The supply and delivery of the majority of goods and services have been halted across the world due to COVID-19. However, it did not stop one company from making its best effort to emerge as an exemplary example by playing a significant role in saving the lives of the people. It is none other than Logistics Service DHL (Dalsey, Hillblom, and Lynn), an America based express mail service. Despite being severely hit by the epidemic, they also managed to remain sustainable and profitable.
The company played an essential role in supplying emergency medical equipment and protective gear such as PPE kits, masks and sanitizers in considerable quantities to the healthcare workers as well as ensuring delivering of essentials to the consumers. DHL, as a corporate citizen, has offered its solutions to mitigate the risks and impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak to a great extent.
“Our employees are working almost around the clock to get important deliveries to where they are urgently needed. We’re currently seeing a strong shift in demand towards products and goods needed in the fight against Covid-19.” – Tobias Schmidt, the CEO of DHL
With holistic management and strategic planning, the company has ensured its services continue without any interruption. They have also coordinated with international organizations such as WHO and CDC to support. According to the official report released by the company, a majority of air freight, ocean freight, and rail freight are functional following the safety guidelines and instructions of the regulatory bodies.
DHL’s primary goal is to ensure meeting the safety protocols that are necessary during the Coronavirus outbreak by maintaining contactless deliveries. To further support the company’s mission, employee cooperation is also worth noticing these challenging times. With the help of flexible working arrangements and the company’s emphasis on the ‘Safety First’ approach, the work process of DHL has been smooth and safe. For additional precautions, DHL banned global business travel of any kind and postponed the non-essential meetings and events.
The company has resorted to adopting a remote working approach at several centers to maintain a robust communication flow among the management and the employees. The local teams frequently interact and stay updated about the next steps with internal communication channels.
Additionally, to ensure its employees’ safety at various centers, DHL has mandated use of masks and gloves and has equipped the offices with hand and scanner sanitizations at several points. Moreover, to meet the demand of the shipping orders, the company has also escalated its hiring processes, unlike other companies who are downsizing due to the negative impact of COVID-19. The method of hiring and selection is taking place virtually. It has opened avenues for improved employment opportunities in other industries as well since now the geographic limitations will no more be the hindrance in securing a job. Other companies, too, have been welcoming to the new hiring models, even if the mode of hiring needs to be slightly different given the present scenario.
The operations and efforts of Logistics Service DHL during the Covid-19 crisis have earned the company a good reputation internationally and have presented a positive outlook for the economy and other industries.