In the Express division, urgent documents and goods are transported reliably and on time from door to door. The global network of DHL Express spans more than 220 countries and territories, with around 111,000 staff providing services to approximately 2.7 million customers.
Punctual international shipments as the core business
With its main product Time Definite International (TDI), the company provides services with predefined delivery times. And many years of expertise in customs clearance enable end-to-end deliveries, an important prerequisite for providing a fast and reliable door-to-door service. The product range is also supplemented with various industry-specific services.
Mr. Hillis, what are your most important export markets and why?
As the world’s most international company, DHL Express offers global coverage in over 220 countries worldwide. Wherever our customers need first-class express services, we are on site with our own employees. We offer solutions for export, import and delivery within Switzerland for all industries and all company sizes. As the market leader in international express logistics, we have a customer portfolio that represents the Swiss market. This means our most important export markets match those of Switzerland.
What challenges do you face in these markets?
In line with our customer promise “Excellence. Simply Delivered.”, our customers should be able to concentrate exclusively on the international growth of their core business. DHL Express helps customers to do this by ensuring that their shipments are delivered quickly and reliably around the globe. In addition to a precise logistics network with its own fleet of aircraft, hubs and vehicles, this customer promise requires many years of experience in customs clearance as well as a smooth exchange of data with the relevant authorities. Because express logistics presumes the shipments have already been cleared through customs before they arrive in the destination country — wherever that is in the world. Every day, more than 100,000 DHL Express employees around the world rise to this challenge.
Where do you see your export opportunities for the future?
For DHL Express, the cross-border e-commerce business represents an interesting growth market. In B2C e-commerce, logistics is the central element of a positive customer experience. The DHL courier rounds off the purchase process with a fast and secure delivery. That is why we advise our e-commerce customers comprehensively when it comes to international growth opportunities and the optimum integration of logistics processes into their web shops. To provide this advice, we need to offer a market-leading solution such as “DHL OnDemand Delivery”, which allows recipients to arrange delivery of their shipment flexibly — at home or at one of our almost 1,000 ServicePoints across Switzerland. Incidentally, an increasing number of companies are recognizing the importance of B2B e-commerce for their growth strategies. And we support our customers here as well with our many years of logistics expertise in the e-commerce segment.
What are you particularly proud of?
I am particularly proud of all DHL Express employees in Switzerland who have done an outstanding job during the COVID-19 pandemic, working tirelessly during the lockdown to ensure our customers’ supply chains continue to function well. It was during this difficult period that it became clear that all DHL Express employees around the world, working together “As One”, always do their utmost to deliver first-class service quality to our customers. In line with the mission statement of our corporate strategy “Connecting People, Improving Lives”, DHL Express played an instrumental part in the global distribution of COVID vaccines. We recently transported several tonnes of medical supplies from Switzerland to India as part of a charity project in cooperation with the Indian Chamber of Commerce. Every day, we transport samples for clinical trials, which are necessary for the development of drugs. And that makes me proud to be part of the DHL Express network.
Why are you a member of Switzerland Global Enterprise? What about your membership do you particularly appreciate?
DHL Express has been a member of Switzerland Global Enterprise for many years now, because it gives us the opportunity to talk to companies that are passionate about international growth. As experts in international express logistics, we can add to the extensive know-how of Switzerland Global Enterprise.
