No. 4 2010
Why DSV raised its forecast
s e e n i a r t w Ne d l r o w e h t r e u q n o c l l wi The Sales Coach’s Best Advice
No more smart tricks. Be yourself and take an interest in the customer
Welcome to DSV!
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ach year in every country, DSV recruits ambitious, adventuresome young people who are willing to pursue a career in a busy, international transport company. This shot in the arm from all over the world is crucial for DSV, not only because of our natural departures of employees who retire from the company, but also because we need the mindset of youth and the undaunted approach to the world’s mysteries which is typical of the younger generation. Mountains can be moved by questioning the established order of things. And if this can take place in respect for and by interacting with experienced employees – who can give the young people a shot of “DSV DNA” – then we get an energetic cocktail of experience, daring and drive.
“DSV is an attractive company in which to pursue a career because we almost always recruit new employees from within the organisation.” DSV is a stimulating company to work for, so I understand why young people have become aware of our company. If you play your cards right, there is no limit to how far you can go – literally. We send young people across continents to stimulating jobs in China, Japan, Australia, the rest of Scandinavia, the US and India. And to some of the other 60 countries where DSV has at least one office, sometimes more. DSV is an international company, and we deeply respect the local culture where we work. We greatly appreciate the local qualified
workforce and their know how. But at the same time, we are a company with extensive, excellent experience from integrating employees from abroad with local employees to get the best of both, or many, worlds. DSV is an attractive company for pursuing a career because we almost always recruit from within our organisation – not least when it comes to operational staff. And most people started out at the bottom of the hierarchy. Myself included, as a shipping trainee in the then Samson Transport in 1988 (acquired by DSV in 1997). Am I proud of that? Yes, I am, actually! The career path I admire the most is when an employee steadily rises through the ranks, instead of making vertical and horizontal career moves, with the risk this entails of suddenly losing your footing. In DSV, we recruit managers from our own talent pool which is enhanced every year with shipping apprentices and trainees. This means that virtually every top executive in DSV – from Asia and the US to the major European countries – started their career at DSV or in one of the companies that were subsequently acquired by DSV. So I understand full well why so many young people want to seek their future in our company. In this issue of Moves, a group of Danish shipping trainees explain in more detail why they chose the shipping profession and DSV. Speaking of learning, shipping trainees are not the only ones with something new to learn. In the near future, DSV will be shifting its focus from years of explosive growth via acquisitions to a future where
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growth is achieved through improvements, or what we call best practices. We have made great progress, not least in our new commitment to DSV e-services, EDI solutions and new operating systems, but we still have many possibilities for growth that do not necessarily involve acquiring new companies. With a turnover in the Road Division of EUR 2.7 billion, we can achieve big gains by merely improving by just 1% (EUR 27 million!). I am convinced we will achieve this – the potential for improvement exists at any rate – and the road to getting there is by simply living by the maxim that the less talented should learn from the more talented. In this issue of moves, you will learn more about Business Change Management, the team responsible for disseminating good, intelligent solutions – best practices. If everyone does things using the same methods as the best performers – while respecting the local culture, of course – then DSV can improve its bottom line for the benefit of our company, shareholders and employees. We know very well that this is not possible everywhere. But a lot could be improved – and it will be in the future. Yours sincerely Jens Bjørn Andersen
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Growth Ahead Things are going so well, DSV decided to raise its forecasts over the summer. And the momentum hasn’t let up: world trade growth is generating even more growth in DSV.
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Change Business Change Management disseminates best practices throughout the Road network – and it pays.
Job of their Dreams Things are going so well, DSV decided to raise its forecasts over the summer. And the momentum hasn’t let up: world trade growth is generating even more growth in DSV.
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Talk More! Taking a personal interest sells the goods. Solutions employees learn to show interest in their customers – and let the business take care of itself.
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Surfin’ Australia Surfing is Australia’s national sport. One in ten Australians start out the day by riding the waves, which is also true of DSV employees.
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Swim with Kay! It’s full speed ahead for Kay Hamilton – both on land and in the water. In addition to her work at DSV e-services support, she has started a swimming school for adults.
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Expecting Greater Growth This year’s financial results exceeded previous expectations during the summer, and there are still prospects of growth for world trade.
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number of huge acquisitions in recent years have proven their worth. DSV raised its earnings forecast over the summer when the crisis subsided and was replaced by renewed optimism and an appetite for trade. “The financial results presented by DSV last summer were excellent in every way. They’ve been utilising their new network better than I thought they would,” commented Jacob Pedersen, share analyst, Sydbank. Normalised market “DSV is obviously more optimistic about the future. The world has been mired in crisis ever since DSV acquired ABX, and it’s only now we’re seeing a more normalised market, and there are still positive surprises in store for DSV,” thinks Jacob Pedersen. He adds that the higher sea-cargo volumes will rub off on Road, just as the influx of global customers – as a result of the stronger new network – will generate even more business. “Customers have seen how DSV can deliver the goods, and these are powerful signals,” he says.
“Growth in Asia is far greater than the growth in inter-European trade,” according to CEO Jens Bjørn Andersen.
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Phenomenal business model Jacob Pedersen’s colleague from Nordea, Finn Bjarke Petersen, is equally positive and actually expects DSV to raise its forecasts even more in its subsequent financial statements: “DSV will increase its earnings from sea and air cargo in the months ahead,” Finn Bjarke Petersen says and predicts that consumer spending will continue to increase although he admits that there is still some uncertainty in the markets. “But you can’t do anything about uncertainty. On the other hand, the discount in relation to Kuhne + Nagel is still considerable and it should be possible to narrow it!” the transport analyst says, and Jacob Pedersen agrees. “It’s amazing that Kuhne + Nagel is a big brother to DSV, because DSV provides far greater profitability and earnings. DSV has a phenomenal business model and they utilise it superbly. They’re unusually skilled at what they do.” Upwards adjustment is natural “It is very natural for us to raise our forecasts. The original income forecast was made in a different atmosphere,” explains Jens Bjørn Andersen, CEO, about the basis for raising the forecast last summer. The company now expects profits from primary operations before special items (EBITA) to be EUR 270–295 million, compared to EUR 255–280 million previously. “2009 and 2010 range from one extreme to another,” the CEO says and thinks the crisis is over. “I believe the world market will continue to grow and that we’ll take an even bigger share of this growth,” says Jens Bjørn Andersen, who is pleased with DSV’s new, bigger muscles:
Air & Sea has now definitively surpassed the Road division as the company’s best-earning division. “We’ve established our own offices in just about everywhere in Asia, so we can take part in this rapidly growing inter-Asian trade. We couldn’t have done this in the past,” Jens Bjørn Andersen explains and is now pleased that Air & Sea is the best-earning division: “This is a positive trend, because international markets – especially Asia – are growing far more rapidly than inter-European trade.” European growth However, DSV’s CEO also sees great prospects for growth in Europe’s future as well, and this growth will be organic. “We’ve undergone very positive developments in recent years where the Road Division has now managed to reverse its results in its three problematic countries – France, Germany and Spain – so now we’re expecting positive returns for 2010 from these three. But we still see an enormous potential for improvement in the overall organisation, and we’ll be focusing on this. We’re not going to make any new large-scale acquisitions right now. We have the substance, all we have to do is make it even better!” Jens Bjørn Andersen says. Expects heavy cash flow This statement puts the CEO on the same footing as one of the company’s major shareholders, ATP, which owns 5.5% of DSV’s shares. “We’re expecting more focus on organic growth and less on acquisitions,” say Claus Wiinblad, share manager, ATP. Wiinblad also sees a continued heavy cash flow for the benefit of shareholders.
“DSV obviously depends on business cycles, but we see a strong long-term potential in the DSV share and we clearly expect earnings to grow,” he says. LD-Invest, managing LD Pensions’ Danish share portfolio, have a lot of faith in the share and the company’s operations. “The raised forecast was totally in keeping with our expectations,” says Henrik Ekman, share manager, who on behalf of the customers has overweighted the investment in DSV shares considerably compared to the composition of the Danish share index at the Copenhagen Stock Exchange. This means that the investment in DSV represents one of the largest positions in the client portfolios, while the share is only medium-sized in the share index. “We’ve taken note of the fact that in many instances it’s possible for them to replace a director and keep up the positive trends through internal recruitment. This indicates the presence of a strong, highly integrated corporate culture,” Henrik Ekman says. Everyone is engrossed in their economic targets And this very same corporate culture is what should power growth, in Jens Bjørn Andersen’s opinion. “Generating profits is a big part of our culture, and when we presented our second-quarter accounts, we had a strong feeling of being back in the driver’s seat with the best results ever. Everyone in DSV is engrossed in their economic targets, and it’s far more fun and satisfying now that we’ve got the opportunity to achieve them,” he says.
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Annemarie Brorsen’s BCM team is organisationally positioned at the top of the European Road organisation.
Changes that Pay DSV’s Business Change Management (BCM) team discovers better ways of doing things and disseminates their results to the entire European Road organisation: in other words, best practices, smarter processes and new IT applications – and improving the bottom line.
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very day, DSV dispatches between 15,000 and 18,000 lorries on the roads of Europe. So even small adjustments of the margins really pays, exemplified by the Capacity Management project to be rolled out next year in DSV’s European Road countries. This relatively simple IT application will enable all shipping agents to get a precise overview of the anticipated placement and capacity of the lorries. In everyone’s interest This is just one of the positive changes, created by the seven-person-strong Business Change Management team, which makes excellent sense to everyone involved, and it is notably the common benefit of the projects which is key to their success: everyone wants the project to succeed. “We don’t want to usurp responsibility for running the business from the people who are in touch with the individual countries. We can’t either. But we can take the beneficial aspects of the organisation and disseminate them for everyone’s benefit,” says Annemarie Brorsen, Head of Business Change Management in DSV Road Holding. Small changes, big benefits The purpose of the Business Change Management team is to develop and disseminate better processes and tools so the various countries in the DSV Road Division can do their jobs with the same optimised resources as everyone else. “The essence of our work is to optimise and automate the good things so DSV on the whole is regarded as more customer-friendly and becomes even more competitive in every single link,” Annemarie Brorsen says. ”A 1% productivity improvement – such as quickly finding a lorry at the right place when we need it – is hugely beneficial for our total turnover in the Road Division,” she adds.
in CargoLink; “TR to QlickView” which transfers economic reports from CargoLink to QlickView; “Capacity Management” which informs on lorry positions and capacity; and “New Wave” which enables DSV to analyse and coordinate the general cargo network to make it possible to achieve a globallyuniform general-cargo product. Ideas emanate from the shipping agents’ everyday work The Business Change Management team are responsible for project management and implementing the ideas that often emanate from the shipping agents’ everyday work. The project is carried out in close dialogue with local managements and usually starts off with a joint workshop. It is important for the project to be truly relevant and for the value of the changes to be fully supported and understood. “We neither can nor will introduce changes or new tools if they’re not perceived as being relevant. The managements of the individual countries should themselves always be able to see the advantages of doing things in new ways,” says Annemarie Brorsen, who always shows up with thoroughly prepared material to underpin the changes: PowerPoint presentations, action plans and quick guides which are easy for the countries to localise in their native language. Country differences “A typical feature of our organisation
is that some countries are working at a higher level than others and making better use of the IT tools available to them,” says Søren Krejberg, Managing Director of DSV France, and welcomes the help provided by Business Change Management: “Getting state-of-the-art tools instead of having to re-invent the wheel yourself is a big help. New and better methods are constantly being developed in all countries, and it’s important to cultivate and share this knowledge in the best way possible,” Søren Krejberg says, who has benefitted from the implementation of e-services, STAR, A-factor and other tools in France. “In France, we merged with ABX at a relatively late date, and in this phase it helped us to have common guidelines and procedures, like STAR’s, for instance,” he says. Measurable results Implementing new and better methods is not enough if the methods are not used afterwards. Every new initiative is followed up by a Key Performance Index, comprising statistics so the change can be measured and weighed. The BCM team just received the latest statistics for DSV e-services: the number of online bookings has risen by 28% in just one year. “This is a good example of how effective project implementation results in quick gains,” says a pleased Annemarie Brorsen.
The Change Team (left to right): Kim Christensen, Annemarie Brorsen, Henrik Olsen, Mette Syberg, Lotta Fosser and Line Andersen. Not pictured: Paul Claessen.
Streamlining processes in every area The BCM team is currently working to implement such different projects as “e-services” involving online booking and EDI solutions; “STAR” ensuring that customers receive track & trace for their shipments; “A-factor” focusing on optimising administrative processes
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Why I Want to Be
Wanderlust, variety in your everyday life, having many irons in the fire and quick decision-making. These are just some of the answers you get from a cluster of shipping agent trainees and a newly qualified shipping agent when asked why they chose a two-year shipping-agent training programme. Denmark is the only place in the world where shipping agents are trained – and it shows on the bottom line: they’re excellent at making money for the company. And their ambitions? Shooting for the stars!
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a Shipping Agent
More fun than university Ann Møller, why did you choose to become a shipping agent trainee? “I wanted to take a year off from my business college studies to travel abroad. The idea of going back to
university and reading books for another five years just didn’t thrill me. Then I heard about the transport sector and took the plunge. It’s an excellent programme, and I love being able to make my own decisions and make decisions with consequences.”
Why DSV? “I’ve always wanted my future employer to be a large multinational. I love travelling and meeting different
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cultures. DSV offers plenty of opportunities to travel out into world and experience things, develop and grow personally. But they also have a well-organised training programme, which has proven its worth and worked well for the company. They make a serious effort with the programme by organising various events and intro trips. But it’s also important to have interesting options once I’ve completed the programme.”
What is the main thing you’ve learned so far? “You quickly gain insight into your co-workers’ everyday life and what’s expected of you. The main thing is to be able to make decisions and keep things in perspective.”
Ann Møller, 19, of the Finland Division in Horsens, Denmark, recently-started DSV trainee.
Empty Space Is Money out the Window! Tommy, why did you choose to become a shipping agent trainee? “I’m a qualified logistics economist (two-year education – ed.), but I’m interested in transport and logistics because the challenges are both national and international. As a shipping agent, you have to be willing to make quick decisions, and things are always hopping around here. You learn to have many irons in the fire and I like that.” Why DSV? DSV is a big company, so there’s always an opportunity to grow and develop and get interesting jobs – even abroad. DSV has its own huge fleet of vehicles which require lots of logistical planning.”
position. It would be great to be promoted and move on. The worst thing that could happen to me would be having to work at the same place for the rest of my life!”
What is the job of your dreams? “Working abroad, but also having the option of returning to Denmark.” Are you a budding manager? “I’d like to work in a managerial
“What is the main thing you learn as a shipping agent? “You learn to work out quotations for customers and calculate earnings versus costs, so customers get the most competitive price. But the biggest and most important job is to make sure that all the lorries are filled up because empty space is money out the window.” What is the job of your dreams? “Right now, I like working as a shipping agent in a big division, planning the logistics for lots of vehicles. But I also realise that my job can open other doors, because transport is a part of almost every industry.” Are you a budding manager? “It’s not something I’m expecting to do in the near future, but maybe later on if I learn enough skills so I feel I’ve got something to teach others.”
Plenty of Opportunities
the industry, the more it sounded like an interesting, dynamic sector. DSV is developing well and consolidating, so it seems to me that lots of interesting and positive things are happening.”
Christian, why did you decide to become a shipping agent trainee? “I wrote a paper about DSV during my financial economist studies, and the more I learned about the company and
Why DSV? “There are plenty of opportunities here. You don’t end up working the same job for your entire traineeship. You’re given the opportunity to move around
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Tommy Sønderskov Madsen, 25, Continent department in Horsens Denmark, second-year trainee.
and try out many more different things than a small office does. This is a very professional company with sound visions.”
What is the main thing you’ve learned so far? “That you shouldn’t hesitate to ask. Otherwise you never learn anything. You have to use your colleagues, which is why we work on a team. You have to
be optimistic and help your colleagues, but also learn to say no. And you have to be able to stay calm and make quick decisions – and not be afraid to make the wrong decision, because that happens, too.”
title is still shipping agent. But most of all I dream of working in a good department.”
What is your dream job? “I really want to be a shipping agent, but also dream of rising through the ranks, of course. But I think the job
Christian Nielsen Sørensen, 26, Germany department in Horsens, Denmark, first-year trainee (started 1 September 2010).
Launched his dream in the US
ity for 12 people in Horsens. Did you always dream of becoming a manager? “Not really. At the end of my 18 months in the US, I was actually in doubt about what to do, but then I got some interesting offers and chose the position as section manager for the Xpress department in Aarhus. I’ve relocated to Horsens since then, where I also have managerial responsibility. It’s interesting and pleasing to do the jobs assigned to you.”
After completing his DSV training, Morten Lisby launched his dream of living in Los Angeles, USA, in 2006. Eighteen months later, he returned to Denmark to be a section manager at the age of only 24. Why did you decide to go to the US after completing your education? “I’ve always wanted to travel abroad, which is also why I chose DSV’s training programme. When you’re in a foreign country, you learn to stand on your own feet in a different way than when you’ve got your network to back you up. It’s a personal challenge to make your job and personal life work, and the assignments are also much different than here in Denmark. As a qualified shipping agent, you have good possibilities of getting big assignments and forging a career abroad.” You returned to Denmark and became a section manager and now you have managerial responsibil-
Do your employees accept the fact that their boss is so young? “Yes, I feel that they do. My oldest employee is a gentleman aged 37. But showing mutual respect will get you far, and then we also have common interests. You want it to be a good day and reach your budget, so you don’t let age get in the way.” Why did you choose to become a shipping agent trainee? “After business college, I learned about DSV’s trainee programme. It sounded interesting with the possibility of working abroad, and I was also attracted by transport and shipping.” Why DSV? “Because as you know we’re Scandinavia’s biggest transport company, and a big organisation just has better and more opportunities. And it’s great to be taught by the best!” What skills do you have compared to an untrained worker? “A qualified shipping agent is trained to keep the big picture, focus on the
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customer and use business acumen at all times.”
What is business acumen? “Having the energy to see how you can maximise the bottom line in any situation – and to think out of the box and be innovative and to challenge the existing order of things.” What is the main thing you have learned about being a shipping agent? “Staying calm, maintaining a high level of service and being cheerful. Avoiding stress and not snapping at customers or colleagues.” What is the job of your dreams? “The one I have today. There are many opportunities in DSV, so if things keep going the way they have so far, many new paths will open up for me. But I’m going for influence and having an impact on the organisation in the right direction.” Morten Lisby, 26, qualified shipping agent in 2006, now section manager of the Xpress department in Horsens, Denmark.
Increase your sales – by taking personal interest! Have you ever attended a sales course? Forget everything you ever learned about smart or dirty tricks, because at a basic Solutions course for sales reps only one thing counts: genuine personal interest.
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In addition to being the owner of kerp&company, René Kerp - here in conversation with Meinderdjan Botman - also wrote the self-help book “Attitude – A nice word but why would you bother?”.
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mall talk is great talk!” From the very start of a two-day Solutions training course for DSV Solutions staff that is in everyday contact with a customer, everything is topsy-turvy. It is as if the reality of yesterday suddenly seems strangely affected and old fashioned. Who was it, by the way, that taught us to “get down to business” right away? And that we shouldn’t “waste” one another’s time? That we should keep the conversation ”on track” and not forget that selling is our primary task above all? Was that at all the other sales courses we’ve attended? Advantages “List DSV’s three biggest competitive advantages!” is the challenge from René Kerp, a Dutch businessman who organised the Solution Division’s training course together with Niels van Namen and Meinderdjan Botman from Business Development & Engineering. Rene Kerp is also the owner of kerp&company. Although I breathe a sigh of relief at being at ease with this subject, I still carefully consider what to say before answering – because somehow I know this is a trick question and I’m walking right into a trap. “Our global network, our great flexibility and our local anchoring,” I reply, reasonably satisfied with my own answer.
“And you don’t think that all the other competitors will say the same thing? Because they do, and they spend half of the time allotted to them at a customer’s showing a PowerPoint presentation of their company which is hardly distinguishable from the presentations brought by everyone else,” René Kerp explains. He then reveals the only real competitive advantage: you!
“We see footballers practice five times week, but professional sales reps in charge of contracts running into the millions don’t practice at all. ” René Kerp, kerp&company. Secret contents A total of 130 DSV employees – primarily from Solutions – were convened for a two-day training course with 40 participants at a time. Rumours of a different type of course launched by Meinderdjan Botman and Niels van Namen had spread throughout the company, even though the programme content of these two days was top secret.
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“We’ve heard nothing from our organisation, and it’s completely different than anything we’ve ever tried before!” is an oft repeated comment of the participants who enjoy the fact that everything revolves around their personality and not PowerPoint presentations with “10 tricks to increase your sales”. “Many people are shaken up because things get very personal. One called home to his wife and said: ‘Get ready to see a brand-new person when I come home!’ explains Meinderdjan Botman, radiating enthusiasm. Personal interest The basic idea behind a two-day training course is in reality so simple it almost hurts. Already a few hours after the start of the first day, sales reps with up to thirty years of experience were converted and ready to create lasting, valuable customer relationships based on “personal interest”. But it also involves focusing one’s efforts in the right places. “Instead of spreading your energy equally over 100 prospective customers, use it on the 20 you know and really believe in,” says Niels van Namen. He explains: ‘We do not believe that companies are buying from DSV as a company. We believe it is people buying from people. We need to invest time in getting to know the person on the other side of the table. Selecting the leads with people we truly know well, will result in better results.” Customer intimacy “We’re pursuing competitive advantages,” René Kerp says, encouraging sales reps to establish “customer intimacy”. “Talk about personal matters with your customers, because this creates a feeling of trust, and once this
is established, it doesn’t matter as much if you make a mistake. Then the customer will forgive you. Remember that the average customer relationship in DSV Solutions Benelux lasts 13.5 years. Not because you offer the best advantages throughout the 13.5 years. But because there are some personal relationships which are more important than any other factors. Victim or responsible? What is your attitude? Are you a victim or do you take responsibility for your actions? According to René Kerp, victimology controls 83% of our actions, while we only take personal responsibility for the last 17% (according to kerp&company’s own psychological studies). This is just one reason we’re so bad at cultivating personal relationships and would rather get down to business instead. “We’re afraid of taking up people’s time and insulting them. We’re governed by fear and doubt, and we’re governed by our mental attitude of being a victim. If we believe in ourselves, we’ll become better and more successful sales reps,” he says. Willing to risk? So far, 130 sales reps from DSV have transcended personal limits. Many people were shocked by the experience of standing face to face with the negative forces which control many of our actions. But they also discovered their strengths, and without revealing too much about the course’s build up, everyone discovered a belief in themselves – and learned the importance of setting clear goals in order to truly assert oneself and make an impact.
Meinderdjan Botman and Niels van Namen of Business Development & Engineering are the men behind the division’s successful course: “Many people leave here like new people,” they say.
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Andrea Codini, Logistics Manager, Saima Avandero, Italy
ce Francois-Xavier Rubi, Operation Manager, Fran
more tools for being “I learned more about myself, and I’ve acquired my customers. more efficient – this will change my attitude to can do this and that, Everyone asserts they’re the best, and that they step ahead of the rest.” but by showing personal interest, you can get a
“From now on I want to take a more positive approach. I wasn’t very aware of how important this is. I wasn’t negative before, but being more positive gives me an enormous head start.”
Yanislav Totev, Managing Director, Bulgaria
“Taking a personal interest in the customer is crucial, but it’s also a process that has to develop slowly. It should be natural and come from the heart. Otherwise it’s just acting. But by taking a positive attitude, you can go far and you can influence people. That’s what we’ve learned here.”
Tomasz Garbarski, Regional Manager, Poland
Sampsa Tvilling, Project Manager, Finland
“I’ve never spoken at a personal level with my customers, most of whom are internal, but I intend to do this now. I have to take things more slowly. Otherwise they’ll just think I forgot to take my medicine!”
“This course will improve the quality of my contact with customers and people in general. I’ve always started conversations from a business angle, not a personal one. Now I have to admit that that was a big mistake.”
Liliana Dragan, Sales & Marketing Director, Romania
cover the ”This training helped me dis , have ual ivid ind power that I, as an change me ped in the company; it hel ive. I act to e siv perspective from pas do can I at wh g now start by thinkin n tha her rat s ive to reach our object e.” don it get to y expect the compan
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Lorenzo Levoni, Saima Avandero, Italy
“I’m mainly here to meet other DSV colle agues and to show that we’re not that different in Saima! Having the same starting point makes it easier to work together. And I’m also here for the personal chal lenge – that’s something I like!”
One Out of Ten is a
Surfer!
The United Arab Emirates, that’s oil. Italy is posh fashion wear, and Japan is a shiny new Toyota. With 10,000 beaches, the Australians are preoccupied with something entirely different – which really fills the warehouses down under.
The Sydney warehouse is brimming with surfboards headed for the continent’s 10,000 beaches.
V, tant at DS utive A ssis c e x E rd a r, h a o w Claudia Z ach if it ’s to on her stom s . lie ly p m si n the board r balance o e h p e e k to 16
Kasper Hedegaard loves the beach cu lture and Australians’ laid-ba ck lifestyle. He surfs every day before work: ”It ’s a great energy bo os t for body and soul.”
By Miriam Kropp, Trainee, DSV Air & Sea Pty Ltd.
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o many people, Australia is synonymous with kangaroos and koala bears. That Australia also is a modern trading nation with sophisticated relations to more than 200 countries, is perhaps something that fewer people give thought to. Home to the world-famous vineyards in Barossa Valley, the continent-cumcountry is also one of the top wine exporters in the world. But Australia is primarily characterised by a cultural peculiarity of great importance to the country’s international commerce – and the self-image of the 20 million Australians. Special Australian character The unique Australian character becomes obvious with one glimpse into the 4,300 m² DSV warehouse in Sydney. Giant racks are filled with surfboards – longboards, shortboards, bodyboards, stand-up paddle surfboards, hardboards and softboards – the variety is endless. In the course of a year, up to 150,000 surfboards are delivered, stored and distributed. Not to mention surfing products like wetsuits, surf wax flippers, paddles and other accessories. Surfing as a national sport More than one in ten Australians surf. There are about 2.5 million recreational surfers in Australia, some of whom work at DSV in Sydney, of course. Paul Dixon, DSV Sydney Customs Broker, surfs two or three times a week, preferably from Sydney’s southern beaches. “My favourite beach is Green Hills at Cronulla. The best weekend for me starts with heading to the beach Saturday morning, breathing in the fresh air and jumping into the waves. Surfing clears my head and leaves me feeling fresh and relaxed,” he says. Just lie on your belly Claudia Zwar, DSV Executive Assistant, emigrated to Australia five years ago and is still struggling with wave surfing – so she often switches to the body board. “With the body board it’s pretty easy, especially for beginners. You just lie on your belly and take the wave
without standing up on the surfboard and without having to find the right balance.” 50,000 km of coastline Considering Australia’s geographical location it’s no surprise that surfing is a true national sport. Australia’s coastline is almost 50,000 kilometres long and is linked by over 10,000 beaches, more than any other country in the world. More than 85% of Australians live within 50 kilometres of the coast. Additionally, Australia is one of the countries with the most hours of sunlight – more than 2,600 hours a year on average. Surfing is a multibillion dollar industry, especially in clothing and fashion markets. Laid-back lifestyle The many beaches and plenty of sunshine might be why Australians are considered laid back. “Yes, it’s a different way of life here …I soon discovered that Australians never sleep,” says Kasper Hedegaard, originally of Denmark, who came to Australia a year ago to work in the Sydney branch office. “When I walk down to the beach early Saturday morning with my surfboard and find the beach and surrounding parks with the free public BBQs packed with families, young and old, just trying to get as much out of the weekend as possible, its quite overwhelming, in a very positive way, and the enjoyment easily rubs off. I love the beach culture and laidback attitude of the Australians and adopted it very quickly – I settled near the beach and started to surf and was instantly hooked! Now, one year later, I go surfing before work almost every day – it’s a great energy boost for body and soul.” Is the atmosphere at work also laid back? “It’s not all about sun and surfing, it’s hard work, too, like in Denmark. And even though Australians are supposedly more relaxed, everyone seems to be wearing a tie here, a big difference from our Danish branches. It should also be mentioned that although the Australians generally have less holiday than Danes, everyone seems to be more easygoing and happy. Maybe it’s the sun and the surf after all,” he says.
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How well do you know Australia? DSV Australia’s Managing Director, Danny Ayoub, tests your knowledge. Social relationships are part of business relationships. TRUE. Social relationships are very important when it comes to business. If you are attending a meeting, it is normal to start out with a chat about the kids or the last holiday. This is a good start and creates a nice atmosphere. This is probably also why we call each other by our first names – regardless if you’re the managing director or a runner. Australians don’t take being punctual very seriously. FALSE. In business, punctuality is always very important – and this is true in Australia, just like it is in Denmark or any other country. This false assumption may be more true of personal relationships. Since the weather is sunny most of the year, it doesn’t matter much if you have to wait for a friend for 20 minutes. Australians sometimes surprise international visitors with their laid-back attitude. TRUE. Australians like to create a comfortable atmosphere by addressing and treating business partners as mates or friends. In Australia, no one is judged by his/her origins or cultural background. TRUE. Australia is a very multicultural country, which is especially evident in big cities like Sydney and Melbourne. More than 20% of Australians were born outside the country and more than 40% are of mixed cultural origins.
Employees Turn into Superusers DSV Air & Sea UK will select 6 employees to become superusers when the company replaces Cargolink with ediEnterprise later in the year. By Karen Burnet, ediEnterprise Regional Superuser, DSV Air & Sea UK.
“The effort and application from the RSU team have surpassed our expectations and ensured that the team can now deliver the operational system on schedule,� says Martin Rutter, here with RSU Denise Bennion.
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DSV
Air & Sea UK will this year follow in the footsteps of Canada, the US and much of Asia and Australasia. This autumn, the company will implement ediEnterprise, replacing Cargolink as the operational system of choice. EdiEnterprise is a modern, Windowsbased system developed by Australianbased software vendor Cargowise and is better geared to the requirements of Air & Sea. The system is very different from the current system in place, Cargolink, and it was decisive to involve users in the process of getting to know the new system from the very beginning. Superusers The Management (led by Rob Schreurs of Global IT) therefore decided at the outset to approach six operational staff who would later get together as Regional Superusers (RSUs) to discuss, problem-solve and be involved in the set-up of the system. These RSUs would then also be trained to a high standard in ediEnterprise and ultimately be responsible for the further training of endusers. Hard work The RSUs were selected from around the country, and their expertise covers all the methods and services Air & Sea is involved in. “When my manager initially spoke to me about being involved in ediEnterprise, I was excited and pleased to accept,” said Denise Bennion, Air Export Supervisor based in Manchester. ”However, although it’s very rewarding, it’s also a lot of hard work!” she added. Back to school for a week The RSUs initially met in May this year, along with the UK management team of Martin Rutter, Darren Jones and Peer Emanuel. They spent a week getting to know each other and identifying any problems end-users may encounter with the new system – and looking for solutions! They also had their first taste of the system, thanks to Naomi Black, UK Training Manager for Cargowise. She took them through the system and has been on hand for help and advice – as well as intensive training – ever since. New in Europe The introduction of ediEnterprise in Europe presented challenges not faced before, such as the interface with SAP and the rollout
“Cargolink has served us well for many years, but now is the time to move forward towards a truly global system,” says Karen Burnet, RSU. of the Master Data Management system. Graham Riches, Managing Director of DSV Air & Sea UK: I am very proud of the way the team has come together and I’m sure their enthusiasm will rub off on their colleagues. I’m also extremely grateful for the international expertise we’ve been given by our colleagues from many countries in the areas of IT, Finance and Operations,” he adds. Ultimate challenge At time of writing, the RSUs have spent a lot of time together being trained and have faced their hardest challenge yet: being assessed by Cargowise to ensure that they have sufficient knowledge of the system to train the 170 or so employees around the country. They all passed! Now follows additional end-user training, giving employees four to six weeks to familiarise themselves with ediEnterprise before going live in November. “We expect that once the system is operational, we can then expand and develop our knowledge of ediEnterprise in order to use it to its full potential – and at the same time set a great example for our colleagues in Europe and elsewhere, who will follow in our footsteps,” says Karen Burnet, author of this contribution, and adds: ”Whilst Cargolink has served us well for many years, now is the time to move forward towards a global system which will eventually be used by all DSV Air & Sea employees around the world.”
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Air Chartering airlifts aircraft When nothing is too big and anything is possible, sending first
Savannah
aid to a stranded jet in Afghanistan Mazar-E-Sharif
is “just another day at the office.” Read more about a day on the job at DSV Projects.
By Thomas Atkinson, DSV Projects – Air Chartering.
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to Mazar-E-Sharif on an Ilyushin 76 aircraft from the Russian Volga Dnepr transport company, while two Boeing 747 freighters from the US-based Kalitta Air transport company took care of the remaining cargo from Atlanta. DSV Atlanta arranged road transport of the cargo from Savannah to Atlanta where it was loaded onto the Boeing 747s.
Equipment from the US to Afghanistan The operation started in the US where preparations were made to move transport dollies, cradles, equipment and tools from the Gulfstream factory in Savannah, Georgia, to MazarE-Sharif. The largest pieces were flown directly from Savannah
Southern hospitability The customer had expressed a wish for a cargo supervisor from DSV to monitor the transport in the US, so I packed my bags and set off for Atlanta on 11 June. After a strenuous transatlantic flight and 90 minutes in the company of the US Immigration Service, I was greeted by superb southern hospitability and the oppressing heat and humidity that goes with it. I spent the first weekend in Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson Airport monitoring the palletising process and correcting all the original documents I had brought with me. We all know there can be a world of difference between the dimensions written in the cargo manifest and the actual dimensions. Top that off with a bit of extra dangerous goods
n May 2010, the Air Chartering department of DSV Projects received an unusual request from the Swedish Armed Forces, one of our longstanding clients. Although our work is rarely considered ordinary, this request was irregular, to say the least. The Swedish Government’s Gulfstream Jet had been damaged during a flight in MazarE-Sharif, Afghanistan and was now grounded until repairs could be made. However aircraft technicians and high-tech service facilities don’t exactly grow on trees in Afghanistan, so the aircraft had to be returned to the Gulfstream factory in Savannah, USA. A perfect job for DSV Projects and the Air Chartering team.
The Swedish Government’s Gulfstream Jet is disassembled – ready to be flown to the Gulfstream factory in Savannah, USA.
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AN-124 is the second largest cargo aircraft in the world, surpassed only by its big brother, the AN-225. The aircraft can easily carry a disassembled Gulfstream Jet.
added at the last minute and you have the perfect recipe for a nice weekend of work. Ready to load the IL-76 Sunday evening it was time to drive to Savannah to be ready for the loading of the IL-76 on Monday morning. Jan Rene Knudsen, the regional manager at DSV Atlanta, who had been a great help with the road transport in the States, joined me on the trip. I had high expectations about the river port of Savannah imagining all sorts of jazz bands and riverboat casinos. The riverboats were all closed, but the nightlife in Savannah is as lively and vibrant as you could ever hope for. Monday morning we arrived at the Gulfstream factory at the Savannah airport where we were given a very interesting tour of the maintenance department, a huge workshop capable of maintaining up to 25 aircraft at a time. On this particular day The Republic of Botswana’s Air Force One was undergoing service. Not exactly the kind of aircraft you find yourself standing next to every day. Experienced load master The loading operation in Savannah went smoothly. This was much thanks to the experienced load master from Volga Dnepr, who elegantly loaded a 12-metre piece into the aircraft using onboard cranes, 4 steel cables and a forklift truck. Two of Gulfstream’s engineers boarded the aircraft as well. They had four weeks of work ahead of them in Afghanistan disassembling the aircraft and preparing it for the return flight. After resolving a minor technical problem, the Ilyushin 76 took off from Savannah, headed for Mazar-ESharif.
one Boeing 747 on Tuesday the 14th and one on Wednesday the 15th. Only a few minor issues with US customs had to be resolved, so the operation in the US was a great success and both Boeing 747s departed on time, and I flew back to Denmark. Our man in Afghanistan, Henning Dahl, was on the ground to receive the aircraft in Mazar-E-Sharif and the unloading operation went well. Now all we had to do was wait for the Gulfstream jet to be disassembled in Afghanistan. Disassembled in four weeks About four weeks after arriving at Mazar-E-Sharif, the Gulfstream Jet had been disassembled and readied for transport back to the US. Once again Kalitta Air supplied us with a Boeing 747 freighter for the smaller pieces and the Russian air freight carrier Polet Air Cargo was hired to fly the largest components on the gigantic Antonov 124. The AN-124 is the second largest cargo aircraft in the world, surpassed only by the almost unreal AN-225. The Boeing 747 returned its payload to the Atlanta airport where we were once again helped by Jan Rene Knudsen and DSV Atlanta who handled the road transport back to Gulfstream. The AN124 flew directly to Savannah and parked right next to the Gulfstream’s maintenance facility and the cargo was gently rolled down the ramp into the workshop. So, after many hours of work we had yet another satisfied customer and could finally look back at another job well done.
Thomas Atkinson, DSV Projects, Air Chartering, went to Atlanta to supervise the transport of equipment from the USA to a stranded jet in Afghanistan.
Only a few problems with customs Back in Atlanta the last pieces of cargo had arrived safely and the pallet build went smoothly. We proceeded to load
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E-service-Supporter – and the Ninth-Ranked Swimmer in the World K
Kay Hamilton competed in her first swim meet at the age of nine. She was nervous but determined to win.
ay Hamilton of DSV Road UK likes the water. But she has also had a long time to get used to it. She started taking swimming lessons at the age of four. At the age of nine, Kay was selected by her club to be a competitive swimmer because of her passion for winning. “I don’t really know where this urge comes from – I’m probably just lucky,” Kay says thoughtfully, before starting to tell about the time she needed every ounce of will in her. Early one morning, 11-year-old Kay was practising swimming starts and dives at the shallow end of the pool. Kay dove into the shallow water but failed to get her arms over her head in time before she hit the bottom, crushing her fourth and fifth neck vertebrae. “My doctors told me I’d probably never be able to walk again, but I didn’t give up!” A year later she was back in the water training hard. Scottish origins Because her father came from Scotland, her coach suggested that Kay should compete for her home country, but that required this young girl to be determined and willing to work hard. After a year filled with rigorous workouts twelve times a week, Kay was finally selected for the Scottish Swim Team after taking the title of Scottish Junior Champion in 200 m butterfly at East Kilbride and her actual swimming career took off with competitions in Los Angeles, Toronto and Luxembourg – and in the rest of the UK, of course. Kay swam for the Scottish Swim Team until she “retired” at the age of 17. “I had to start college and
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suddenly I couldn’t get my studies to fit in with the hard workout schedule, which was still twelve times a week: two hours every morning at 5 a.m. and two hours every evening, including the weekends. You have to be very determined, and there just didn’t seem to be enough time to train and study.” Travelling all over the world At the age of 21, Kay was introduced to Masters Swimming (for former toplevel swimmers who want to maintain their level of swimming through workouts and/or competition). “For me, Masters was a way of staying in shape whilst doing something I was really fond of. I never dreamed that it would become such a big part of my life,” says Kay who still travels all over the world to participate in Masters Swimming championships. “I recently returned from Sweden where I took part in a World Masters championship in Stockholm. Last year, I was in Cadiz, Spain, and have also swum in France, Slovenia and New Zealand. Cultivating a sport at a semi-professional level provides an excellent opportunity to travel, and even though most of the time is spent inside a swimming pool, I do get time to experience the culture of the city and visit places I would never have thought of going to.” Ranked ninth in the world In August Kay was swimming in Gothenburg, Sweden, and competed in the World Masters Championships in the 3k open water swim. She actually made it into the top ten and was ranked ninth in the world in the 30 to 34 age group “Being able to say I’m ‘Ninth in the World’ proves that the hard work pays. Training
Kay Hamilton, of DSV Road Ltd, is a 32-year-old competitive swimmer who has travelled most of the world – in spite of the fact that her doctors once predicted she would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life following a swimming accident.
will now continue to improve the result for the European Championships for next year!” Swims for cancer research Even though sea swimming is nothing new in the UK, it has become significantly more widespread in recent years with events like the Great London Swim in July and the Great Scottish Swim in August. Kay swam in both events where the distance was an English mile – the proceeds went to cancer research. Kay Hamilton herself raised EUR 592, and it is still possible to make a donation at www. runningsponsorme.org/kayhamilton. Started a swim school Kay Hamilton has, in addition to her work in e-Services Support, started her own swim school for adults. “I really enjoy being able to give back some of what I’ve personally benefited from. I can use it in my work, too, because it also involves teaching and coaching. Here it’s my customers who have to learn to book online, but the tools are the same: making things simple and understandable so students want to improve!” Kay says. She also feels that her competitive gene can be used on the job in several different ways. More people are interested in fitness “I’m used to achieving the goals I set for myself and I work hard to achieve them, too. I have found that more and more people are becoming interested in fitness, which I notice on my travels to various parts of the DSV organisation where colleagues want to talk to me about swimming and workouts. That’s good, because it brings us closer together,” Kay Hamilton says.
Kay Hamilton has also started to compete in lake and sea swimming – the further the better.
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ews · News · News · News · New Best Irish Haulier DSV Road in Ireland has won the prestigious award for Irish International Haulier of the Year 2010 at the Export & Freight Transport & Logistics Awards 2010. The category is for best Irish International Road Transport Operator in 2010. Nicola Walker, Divisional Director was presented with the award sponsored by Iveco at a glittering ceremony at the Ramada Hotel in Belfast.
Nicola Walker was awarded the prize by Nuala McKeever (left), compère for the Export & Freight Awards, and Henk Van Leuven, Managing Director of Iveco in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. Agricultural machinery to Sudan Last summer, the product division in Bremen, Germany, received the biggest order in the company’s history. In August, the customer (Claas of Harsewinkel, Germany) ordered a single shipment of 8,000 m³ of agricultural machinery – harvesters, tractors and various accessories – to Sudan. The Harsewinkel factory delivered 6,500 m³ of the order by rail to Bremerhaven, while 1,500 m³ was dispatched from Woippy, France, to Antwerp, Belgium. The whole was shipped on RO/RO by the ship Grand Hero, with the Wallenius shipping company. At the same time, 23 forty-foot containers with spare parts were sent with the United Arab Shipping Company. Riding the crest of a wave Head of Section Henrijette Hansen, DSV Projects, Horsens, can now add “godmother” to her business card. On 18 September, Henrijette had the honour of naming the M/v Flinter Arctic when it was launched at the Ferus Smit Shipyards in Westerbroek, the Netherlands. One of the tasks of the M/v Flinter Arctic will be to ship 152 wind turbines from Siemens Wind Power A/S to Europe’s largest land-based wind-turbine farm in Scotland. Over the next 18 months, 70 trips between Denmark and Scotland will deliver the turbines to the “Clyde Project”. DSV Projects, Aberdeen, is responsible for the local tasks in Scotland.
Married at sea If you live 300 kilometres from the sea, it doesn’t seem likely you will choose sailing as your favourite hobby. Nevertheless, that’s what Lithuania’s Air & Sea manager in Vilnius did. Petras Baltusevicius is so fond of his hobby that he chose to be married at sea with his wife Asta by Captain Darius Vinkevicius on the good ship “Heaven Can Wait”. Congratulations from moves!
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Publisher: DSV A/S. Editor: Mads Wedderkopp. Send content suggestions to moves@dsv.com, tel.: +45 24606369 Distribution enquiries: Staff: Global Marketing, marketing@dsv.com Other recipients: Helle K. Hansen, helle.k.hansen@dsv.com Photos: Photographicassignments, Mads Wedderkopp, Daniel Bank, Miriam Kropp. Layout: Jacob Thesander. Translation: ad Astra Translators. Printed by: Scanprint A/S.
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