engineers of later times. To

this end, they fix their gaze on

nothing less than the entire picture.

FORUM: ESSAY

14 DACHSER magazine

Chaos and order: a contradiction? Not in intelligent logistics.In warehousing, achaotic warehousingsystem exploits theadvantages of flexiblespace assignment.Specific products arenot assigned to any setwarehouse locationsor coordinates; in-stead, with the help ofIT, they are allocated tostorage locations thathave just been freedup. A chaotic ware-housing system there-fore helps keep thewarehouse filled to a high degree and opti-mizes driving routes.By contrast, in a fixedwarehousing system,the products havefirmly assigned stor-age locations.

and sirens determined the rhythm of work

in the age of industrialization. Hour and

minute hands became the timekeepers of

doings and dealings, coupling everyday life

with predictability and reliability. And that

occurred throughout the world in “real time”

and, today, according to the beat dictated by

digitalization.

So, while order always goes hand in hand

with a very concrete experience of time, it

is also simultaneously always an adversary

of freedom. At least Albert

Einstein saw it that way:

“Only the stupid need

order; genius masters

chaos.” M. Schick

Fortunately, the search for an overarching

order does not just have a subversive dimen-

sion. It was and is considered a virtue, too,

that makes our everyday life easier. “Love

of order and cleanliness is not an expression

of great generosity; it is not a heroic virtue

that people only have to exercise occasion -

ally and rarely because the occasion for this

only arises sometimes or seldom. It is an

ordinary virtue that can and, thus, also must

be exercised every day and every hour,”

decreed “The Christian Family Temple” in

1839. Therefore, tidying up one’s desk can

in no way be understood as a heroic deed.

Everything a question of timeWithout a doubt, love of order is a “soft skill”

that has what it takes to make life and co-

existence with others easier. However, cor -

responding “hardware” is also absolutely

necessary for this—first and foremost, in-

struments that measure time. As early as

1300, the first public mechanical clock was

installed in Paris. With this development,

the natural division of time, which had been

determined by the length of day and night

for as long as humans could remember, was

superceded by hours of consistent length.

More than 500 years later, time clocks, bells,

hhThe key to

any sound order

is a wastepaper basket

Kurt Tucholsky

Thinking in systems is the best means of

achieving order

DACHSER magazine 15

FORUM: ESSAY

CHRISTM

Thumbs up for the holidays: the chocolate Santas are all set to go

EXPERTISE: FOOD LOGISTICS

16 DACHSER magazine

Seasonal merchandise presents logistics experts with special challenges. Each cog must fit its counterpart seamlessly months ahead of time so that customers never encounter an emptyshelf during the holidays.

h It’s the same every year: summer is

almost over, outside it’s still 30 degrees

(Celsius), but the gingerbread, chocolate

domino cookies, and spiced Spekulatiuscookies on the shelves of supermarkets are

already heralding a Christmas holiday that

is barely on the horizon. It seems that every

year Santa Claus and Co. are in the stores

earlier and earlier. Some—their disposition

still trained on summer—find the pre-

Yuletide mood annoying.

Indeed, that annoyance has boiled to the

surface, and this year there were calls for

legislators to define the earliest date when

sales of Christmas products could begin. A

representative survey conducted in Germany

revealed that almost every third resident

approved of this idea.

“Poppycock!” says Robert Mittermeier,

Branch Manager at the Dachser Logistics

Center in Langenau bei Ulm, denying that

the Christmas goodies arrive at stores earlier

and earlier each year; people just perceive

it that way. And he should know. After all,

customers distribute plenty of Christmas

merchandise for retail stores through the

MAS—ALL YEAR LONG

Langenau warehouse—about the same time

each year. “Ever since I’ve been dealing

with gingerbread, the delivery date hasn’t

changed. The season begins in late August

to early September,” Mittermeier counters

in response to speculations that the Christ-

mas season keeps starting earlier every year.

No Mid-Summer Christmas The pre-Christmas season doesn’t begin in

Langenau until the temperature starts to

cool down. “Christmas confectionery is

temperature-sensitive for the most part,

which is why we need an uninterrupted

refrigerated chain for shipping. Lower tem-

peratures make handling easier for retail

because there is usually no interim storage

between delivery to the retailer and presenta-

tion to the shopper,” says Joachim Härtner,

Food Freight Forwarding Manager in Lan-

genau. This is another reason why Christmas

in the hot summer months would not work.

Nevertheless, one motto still applies at

Langenau: “After Christmas is before Christ-

mas.” Storage of merchandise for next season

begins in the early part of the year. Due ‡

DACHSER magazine 17

EXPERTISE: FOOD LOGISTICS

Order picking for sales promotions

Full shelves in Langenau

to availability of the right kind of tempera-

ture control, long storage is not a problem.

“Planning for deliveries starts in March,”

says Rita Stobbe, Warehouse Operations

Manager in Langenau. When things get

hectic, there must be a smoothly functioning

and motivated team, storage space, equip-

ment, and adequate freight space. That’s a

very tall order.

“We need as many as 40 additional trucks for

Christmas deliveries,” says Härtner, pointing

out the challenge that he and his colleagues

face every year. But face it they do with a

liberal dose of creativity after having com-

pleted inten sive preparations. To get these

trucks out on time at peak periods, agree-

ments have to be made with contracted

carriers. “Most of our delivery capacity has

been contracted way ahead of time. The

rest will be acquired on the market at short

notice,” says Härtner.

At Langenau’s warehouse and transit ter -

minal, the 300 employees work in two- or

three-shift operations that keep things mov-

ing, just to ensure that the kids don’t have

to wait for their chocolate Santas to arrive. If

things get tight, the “Christmas warehouses”

in Langenau, Nuremberg, and Memmingen

help each other out. “During the holiday

season, the warehouses work together closely

and help each other out if one of them has

a bottleneck,” Mittermeier explains. There

are also seasonal employees to help out with

the piles of goods during peak times. This

way, short-term orders can be readily com-

pleted. “We sometimes deliver 1,500 pallets

more per day in the holiday season.” Rita

Stobbe speaks from experience. Often a re-

tailer or a manufac turer has special promo-

tions or campaigns on short notice. These

campaigns can get especially challenging

when there is a short work week with na-

tional holidays, for example, around Oc tober

3rd (Day of German Unity) or November 1st

(All Saints’ Day).

Investing in qualityDachser Food Logistics is growing concur-

rently with its responsibilities. “From 2012

to 2013, we saw an increase in revenue of

8.2 percent,” explains Alfred Miller, Manag-

ing Director Food Logistics at Dachser.

“Furthermore, the launch of the European

Food Network and the ‘vivengo’ product

range in the past year has fostered further

growth. In 2013 alone, we invested EUR 50

million in the Langenau, Kornwestheim,

and Schönefeld sites, creating additional ca-

pacity in a timely manner. The next project

is an investment of around EUR 25 million

in a European hub for food products in

Erlensee,” states Miller. “This is the only

way we can also stably run four-day weeks

during peak capacity periods and, at the same

time, offer our customers a consistently high

level of service quality.”

Chocolate for the holidaysPer season, Dachser employees move 35,000

pallets of gingerbread, 3,000 pallets of choco-

late Santas, and around 9,000 pallets of other

holiday treats in Langenau alone. Added

to this are food products and beverages for

retail stores and the numerous regional

Every bit of space isoptimally utilized

EXPERTISE: FOOD LOGISTICS

18 DACHSER magazine

Things are scheduled at tight intervals

all the way to Christmas

Happy Holidays: in Langenau preparations start well in advance

Christmas markets. Besides mulled wine,

Dachser delivers Swabian specialties, such as

Spätzle and Schupfnudeln (a regional dish

similar to Italian gnocchi), without which no

market would be complete.

By September, the warehouse is bustling.

Without a break, electrical forklifts and

lift trucks are putting pallets full of Santas

onto the shelves and taking down pallets

full of gingerbread. Trucks contain ing new

shipments of goodies come in all day long

from the manufacturers. So occasionally,

space is at a premium. Langenau has room

for 54,000 pallets with food products

stored in different temperature zones, as

well as space for more than 56,000 regular

pallets. In recent years, the Swabian

Dachser house directly on the A7 autobahn

has devel oped into one of the company’s

largest food handling sites.

Easter bunnies already on the horizonThe peak season lasts until Christmas, but

by mid-October the chocolate Santas have

reached supermarket shelves. As the finish

line approaches, wine, champagne, and

spirits are delivered to retail stores right up

until New Year’s Eve. In February, planning

for Easter gets underway and the Santas

are replaced by chocolate Easter bunnies

and liqueur-filled Easter eggs. The Easter

egg hunt has hardly begun as Dachser

starts to prepare for the next Christmas

season and the cycle begins anew—year

after year. A. Heintze

hhWe sometimes

deliver 1,500 pallets

more per day in the holiday

season

Rita Stobbe, Warehouse Operations

Manager at Dachser in Langenau

The Food Logistics division is without borders. The EuropeanFood Network makessure of that. “A littlemore than one yearago, the EuropeanFood Network cameonto the market offer-ing top quality andtransparent pro -cesses,” says AlfredMiller, Managing Director Food Logisticsat Dachser. “This enabled us to find ourniche on the marketquickly, and we havebeen continuously expanding our marketshare.”

DACHSER magazine 19

EXPERTISE: FOOD LOGISTICS

Lending a hand in Freiburg: Patrick Niegot

EXPERTISE: LOGISTICS KNOW-HOW

Patrick Niegot is a warehouse logistics specialist at Dachser’s transit terminal in Freiburg. A professionfor people who enjoy keeping on the move.

10:45 a.m.Morning shift begins. Patrick Niegot checks

his e-mails before he climbs onto the fork -

lift in the hall. The 24-year-old first attends

to the “backlog,” goods from the previous day

that are still unallocated. In the Freiburg

warehouse there is a “track” for every Dachser

branch in Germany. “This is where goods

are temporarily set down until they are

loaded,” says Niegot. Two tracks are lined

up next to each other, and next to them are

pathways for the forklift trucks. When goods

arrive that were not delivered by Dachser,

Niegot checks whether they match the in -

formation on the delivery note.

“The warehouse halls are as big as a soccer

field, so it’s a challenge for warehouse spe-

cialists to maintain a clear overview,” explains

Susanne Klotz, the main contact person

for training and study in Dachser‘s Head

Office in Kempten. “For people who enjoy

moving around, this is the perfect profession.”

After obtaining his secondary school leav -

ing certificate, Patrick initially worked for

six months as a temporary employee in

Dachser’s 4,300-square-meter transit termi -

nal in Freiburg. In September 2009, he began

his two-year apprenticeship in the German

profession of “warehouse specialist.” “After

one month, I got a forklift license,” Niegot

remembers, adding: “Once I had the driver’s

license, things really got started: I loaded

goods on swap body vehicles and articulated

trucks and really looked forward to this every

day. Because there’s lots of variety and lots

to watch out for, like weight distribution and

securing of cargo.” The shipped goods that

he moves in the warehouse are on euro pal-

lets or disposable pallets or in wire mesh

crates. For safe transport, they are bound

together with metal or plastic straps and

wrapped with stretch film. In addition, the

loader can use load bars and lashing straps

to prevent shifting during transport. Weights

range from one kilogram to three tons.

Thanks to modern materials-handling tech-

nology, however, heavy lifting is not on the

daily agenda. Instead, what’s needed are ex-

pertise, dexterity, and a good understanding

of warehouse work. For that reason, after

his apprenticeship, Niegot was happy to add

another year of training in order to become

a “warehouse logistics specialist.”

Currently, 1,378trainees throughoutGermany—including138 male and femalewarehouse special-ists—are being trainedat Dachser in sevenprofessions. AtDachser, the network-ing principle is experi-enced at all levels.These include eventswith trainees from various locations,trainee outings, in-service training pro-grams, tutors, and the “Dachser EducationAward” for the bestprogram graduates.

ONWARD AND UPWARD! SPECIALIZED SKILLS FOR THOSE WHO ARE “GOING PLACES”

CAREERS

IN LOGISTICS

20 DACHSER magazine

EXPERTISE: LOGISTICS KNOW-HOW

12:00 noonA trainee approaches Niegot. He has a ques-

tion about Domino, Dachser’s proprietary

shipping software. Niegot enjoys helping

others. “I know what it’s like to be a trainee.

Now I myself am looking after someone—

something that also makes me a little bit

proud.”

Back then, Patrick Niegot finished his

training with a very high score: 94 out of 100

points. As a reward, the IHK, Germany’s

Chamber of Industry and Commerce, fi-

nanced further training programs for him.

This allowed him to get an AEVO certificate

(as specified in the German Trainer Aptitude

Warehouse SpecialistDuties:

Receive goods and check themagainst accompanying shippingdocumentsTransport goods to their desig-nated warehouse destinationUnpack, sort, and store goods ina proper mannerCheck inventoryPick, pack, and assemble load-ing unitsLoad and stow loading units

Duration of training:1.5 to 2 years

Prerequisite: at least a secondary school diploma

Warehouse LogisticsSpecialist Duties:

The same duties as warehousespecialistsIn addition: assist in logisticsplanning and organizationprocessesProcess shipping and accompa-nying documentsAssist in planning “milk runs” Communicate with upstream anddownstream functional areasUse industry-specific foreign language skills

Duration of training:2.5 to 3 years

Prerequisite: at least a secondary school diploma

JOB PROFILE

More information about these occu pations with apprenticeship trainingcan be found at:

Contact: Susanne Klotz, Human ResourcesDevelopment, susanne.klotz@dachser.com

www.facebook.com/dachsercareersF

DACHSER magazine 21

Ordinance) so that he could be a contact

person for trainers; he also got a certificate

that permits him to train forklift drivers.

“We invest a lot in our future staff and like

to hire those who successfully complete their

training,” says the Dachser training expert

Susanne Klotz. In this regard, the professions

of “warehouse specialist” and “warehouse

logistics specialist” are also attractive for

women, because—in contrast with the past—

specialized technical equipment means that

heavy physical labor is no longer required.

“Our warehouses have an extremely high

standard in regard to technology,” Klotz

states. “They are very clean and orderly

places to work.”

2:00 p.m.One hour lunch break. Patrick Niegot has

brought some food with him and calmly eats

and drinks while chatting with colleagues

about friends and family, his most recent out-

ing, and a trip to the movie theater yesterday.

3:00 p.m.The local transport vehicles are returning

from their “milk runs.” “Now we’re getting

down to business,” Niegot happily remarks.

He takes his seat on the forklift truck and

delivers the goods to their respective places.

There are also days when he is only under -

way in a “sprinter.” This battery-powered pal-

let truck, which is steered from a standing

position, is very maneuverable and purrs

through the hall almost silently.

4:00 p.m.For Patrick Niegot it is not just a matter of

moving goods from A to B. Often special

safety regulations also apply. As in the case of

pallets containing oxygen tanks or barrels

and canisters with the orange and black haz-

ardous goods symbol. Niegot knows exactly

how to deal with hazardous liquid, solid,

and gaseous goods because after his training

program, he also got the hazardous goods

shipping license.

6:30 p.m.Incoming goods have been processed. Niegot

helps the loaders load trucks until his shift

is over. A day rich in variety comes to a close

for him. “Work is fun for me,” he says. That’s

why he has even more ambitious plans: “One

day, I’d like to be the manager of a transit

terminal.” S. Machens

Tasks in warehouse logistics...

...are rich in variety…

...and always multifaceted

EXPERTISE: COMPLEX SHIPPING PROJECTS

22 DACHSER magazine

CONTINENTSFULL OFCHALLENGES

Too big and too heavy? Not for logistics. When it comes to serving its customers, Dachser Air & Sea Logistics is happy to arrange travel for giants of all shapes and sizes.

DACHSER magazine 23

EXPERTISE: COMPLEX SHIPPING PROJECTS

hWhenever something bigger than usu-

al comes up, then unusual solutions are

called for. To ensure a 95-ton generator com-

ponent gets from Graz, Austria to Tampa,

Florida in the USA, last year Dachser Air &

Sea Logistics chartered the largest freight

aircraft in the world. The Antonov AN 124-

100 is a colossus among airplanes. But ex -

actly the right means of transport for a proj-

ect like this one.

It really doesn’t matter—generators from

Styria to Florida; intercity buses from China

to Chile; cable drums from Spain to Peru:

for logistics, nothing is too heavy, too big,

or too cumbersome. On the contrary: those

in charge at Dachser consider such ship-

ments to be “hot” challenges in the best sense

of the word. And not just because of

the tropical temperatures that affect large

parts of the South American continent.

Last year, Dachser Air & Sea Logistics or-

ganized the shipment of a mass spectrometer

from Bremen to Colombia. The 8.900-kilo-

meter distance was traversed in a mere five

days. But for the last 400 kilometers, it took

a full two days for the shipment to cross the

mountainous Andes region and get through

the tropical rainforest. Preparations took an

entire six weeks.

Everything is demanding“The topography by itself presents a major

challenge for logistics companies,” explains

Guido Gries, Managing Director Air &

Sea Logistics Americas in Miami, Florida,

USA. From the north to the south, the two

continents that make up the Americas span

14,000 kilometers. The landscapes extend

from North America’s Arctic tundra in north-

ern Canada, Greenland, and Alaska, to the

tropical rainforests of southern Mexico as

well as Central and South America, and

onward to the rugged southern tip of Tierra

del Fuego. The impact of the climate on ‡

EXPERTISE: COMPLEX SHIPPING PROJECTS

24 DACHSER magazine

the individual and the commodity should

not be underestimated. Two of the most

humid regions in the world are found in the

Columbian province of Chocó and in south-

ern Chile; the driest desert in the world—

the Atacama—extends from southern Peru

to northern Chile. Add to this a plethora of

social and infrastructural challenges, such

as bureaucracy and poor roads.

An enormous marketAt the same time, both continents have

tremendous growth potential. “The Americ-

as region is of inordinate value to Dachser’s

air & sea freight network,” as Thomas Reuter,

COO Dachser Air & Sea Logistics, ex -

plains the strategic significance. “In addition

to its high-volume domestic consumption,

to us, Brazil is the gateway to Latin Amer -

ica, since it accounts for 70 percent of the

economic power in South America,” Reuter

continues. South America’s common market

(Mercosur) is home to more than 260 million

consumers and generates around 75 percent

of the combined gross domestic product for

Latin America. Its North American counter-

part between Mexico, Canada, and the USA

(NAFTA) supplies over 460 million people.

Numerous free trade treaties between the

Mercosur and NAFTA states are fostering

a cooperative relationship of increasing in-

tensity between the two economic regions.

“The development of other free trade agree-

ments between the USA and Latin America,

as well as Europe and Asia, will accelerate

the upswing of global trade with our region

even more,” Reuter is convinced.

From China to ChileThe extent of South America’s global trade

relations, in the meantime, is evident in the

more than 30 Chinese-manufactured buses

that Dachser has exported to Chile by mid-

year. Among the greatest challenges is gener-

ating open space on ships for shipping re-

quests made on very short notice. “Good busi-

ness relationships with the shipping compa-

nies are absolutely essential,” states Reuter.

Proximity to the market is indispensable in

South America. In Brazil alone, Dachser so

far maintains eleven locations. “To ensure

proximity to customers in Brazil—a country

of continental dimensions—you have to in-

vest in local offices,” Reuter clarifies. “You

not only have to be able to estimate the

financial power of the enterprise, you also

have to gauge market developments,” adds

Angel Santana, Managing Director Dachser

ASL Brazil. This is the only way to deter -

mine early on if the potential client is plan-

ning to purchase additional vehicles or ex-

pand its export business. “Close contact with

Guido Gries serves as Managing DirectorAir & Sea LogisticsAmericas, and in thiscapacity is in charge of business develop-ment in North, Central,and South America.The goal is to achievethe seamless integra-tion of all import andexport business viaship or airplane to andfrom Europe and Asia,as well as within thetwo American conti-nents. Gries heads theAmericas Region out of Miami, Florida—theUSA’s gateway to LatinAmerica.

Moving huge loads even when the infrastructure is challenging

DACHSER magazine 25

EXPERTISE: COMPLEX SHIPPING PROJECTS

those companies is the only way you come

up for consideration as a partner for the ship-

ping component," says Santana.

Pipes that go around the worldOn overland routes as well, a good working

relationship is indispensable. “It is important

to have good shippers, warehouses, and lo-

gistics brokers as partners,” Santana explains

knowingly. Thanks to the close cooperation,

Dachser successfully secured the contracts to

transport pipes for petroleum production

from a major Swedish industrial corporation.

Dachser São Paulo coordinated the delivery

of the up to 19-meter-long pipes that weigh

up to six tons. “The individual shipment ser -

vice providers have to work together closely,

day in and day out. That is the only way we

can respond effectively when the govern -

ment decides to change laws or licensing re-

quirements,” explains Guido Gries, describ-

ing the recipe for success. For cross-border

shipments in particular, red tape abounds—

and it is imperative to avoid the high penal-

ties imposed for violations. “The secret to

avoiding these complications is to follow

up every day and constantly review the

schedule,” Gries affirms.

This axiom also applies to keeping costs

under control. “In Latin America, the ratio of

logistics costs to the total costs of a product

is many times higher than in the USA, where

the growth drivers of industrialization, stan-

dardization, and the existing infrastructure

are different than in a place like Brazil, for

instance,” Gries explains. According to calcu-

lations by leading economic research institu-

tions, logistic costs in Brazil, for instance,

hhBrazil is the

gateway to the

Latin American markets

Thomas Reuter, COO Dachser

Air & Sea Logistics

Sea freight and overland transport go hand in hand

Bridging continents via sea freight

come to 13 percent of gross revenue, whereas

in the USA this figure is only eight percent. A

key issue is deficient/poor infrastructure.

“First and foremost, railroads are geared to-

ward transporting bulk cargo. The railroad

system is lagging behind when it comes to

smaller shipments,” Gries states. He is opti-

mistic that this will soon change, at least in a

few of the important countries. “In the run-

up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the

2016 Summer Olympic Games, Brazil priva-

tized the two largest freight airports in the

country, Viracopos/Campinas and Guarul-

hos/ São Paulo, and invested around USD

30 billion in infrastructure,” Gries points out.

By 2016, government infrastructure invest-

ments are expected to increase by 57 percent

to BRL 163.5 billion. “These measures will

definitely deliver desperately needed momen-

tum,” he says with certainty. A. Heintze

26 DACHSER magazine

Dachser will proudly unveil the core ser -

v ices—and benefits—of its logistics network

to customers, potential customers, and other

attendees from commerce and industry at

the annual International Trade Fair for Dis-

tribution, Materials Handling and Infor -

mation Flow, taking place in Stuttgart from

February 10–12, 2015. These include inter-

national shipping and warehousing services

worldwide, especially throughout Europe.

“Our own tightly interwoven IT systems

provide the foundation for these services,”

explains Alexander Tonn, Head of Contract

Logistics at Dachser. The logistics provider

Integrated supply chains and contract logistics solutions take center stage in

Dachser’s trade show exhibition at this year’s LogiMAT.

is ingeniously optimizing and integrating

informational data and logistical processes,

thereby nurturing value creation along the

entire supply chain. “Costs decline, while at

the same time service and quality improve

in procurement, warehousing, and distri -

bution. We will demonstrate how Contract

Logistics creates value within integrated sup-

ply chain networks. That’s why our booth

at LogiMAT 2015 will be a virtual stage for

the hands-on specialist.” Visitors to booth

G04 in Hall 5 will find practical business-

related information on integrated logistics

solutions along the entire international sup-

ply chain and the warehouse technologies be-

ing used, as well as insights into value-added

services—like display building, shipment re-

turns management, sleeving, and order pick-

ing Dachser will moreover showcase Mikado,

its own Warehouse Management System,

which is being used throughout the world.

NETWORKEXPERTISE

Dachser at LogiMAT

EFFICIENCY AND PERFORMANCE OF SUPPLY CHAINS

LogiMAT—all set for the industry to arrive

Banking on contract logistics solutions: Alexander Tonn

DACHSER magazine 27

NETWORK

+++ STRONG BRAND FOR

FINLAND +++ Oy Waco Lo-

gistics Finland, one of the

leading Finnish air and sea

freight companies, was offi-

cially rechristened Dachser

Finland Air & Sea Logistics

Oy effective October 2014.

“Now that we are a fully-

integrated Dachser com -

pany, we can work together with even bigger customers

from our four locations in Vantaa, Lahti, Oulu, and

Tampere,” Juha Isohanni, Managing Director of Dachser

Finland Air & Sea Logistics Oy, points out. +++

+++ REINFORCEMENT FOR THE EUROPEAN FOOD

NETWORK +++ Fresh Logic and Ro-Holland are re in -

forcing the European Food Network as associate mem-

bers. As a result, Bulgaria and Romania are now directly

connected to the European Food Network for cross-

border food shipments in the temperature-controlled

(non-frozen) segment. “The new associate members in

Bulgaria and Romania are an important step in the further

development of the European Food Network,” explains

Alfred Miller, Managing Director of Dachser Food Logis-

tics. With Fresh Logic and Ro-Holland, we have the

leading food logistics providers for their home markets

on our side.” +++

+++ NETWORK EXPANSION

IN FRANCE +++ At the begin-

ning of September, Dachser

France added a new platform to the European Network

in La Crèche, near Niort. Now standing on the over

four-hectare site in the Poitou-Charentes region is a

33-dock transit terminal covering 3,890 square meters

and an administrative building with 560 square meters

of office space. At this new platform, Dachser’s 52

employees are ready to serve customers from the print,

DIY logistics, and farming equipment and products sec-

tors, as well as the cosmetics and cleaning prod ucts

segments. Heading the branch is Jean-Paul Guinaudeau,

the 57-year-old highly experienced logistician who has

been working in various capacities for Dachser (formerly

Graveleau) since 1978. +++

+++ NEW CAPACITIES FOR BENELUX +++ Dachser has

strengthened its business presence in the Benelux states

by moving to a new, larger industrial site in Willebroek,

Belgium. At the start of October, the new Logistics Cen-

ter commenced its business operations following a

five-month construction period. These efforts yielded

both a 7,000-square-meter, 68-dock transit terminal as

well as a three-story office building that covers 2,300

square meters. “Over the past few years, we have seen

incredible growth here in Willebroek and ultimately hit

our capacity limits at the old facility. With the newly

gained capacities, we now have all the opportunities to

continue developing alongside our customers,” said Aat

van der Meer, Managing Director Dachser Benelux.

Branch Manager Frans van Bedaf highlighted the ad -

vantages the site offers: “Willebroek is a strategically

favorable location between Brussels and the Port of

Antwerp. As a result, the branch now has superb con-

nections to the most important European and inter -

national commercial regions.” +++

+++ TOP CLASS +++ According to the latest

German edition of the study “Top 100 in European

Transport and Logistics Services 2013/2014” by

the Fraunhofer Working Group for Supply Chain

Services (SCS), Dachser is in 4th place in the

“consumer goods distribution and contract logis-

tics” sector of the German market. +++

Ready for the big jobs

New gates for France

Commercial metropolis Bangkok

28 DACHSER magazin

NETWORK: ASIA PACIFIC

India and the nations of South Asia and Southeast Asia are becoming increasingly vitaltrading partners. The local markets are opening up, and both exports and imports areexhibiting disproportionate levels of growth.Dachser is therefore bolstering and consolidating its commitment in the region.

GROWINGIN TANDEM WITH

THE MARKETS

DACHSER magazin 29

NETWORK: ASIA PACIFIC

hThe future of the global economy lies

in Asia. Well, a substantial part of the

future, in any case. And political economists

have agreed with this statement since the

dawn of the new millennium. In 2012, Asia

was home to around 4.2 billion people—a

figure corresponding to roughly 60 percent of

the world’s population. In economic terms,

Asians have contributed almost 30 percent

to global value creation. Based on estimates

from the reputable consulting firm Oxford

Economics, by the year 2036, this ratio will

grow to just over 50 percent. The reason: by

increasingly opening up its markets for the

past years, Asia has considerably enhanced

its ability to compete internationally—and

what’s more, even intra-regional trade, among

Asian nations themselves, has soared to new

heights.

The rest of the world gets many of its high-

tech products from South and Southeast

Asia, which primarily export for the con-

sumer electronics segment and electrical

engineering. The most important manu -

facturers of entertainment electronics, like

3D flat-screen televisions, smartphones, and

gaming consoles, are headquartered there.

Dachser Air & Sea Logistics has been track-

ing these trade flows over the past few years

and has invested heavily in the Asia Pacific

region. Now the logistics provider is con -

tinuing to increase its commitment here.

As part of this process, in August 2014, the

company acquired all shares in the joint

ventures in India and Thailand and became

the majority shareholder of the joint venture

in Bangladesh. “This is a crucial step toward

strengthening our intercontinental network

and being able to accompany our customers

even more closely within these promising

future markets,” explains Thomas Reuter,

COO Air & Sea Logistics at Dachser. ‡

Bustling market life in Bangkok

30 DACHSER magazin

ture and upgrading existing infrastructure.

Airports, seaports, and railroad and road

networks will receive increased attention,

and this will indeed help to develop and

further expand the reach and possibilities

of the logistics industry. It may not be well

known that India boasts one of the largest

road networks in the world, with a total

length of 3.3 million kilometers, or that

India has an equally developed railway net-

work, which plays a very important role in

moving people around the country. The

Indian government is well aware that the

logistics infrastructure has not grown along-

side the country’s commercial and indus -

trial development in recent years. This situ a-

tion creates bottlenecks, which will need

to be eliminated to allow the country to

continue to grow.

Thailand forges aheadEdoardo Podestá, Managing Director Asia

Pacific, is very happy with the progress of

the three country organizations. This is

particularly true with Thailand. “Despite

intermittent political and economic turmoil,

the Kingdom has kept moving in a straight

line toward growth. We expect that things

will take shape in a similar fashion in the

future as well.” Because of the relative stabi-

lization of the political situation and mea -

sures introduced since the military coup,

the World Bank is also projecting growth

of 3.5 percent for 2015, while the Chamber

of Foreign Trade anticipates an even more

optimistic 4.5 percent. This expansion is

driven primarily by the export of electronic

and electrical equipment, cars and automo-

tive parts and components, chemical prod-

ucts, precious gems and jewelry, and agri -

cultural products, primarily rubber, rice, and

seafood.

The main hub for these goods is Bangkok,

where Dachser has also based operations

to service Thailand’s logistics market. Since

the business mainly revolves around air and

NETWORK: ASIA PACIFIC

India on the uptickIn India, Dachser has 500 employees de-

ployed at its 27 locations nationwide. The

local Head Office is domiciled in megame-

tropolis Mumbai. “The India country orga -

nization stands on a solid foundation there,

even though economic paralysis from the

‘pre-election season’ led to stagnating rev-

enues for almost a year and a half. But as soon

as the parliamentary elections of 2014 re-

leased this chokehold, things started moving

forward again, at rapid-fire pace,” affirms

Detlev Janik, Managing Director, ASL

South/Southeast Asia at Dachser. Despite

the recent downturn in economic growth

from six percent to the current five percent,

India can still boast one of the most vigor-

ously expanding national economies in the

world. Currently home to around 1.2 billion

citizens, by mid-century it will presumably

be not only the most populous nation on

earth, but its economic size will also rank

India in third place behind China and the

USA based on gross domestic product.

Largest road network on earthIndia’s new government is expected to put a

lot of emphasis on building new infrastruc-

Auspicious India: The Taj Mahal

The Asia Pacific regionis an important com-ponent of the GLOBALstrategic focus pro-gram at Dachser.Through the growthand network expansionthat are associatedwith it, the Air & SeaLogistics business unit is forging evenstronger links betweenthe new procurementmarkets and the producer marketsworldwide.

DACHSER magazin 31

NETWORK: ASIA PACIFIC

hhThe Asia Pacific region is playing

an increasingly significant role

in the achievement of the company’s economic

goals as well as the expansion of the network

Thomas Reuter, COO Air & Sea Logistics

at Dachser

Kingdom of Thailand:Area: 513,115 km2

Population: approx. 64.7 million

Capital: Bangkok

GDP: EUR 287.5 billion (2013)

Republic of India:Area: 3,287,263 km2

Population: 1,259.7 million (2014)

Capital: New Dehli

GDP: approx. EUR 1,402 billion

(2013)

People’s Republic of BangladeshArea: 147,570 km2

Population: 156.6 million (2013)

Capital: Dhaka

GDP: EUR 96.48 billion (2012)

(Source: German Foreign Office)

sea freight, the company’s offices in the

southeast of the Thai capital, at the harbor in

Laem Chabang—the largest harbor in

Thailand, with a transit capacity of an annu-

al 10.5 million TEU (twenty-foot equiva-

lent)—are of vital importance.

Booming BangladeshBangladesh has an indisputable need to take

charge of its infrastructural shortfall. The

need to catch up in terms of infrastructure is

even greater in this country that has a young

and very resourceful population, which is

striving to move up so that Bangladesh can

become one of the next Asian tigers.

Bangladesh infrastructures are in need of

serious attention and upgrading, however,

despite this, the nation’s economy has been

growing continuously since the 1990s. Over

the past ten years, the annual rates of growth

equaled a nearly constant six percent. For

2014 and 2015 as well, the World Bank is

estimating comparable growth. Main ex -

port products are clothing and apparel, at

82 percent. This is followed by jute products

IN BRIEF(4.0 percent), frozen foods (2.3 percent), and

leather goods (2.2 percent).

In Bangladesh, the capital Dhaka dominates

economic life. Dachser maintains a city office

and airport office in the capital as well as an

office at the harbor in Chittagong, the second

largest city, located in the southeast of the

country. As an important economic center,

this city is also a special economic zone

and thus, home to a steel plant, petroleum

refineries, and various industries such as

shipbuilding, cement, textiles, and leather.

Chittagong has the largest sea harbor in

Bangladesh, through which a significant por-

tion of its international trade is trans acted.

“In Bangladesh, beside local activities like

warehousing and distribution, we are in-

creasingly focusing on international trans-

port, which does fit perfectly into our net-

work,” states Edoardo Podestá. What is new,

he added, is that the country organization

is increasingly specializing in imports. “In

Bangladesh, everything has to be imported.

We primarily consider communications and

electronics, industrial facilities and power

plants as well as all kinds of consumer goods

as the most significant economic drivers.

In doing so, we set ourselves apart from

the competition, which is still very heavily

focused on exports.”

The people of Asia have a growing share

in the consumer goods segment. The flow

of goods within Asia will once again be

markedly stimulated over the coming year

by the ASEAN free trade agreement. Dachser

is also counting on that assumption. “The

Asia Pacific region is playing an increasingly

significant role in the economic goals of

the company as well as the expansion of the

network. That underscores the importance of

the region within the Air & Sea Logistics

business segment,” explains Thomas Reuter.

For this reason, he explained, Dachser will

pursue the future expansion of its country

organization and concentrate even more on

freight services for consumer goods withinThinking about tomorrow today

Asia. “Carried by a growing middle class with

solid purchasing power, India has the poten-

tial to evolve into one of the largest consumer

goods markets in the world over the next

few years. This will unlock new business op-

portunities for all market participants and

stimulate the continued expansion of con-

sumer goods shipping within Asia.” K. Fink

BUSINESS LOUNGE: DACHSER FACE-TO-FACE

32 DACHSER magazine

“Work before play”: does this old adage still hold true today?Bernhard Simon: I don’t really see such a

strict separation. In the ideal case, someone

who looks at their life holistically will enjoy

their work and perceive it as an important

and formative part of their life. If work and

play are mutually exclusive in my life, I will

certainly not be able to fully utilize my capa-

bilities and my creative potential. And look-

ing at one’s overall personal life situation,

it would certainly not be desirable.

Dr. Thorsten Kienast: This is a matter of

type. When we talk about taking pleasure

in work, we must always have an opportu -

nity to give this pleasure free rein. Inventors

and researchers are probably best off in a

laboratory environment, whereas communi-

cators and motivators are better suited for

acquisitions and sales. But also integral to

pleasure is when something that is right

for the individual occurs at the right place

and in the right environment.

B. Simon: And the right environment, to

me, also means the right team. This way,

everyone can develop to the best of their

abilities and needs. At Dachser, we there -

fore find it very important for our employees

to have the opportunity to get to know one

another and to network. This enables them

to achieve more for themselves and for the

company as well.

Is performance capability only a question of attitude? T. Kienast: Biology also plays an impor -

tant role here. The nucleus accumbens acts

as a motivation center in our brain. At 0.5

cubic centimeters per cerebral hemisphere,

it’s relatively small, but powerful. It is a self-

amplifying system that is activated by ex -

ternal motivators and then provides the

needed “electricity” for the rest of the brain,

ultimately enabling us to put what we want

to do into action.

How do you reach your motivation center?T. Kienast: You don’t need a button for

that. Human beings are only fully motivated

to do those things that are important to

them. Your value system will determine if this

enthusiasm extends only to your leisure time

or to work as well. If the work scenario re-

flects elementary, basic needs, such as a

healthy environment, open and constructive

communication, and mutual respect and

appreciation, the level of motivation is po-

tentially high. Both the relationship between

supervisors and subordinates and the indi-

vidual’s integration into the team play vital

roles in this process.

B. Simon: The areas of responsibility in a

company are as different as the various types

of human personalities. It is therefore the

responsibility of management to set up the

workstations and team constellations in

such a way that they largely correspond to

the employees’ own attitudes toward life.

This way, they can draw energy and moti -

vation from them. An executive must recog-

nize and sense what it is about their work

that engages and drives people. And addi-

tionally, it’s important that everyone knows

where things are heading.

But doesn't the sheer size of an inter -national corporation overwhelm individualsat their local workplaces?B. Simon: Seen individually, the expecta-

tions are very different. For example, when

hhBut in life, ultimately,

the only ones to

emerge victorious are those

who know their goals and are

able to sub ordinate a second-

ary goal to the primary one

Dr. Thorsten Kienast

BERNHARD SIMON SPEAKS WITH...DR.THORSTEN KIENAST

Success begins in the mind. Bernhard Simon speaks with stress medicine specialist and psychotherapist Dr. Thorsten Kienast about work, health, motivation, and crisis.

DACHSER magazine 33

BUSINESS LOUNGE: DACHSER FACE-TO-FACE

you’re building a cathedral, for some it’s

important to have the complete structure in

their mind’s eye as the big goal, others prefer

to keep their eyes on the details and think

stone by stone. They don’t want to and

can’t imagine the big picture. But in the end,

everything is important to be able to make

progress. Therefore, all the stakeholders

have to feel accepted and taken seriously in

their expectations and needs.

T. Kienast: Anyone who has ever been

disappointed and has processed this experi-

ence constructively has an advantage because

they know that their entire life doesn’t de-

pend on a specific goal; as a result, they

have become more resistant. And in regard

to such resistance to stress: it helps when

you become an older practitioner of your

pro fession. That doesn’t mean you let go

of the goal, and don’t do everything possible

to achieve it—just the opposite. Good ex pe-

riences give you that extra quantum of calm

and serenity to discover alternative solutions.

What stress-coping strategies can evolvefrom this?T. Kienast: The most important thing ini-

tially is not to make a stressful situation worse

than it really is. The situation needs to be

simplified consistently and quickly so that

it can be dealt with better, for example, by

informing your family about the additional

pressures at work, putting items on your per-

sonal schedule on the back burner, canceling

or postponing them, and pursuing more re-

juvenating athletic or cultural activities. It is

especially important to have people around

you who understand your situation and are

able to listen. However, the higher a man-

agement position you have, the more difficult

it is to find someone who can share things

eye-to-eye with you.

B. Simon: Extraordinary challenges cannot

be solved if teams are always and exclusively

working at one-hundred percent of their

absolute threshold and pursuing goals

that—when you come right down to it—

cannot be realized. Therefore, when planning

capacity over the course of the year, you

need to plan for periods where things

move at a slower pace so that your people

can accu mulate energy. This way, they can

put the pedal to the metal when it really

counts and achieve their goals. Then—

and only then—will high workloads not

be perceived as stress but, on the contrary,

as an enriching ex perience.

T. Kienast: A benevolent, attentive man-

agement style and evaluation interviews can

constructively resolve 80 percent of the pres-

sure and friction that saps everyone of

emotional energy. Techniques that can be

learned and that filter emotions can be help-

ful here. It is important to note that a person’s

happiness and staying power fundamentally

depend on five factors: professional fulfill-

ment, family, friends, hobbies, and money.

Here it is crucial to replace a one-sided per-

spective by creating a balance of values,

where each one of these “pillars” has its place

but does not necessarily require the same

amount of time or attention. In times when

job-related endurance is required, vacation

and family are not always in first place.

However, it is important that this phase has

a clearly defined end so that the family can

look forward to their time together once this

phase is finished. The scheduling of these

phases must be binding. They may not last

longer than an employee’s health or home

life will allow.

B. Simon: Individual responsibility is re-

quired to find the necessary balance. First

of all, everyone is responsible for their own

health and well-being. Company health

management can only be effective if this

foundation of self-management exists. ‡

Regard for oneself and good teamwork are decisive success factors in the work environment

BUSINESS LOUNGE: DACHSER FACE-TO-FACE

34 DACHSER magazine

University Lecturer Dr. Thorsten Kienast,

born 1968, is a renowned expert

in Germany and internationally

for his research on and treat-

ment of emotional disorders,

disorders of motivation, and

impulse control disorders. The

psychotherapist and psychia-

trist is the author of numerous

publications in German and

English. After his studies at the

Charité Berlin and the Uni -

versity of London, he continued

his post-graduate work at the

Charité, the University of

Schleswig-Holstein (Lübeck

Campus), and the Department

of Psychology at Seattle Univer-

sity. He has been advising cor-

porations and managers for

more than ten years on self-

motivation, team and personnel

management as well as coping

with stress.

Bernhard Simon

is a proponent of a good bal -

ance between personal and

professional life. The Dachser

CEO’s own stress management

program includes long mountain

runs in his free time and a bal -

anced, healthy diet, replete with

culinary pleasures. Instead of

following a strict regimen regard -

ing nutrition, Simon trusts his

gut instincts: “After all, always

wanting to do everything right is

just another kind of stress.”

PERSONAL DETAILS

A boundary between work and personal lifeis part of the much-touted work-life bal-ance. However, isn’t this impossible thesedays because everyone is connected 24/7?T. Kienast: Mobile accessibility by phone

and e-mail encroaches on our everyday

lives—so do social networks with the social

control that goes with them. On one hand, in

this age of globalization, they provide us with

the opportunity to organize strong teams in-

dependently of our actual workplace and to

communicate with each other in a focused

and results-oriented way. On the other hand,

we are increasingly noticing that some indi-

viduals on social networks develop a practi-

cally obsessive desire to be online constantly

and to obtain up-to-the minute or even up-

to-the-second information. Therefore, set-

ting a boundary becomes more and more dif-

ficult.

B. Simon: It is always up to each individual

to hit the off-button on their smartphone or

laptop in their leisure time in order to set a

boundary between personal and professional

life. It is not the company’s job to prescribe

this. Working in international teams across

several time zones can mean that, if you want,

you can talk to a colleague outside of your

regular working hours and discuss both busi-

ness and personal topics, which ultimately

contributes to a pleasant team culture. This

way, you ideally do not insist on personal

space, but instead draw new energy and in-

spiration from the interaction with a respect-

ed colleague.

Aren’t executives especially tempted tomake themselves irreplaceable by beingpermanently available?B. Simon: Anyone who considers them-

selves irreplaceable will soon be replaced.

Good leadership must ensure that the envi-

ronment and culture in the company are such

that things work without the constant pres-

ence or availability of a senior executive. This

is necessary because it is part of good man-

agement to ensure that there is space for cre-

ativity and initiative beyond the company’s

operational needs that can break new ground

and lead the company into the future.

Performance is not just in demand in peo-ple’s professional lives but in their personallives as well—mountain biking, snow-boarding, climbing, or on the golf course.When does recreation become stressfuland what can you do about it?T. Kienast: This depends on the personal -

ity type and the phase of life people are in. It’s

part of most people’s nature to want to be

good at everything they do and to compare

themselves to others. But in life, ultimately,

the only ones to emerge victorious are those

who know their goals and are able to subor-

dinate a secondary goal to the primary one.

This doesn’t just happen at work, but in the

family or during recreation as well. The good

thing about leisure-related stress is that you

notice pretty quickly when it’s no longer good

for you. If your performance isn’t fun any-

more, it’s easy to simply give it up and do

something else that is really good for you.

hh It is always up to

each individual to hit

the off-button on their smart-

phone or laptop in their leisure

time in order to set a boundary

between personal and profes-

sional life

Bernhard Simon

When Stefan Leis was first introduced to logistics

during an internship five years ago, he knew immediately

that this was the perfect fit for him. At 24, he began

as a trainee specialist in storage logistics at Dachser in

Neuss and completed his training with top grades

after only two years. But he wanted more: while working

full-time in his chosen profession, he next completed

an additional two-and-a half-year training to obtain

a certificate in Logistics Operations. Today, Stefan Leis

holds the position of Facility Manager Trans -

shipment European Logistics and, together

with a colleague, is responsible for

65 employees. And that at the age of

barely 29. He has never regretted

his decision to go into logistics

for a single moment: “Logistics is

one of the most important and

future-oriented sectors worldwide.

Without logistics these days, hardly

anything would work.”

THE GO-GETTER

DACHSER magazine 35

GOOD NEWS