At DHL, we remain guided by our Strategy 2025, which focuses on harnessing globalisation, e-commerce, digitalisation, and sustainability for the profitable long-term growth of our business.
Amadou Diallo – CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Middle East & Africa
As the world begins to get used to the new normal of wearing masks, social distancing, and unprecedented travel restrictions, the e-commerce and logistics sector saw a sudden rise in the development and implementation of new digital solutions to ensure continuity of operations. During this phase of constant change, DHL emerged resilient despite the various challenges with the help of advanced digital logistics platforms that managed the massive surge in online orders. Moreover, with the help of AI, automation, and robots in its facilities, the company has been able to enhance the efficiency of its operations.
During his conversation with The Zone, Amadou Diallo, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Middle East & Africa, highlighted the latest initiatives launched by the organisation during the pandemic.
What strategy has DHL adopted to ensure growth in its business?
At DHL, we remain guided by our Strategy 2025, which focuses on harnessing globalisation, e-commerce, digitalisation, and sustainability for the profitable long-term growth of our business. We believe growth comes from a consistent focus on our core logistics businesses, and digitalisation will play a massive role in steadily improving services, processes, and standards between now and 2025.
What are the latest innovative solutions that you have implemented in logistics?
Every year we welcome thousands of customers to our DHL Innovation Centres around the world, and have recently launched the first Mobile MEA Innovation Centre in Dubai. Here, visitors find interactive displays and haptic demonstrations, and our subject-matter experts provide a direct and tangible experience of current technologies and innovations. Each interaction has the potential to ignite powerful, transformative solutions for logistics operations.
Every year we welcome thousands of customers to our DHL Innovation Centres around the world, and have recently launched the first Mobile MEA Innovation Centre in Dubai. Here, visitors find interactive displays and haptic demonstrations, and our subject-matter experts provide a direct and tangible experience of current technologies and innovations. Each interaction has the potential to ignite powerful, transformative solutions for logistics operations.
We have also fully rolled out our digital road freight solution platform ‘Saloodo!’ in the region, to inject greater transparency, real time visibility, and efficiency to the regional road network. ‘Saloodo!’ enables shippers to identify trusted and reliable freight carriers, and in turn, helps carriers manage existing fleets, and optimise capacity with full-truck-load shipments.
What are the latest technologies used at your facilities?
At DHL, we have worked directly with over 100 startups to develop new technologies for our logistics operations. Automated storage and retrieval systems in our warehouses help find, pick, and move inventory around more quickly so that e-commerce businesses can meet tight delivery deadlines for customers. One such example is ‘Picking,’ a self-driving robot that automatically learns and shares the most efficient travel routes to maximise overall pick efficiency by reducing travel time. The myDHLi customer platform, through its modular structure, al- lows customers to personalise their portal, compare available options, and directly book one of the logistics services. They can also access shipment tracking, and myDHLi reports, which provides insights into transit times and cost per unit.
What kind of e-commerce solutions have you implemented in the recent past?
The rise of the ‘expectation economy’, where consumers expect their e-commerce orders to be delivered within a matter of hours has spurred e-commerce giants to build their own digital logistics platforms to han- dle the surge in volumes, as retail commerce moves online.
DHL’s divisions benefit from dynamic growth opportunities produced by their advanced solutions for the entire logistics value chain, from inbound logistics to fulfilment, delivery, and returns. DHL is the only company capable of offering solutions for single elements as well as the entire e-commerce supply chain on a global scale.
How did the rise in online orders during the pandemic im- pact your growth?
At the beginning of the pandemic, when air freight capacity was severely impacted as commercial airlines halted operations, DHL Global Forwarding operated dedicated flights carrying PPEs as well as essential supplies from China to Middle East and Africa via Dubai, ensuring a steady supply of these life-saving items especially for front-liners. To overcome the challenge of restricted air capacity, we started Ubuntu Connect, a dedicated charter network from China to the Middle East and Africa via Dubai.
Last year, as vaccination campaigns were rolled out across the globe, we distributed more than 1 billion doses of vaccines to over 160 countries. We also leveraged alternative modes of transportation, and tapped on supplier networks ranging from carriers to packaging companies, for vaccine distribution.
How has your existence in Jafza helped in facilitating the growth of your company?
Having the DHL Global Forwarding head office in Jafza has provided us easy access to regional markets through its Sea-Land-Air logistics corridor within a single customs bonded area, allowing us to move cargo from sea to air quickly and efficiently. The presence of varied business units in the free zone such as, JV Danzas and DHL Express, alongside DHL Global Forwarding, facilitates internal cooperation, creates synergies, and higher efficiencies in our work, which subsequently benefit our customers.