DSV set service consistency strategy

Logistics major DSV has a simple philosophy when it comes to over-border business. Customers should see no difference in service levels experienced the world over – from Denmark to the DRC, and everything in between. “The acquisition of Dubaibased Swift Freight in July this year has put us in the driver’s seat as far as our Africa business is concerned,” DSV vice president Peter Larsen told FTW. “And that’s precisely where we need to be to position ourselves for further growth on the continent.” After working with Swift Freight for several years as an agent, the company is now 100% owned by DSV and has been rebranded DSV Swift Freight. Larsen will be based in South Africa for the next few months to lay the foundations for the company’s Africa strategy. And the first priority will be to ensure that the African network can service the company’s global clients to the standard that they expect. Equally important is brand awareness. “While DSV is well known globally, it now needs to replicate that global visibility in the African market.” The first step will be to educate and upskill. “We are in 11 countries in Africa – all of which are managed by local staff. Moves are already under way to transfer skills and to educate in the interests of elevating service levels and achieving a uniform standard of excellence.” Larsen is well aware that logistics is not a ‘one size fits all’ but needs to be adjusted to meet the needs of specific countries. “DSV provides the basic platform but different menus need to be prepared for different countries. There’s no standard solution – every solution must be moulded to the needs of the country,” he told FTW. And while he sees huge potential in the likes of Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, he believes in keeping an eye on the smaller niche markets as well. “We’ll follow the volumes. We’re keeping a close eye on Rwanda, for example. Politically stable environments are what we’ll be focusing on.” And the niche market philosophy has worked for the company in the past. “We are the market leader in the Baltics for example.” Listed as a top 500 company, DSV’s customer base is largely made up of multi-national blue chip companies. “They’re all focusing on growth in Africa – and will be expecting global consistency of service,” he said. “Our mandate is to deliver on those expectations.” In Larsen’s view, the biggest challenge in Africa is infrastructure – from ports, rail and road to customs issues. “There are some things you can do something about and some things you can’t – but the key element is communication, and this is where DSV’s sophisticated IT systems will come into play.” Looking beyond the immediate challenge of consistent service delivery, Larsen says future developments will be tailored to the needs of the market. “We’ll use our global know-how – and if there’s an opportunity to set up a distribution centre in Africa, we can do it. The same applies to a trucking service – we have the know-how and muscle to make things happen. “It’s no different from when we moved into Asia and the US – it’s a question of copy and paste.” While DSV is fairly new to the local market, the group has offices in more than 70 countries and an international network of partners and agents with 22 000 employees worldwide. INSERT & CAPTION DSV provides the basic platform but different menus need to be prepared for different countries. – Peter Larsen