In the last two years, not everything has always gone according to plan in global transport logistics. This was, and to some extent still is, a challenge for every container operator. It is important to maintain quality standards in such times and to react flexibly.
To be able to do this, there are some aspects that should be considered:
With these questions in mind, ÖVZ asked around in the industry for us.
While the origin of the word is easy to answer, the meaning is a bit more complex.
The word is derived from the Latin qualitas, which means “quality, characteristic”.
Quality therefore stands, among other things, for a characteristic property or the goodness of a person or thing – in our case, a service. The fulfillment of the customer’s requirements and expectations is the top priority and is decisive for their satisfaction.
The degree of quality required of a service and whether this is considered to be met or even exceeded varies from individual to individual and is referred to as subjective quality.
In contrast, objective quality is measurable and comparable thanks to defined criteria that must be met – such as the degree of compliance with environmental standards.
According to the DIN EN ISO 9001: 20151 standard, quality is defined as “the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics of an object fulfills requirements”. This means, therefore, that quality in logistics depends on the extent to which the objectively measurable criteria of a logistical mission have been met.
1This standard describes the basic principles and terms of quality management and serves to standardize and ensure verifiable standards of product and service quality.
„The logistics mission is to provide the right quantity (1) of the right objects (2) as objects of logistics, at the right place (3), in the right quality (4), at the right time (5), at the right cost (6).“
Reinhardt Jünemann
professor emeritus and founder of industrial logistics in Germany
If all the criteria mentioned by Jünemann – the so-called 6 R’s of logistics – are met, the minimum qualitative requirements are also met. The better the requirements set by customers are met – ideally even exceeded – the higher the level of quality and thus satisfaction.
As mentioned, the current situation in transport logistics is challenging and maintaining known quality standards and adapting flexibly to new quality requirements is essential. ÖVZ asked for us which quality standards should be met in order to maintain customer relationships. A large proportion of those surveyed agreed on this: self-initiative.
Providers who proactively solve problems by, for example, contacting shipping companies or railroads can hope to build long-term customer relationships. This allows carriers to work more efficiently in the customer’s interest and not have to worry about “side issues”.
Customer satisfaction is Roland team’s top priority. The 6 R’s of logistics are the standard program for us and we are glad to go the extra mile more to keep quality standards high in our core areas of rail, truck and customs.
© Roland Spedition
© Österreichische Verkehrszeitung / Joachim Horvath & Miriam Hirschhofer
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