Shenzhen Channelton Logistics Development Co., Ltd (Abbr. CLD) is based in the port of Shenzhen (the NO.4 container port in the world) and covers the Pearl River Delta and Southern China. With more than 10 years' development, it has become a leading and reputable international port logistics services provider. In the interview, Mr. Lai Qingbo, chief manager of the CLD, shares his experience and presents his ideas towards the logistics industry in China.
Build a strong base in order to compete with foreign companies
Mr. Lai pays attention to building a strong foundation on which to develop his company. He said that it takes a lot of time and capital for a logistics company to grow into a strong one. Mr. Lai started to work in the logistics industry after 1996, and there were two reasons why he decided to found the CLD. The first one is that the logistics market is really huge in Shenzhen and there are many opportunities. The second is that he has the ability to seize the opportunities and can devote himself to the company. In the early stages after the company was founded, he did well to control the costs and that was good for the further development of the company.
As some large foreign logistics companies enter the Chinese market, CLD meets more and more challenges. Those foreign companies are mostly from developed countries, which have advanced management systems and better network systems. As a result, he decided to provide services for cargo owners before the export cargo passes through the Chinese customs, such as warehousing, domestic transportation, customs declaration, etc, instead of competing with the foreign companies at what they specialize in. As a local company, CLD has more advantages on the domestic market. Besides, Mr. Lai pays attentions to building good relationships with the government in China. It is much easier for local companies to do that with less cost, and once the company cooperates with the government, it will be more convenient for it when doing business.
Full hearted, full devotion
CLD has a slogan that helped it to grow into a strong company: full hearted, full devotion. Although the company is not the largest one in Shenzhen, it has the best operation ability and no one else can compete with them. By utilizing the company's network, information, etc, it can provide more valuable services to customers and reduce the cost of operations. As all of the staff at CLD are required to devote themselves to their work, customers can enjoy the services without any worries. That is also one of the core aspects of the company.
Staff growing happily together with the company
Mr. Lai is optimistic and he hopes that his staff can work happily. He provides comfortable working conditions and colorful activities for the staff, and communication platforms such as OA system, company magazines, etc. He has three requirements for them to follow:
1. Work happily and create happiness for others.
2. Possess basic skills in logistics and having the ability to learn.
3. Devote themselves to their work and grow together with the company.
New staff do not need to have much work experience, for CLD provides all-round training for both managers and regular staff, not only training insides the company, but also that provided by some professional logistics institutes. The staff with a high ability will also have the chance to take further development courses.
In order to avoid the losses caused by staff leaving, Mr. Lai also has three requirements for the staff in the human resources department:
1. Have the ability to remain as an excellent staff member in the company.
2. The staff with low ability leave the company by themselves.
3. Attract logistics talents to come and work in the company.
At the same time, Mr. Lai also works hard to make the staff's salary correspond to their ability. For example, if a good staff member has a 4000 Yuan salary every month in another logistics company, CLD would like to provide them with 1000 Yuan more. In contrast, if a bad staff member earns 2500 Yuan every month in a company, they can only earn 2000 Yuan at CLD.
As a result, although the highest rate of staff depletion in companies in Shenzhen can reach 50%, CLD controls the rate to within 10%.
Website, a key to success
Compared with other logistics companies, CLD has a better website, including online booking and an online enquiry service. Mr. Lai said that websites are especially important in the logistics industry, and are a key to success. A good website can impress customers deeply and make them trust the company more. There are professional staff in the company to keep the website updated regularly. In early 2008, more functions will be added to the website, such as the online customs declaration, etc, to make the work with ports and customs more effective.
As a GCP member of www.jctrans.net, CLD hopes it can promote itself by using the B2B platform provided by the website in order to seize more opportunities. Although there are still some deficiencies in online logistics, Mr. Lai believes that it will play a more and more important role in the logistics industry and give more help to CLD.
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