Process mapping rises accuracy, efficiency and collaboration in DPD
Project facts
- Client
- DPD
- Location
- Netherlands
- Challenge
- Mapping processes in DPD’s Customs Department to produce clear, accessible working instructions
- Solution
- To strengthen compliance and accuracy, we introduced new checklists and other safeguards into the process
The challenge
Global parcel delivery company DPD contracted Districon, a company of Haskoning, to map processes in its Customs Department and produce clear, accessible working instructions. The aim was to ensure activities were efficient, reliable and easy to follow. We were asked to fine tune processes where we identified improvements. DPD’s Customs Department handles parcels coming from and going to countries outside the European Union. It is a closed area which operates in compliance with the local standards and regulations of the Customs Administration of the Netherlands. It also needs to follow requirements of individual countries where parcels are being sent.The solution
Process and customs expertise shared
Districon has worked successfully with other teams at DPD, which led to our engagement on this project. “What was special in this case was the need to combine our process expertise with DPD’s in-depth knowledge of customs requirements,” explained Tess Vercammen, Consultant at Districon. “We did this by working side by side with our client, validating each process with the whole team to ensure compliance and optimisation.”
This working arrangement brought added value through helping individuals in the customs team understand the process as a whole and where their own role and activities fitted in. By realising how dependent they were on each other’s actions, a more collaborative culture emerged.
We added value by increasing efficiency in the Department’s use of time and materials. By optimising the process time per parcel, we freed up time for people to direct towards other important activities.
The result
Optimising the use of time and resources
To strengthen compliance and accuracy, we introduced new checklists and other safeguards into the process. We recommended procedures to ensure the documentation continues to reflect processes as changes are introduced over time. We also introduced improvements to increase the speed and ease of operations. One example was automating an Excel worksheet to provide a more accurate overview of incoming trucks. Where we saw opportunities for improvements which were outside the project scope, these were highlighted as recommendations for the future – including suggestions which would sustain and reinforce the culture of collaboration.
