NASHVILLE — The score so far: Consistency and predictability are better than faster speed. Associations work well with each other, but there\u2019s room for improvement. Electronic air waybills (e-AWBs) are worth the trouble it takes to switch over from paper. And forwarders are actually the segment that\u2019s getting the most out of e-AWBs at the expense of carriers. Such are the unofficial results of the audience (a carrier-friendly one, apparently) poll taken just before the \u201cEnhancing the Customer Experience\u201d panel discussion on Monday.
\nOnce the electronic clickers were put down, session moderator Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association, kicked things off with a discussion about the speed vs. reliability issue. While there was general consensus that it\u2019s better to be predictable that fast, panelist Angel Ramirez, vice president of United Cargo\u2019s Global Operations, said that there\u2019s always room for process improvement in terms of speed, although 24or 48 hours may be asking too much.
\nThomas Puglisi, vice president of airfreight operations at Kuehne + Nagel, also questioned whether everyone is using the same metrics. \u201cIt all depends on what the demand drivers are,\u201d he said. \u201cYour answer is always going to be different depending on who the customer is.\u201d
\nWhile agreeing with the importance of consistency, Ray Jetha, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Consolidated Aviation Services, said that it\u2019s important to always streamline your processes and to have a system in place. \u201cOur export process used to have 38 steps,\u201d he said. \u201cBe we were able to reduce it to 16.\u201d
\nUsing last year\u2019s congestion at Chicago O\u2019Hare as an example, Fried asked about the panel\u2019s experience with reducing recovery times. Greg Weigel, vice president, global operations, for AIT Worldwide Logistics, Inc., said that after adopting a stringent metrics program, they had seen \u201ca big improvement in recovery times,\u201d and that \u201chandlers are getting better at metrics and accountability.\u201d
\nOn the question of the use of technology to solve problems, no one said there was a \u201csilver bullet\u201d that could do it all, but that there might be one someday. \u201cIn the world we\u2019re migrating towards, yes, it might happen,\u201d Ramirez said. \u201cIf we all measure things the same way, we can only improve. The challenge is, can we ever get to that one common language?\u201d
\nHe was also quick to add that, while technology has a lot of value and can create efficiencies, \u201cthe essence is process. If you don\u2019t have that strong process behind you, no technology is going to help you.\u201d
\nFinally, regarding training of employees, AIT\u2019s Weigel said it\u2019s important to make sure they understand the company culture and way of doing business.
\n\u201cTwenty years ago, the idea of customer service was very different that it is today,\u201d said K+N\u2019s Puglisi. \u201cIt\u2019s a matter of teaching them perspective. Show them what their driver does \u2013 not just the basics, like phone and email. They have to understand who the driver is on the other end of the line.\u201d
\nRamirez said United Cargo \u201cevolved, and went through a process,\u201d looking at training \u201cfrom a cost reduction approach.\u201d He said he \u201cspent quite a bit of time working side by side\u201d with customer sales agents. \u201cWe needed them to represent us,\u201d he added. \u201cThere\u2019s the reliable way, but is there a better way, too?\u201d
\nSource: aircargoworld<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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