Connecting flexibility and quality.
Statements by Stephan Haltmayer, Managing Director of QCS-Quick Cargo Service.
Excellent teamwork: Stephan Haltmayer (l.), Managing Director of QCS-Quick Cargo Service, and his Lufthansa Cargo sales contact Christopher Biaesch always look for the direct line of communication to keep their customers satisfied.
Airport Frankfurt am Main, apron, March 2, 11.30 a.m. Stephan Haltmayer is the epitome of composure. His flight to Bangkok is departing in a good three hours. The Managing Director of QCS-Quick Cargo Service will be meeting important Asian partners and customers there at a regional logistics conference. Three days later, the head of the mid-sized forwarding company from Mörfelden near Frankfurt will travel on to São Paulo – for sales talks. “I still have to pack my bags,” Haltmayer remarks with a smile, pretty relaxed despite the tight schedule.
Before setting off, he takes the time, together with Christopher Biaesch, his sales contact at Lufthansa Cargo, to answer the questions of the planet reporter team on the subject of quality and to accompany it to the freighter to Shanghai on the apron for photos showing a QCS shipment. “In our industry, quality is always connected with keeping your cool when the pace gets hectic,” says Haltmeyer.
The forwarder is a good discussion partner when it comes to quality in the airfreight industry. His company won the Lufthansa Cargo Quality Award in 2011. “The airfreight business is rapid-moving and requires a lot of flexibility,” Haltmeyer points out. “But if you don’t have people who work precisely, all the speed is worth nothing.”
The achievement of the award by QCS was primarily attributable to its excellent supply quality. More specifically: QCS almost always complied with the exact delivery quantities notified and always made its shipments including the required documents available punctually. Lufthansa Cargo’s decision to launch the Quality Award was by no means selfless: “Our analyses revealed that our own quality depends to about 30 percent on the preliminary performance of the forwarders,” says Lufthansa Cargo Key Account Manager Christopher Biaesch.
The quality of the airline is continuously monitored, with the “Notification for Delivery” indicator (NFD). To ensure that Lufthansa Cargo can be the quality leader here, the airline requires clear booking data from the forwarders at an early a stage as possible, no “no-shows” (these are shipments that are booked but then not delivered) and compliance with the IATA criterion “ready for carriage”. This is the case when cargo and documents have been properly delivered to the airline – a precondition for the ability to reliably carry out airport-to-airport transportation at all.
“Good processes are the prerequisite for good quality,” Stephan Haltmayer confirms. “This applies at Lufthansa Cargo and in our company too. But the human factor is also decisive for success. The Quality Award was primarily won by our employees with their know-how and their commitment.”
QCS is one of the ten biggest owner-operated IATA forwarders in Germany. The company has made a name for itself as a reliable logistics service provider for mid-sized firms in the export industry. Mechanical engineering companies, automotive suppliers and steel, pharmaceutical and chemical firms are on the list of customers. “Mid-sized firms like working together with mid-sized firms,” says Haltmayer.
“The employees here also think entrepreneurially.” Under no circumstances does he intend becoming dependent on individual key account customers.QCS is one of the ten biggest owner-operated IATA forwarders in Germany. The company has made a name for itself as a reliable logistics service provider for mid-sized firms in the export industry. Mechanical engineering companies, automotive suppliers and steel, pharmaceutical and chemical firms are on the list of customers. “Mid-sized firms like working together with mid-sized firms,” says Haltmayer. “The employees here also think entrepreneurially.” Under no circumstances does he intend becoming dependent on individual key account customers.
QCS is represented with its own branch offices at all major German airport locations.
Globally, it cooperates with other locally based, mid-sized forwarders. One important recipe for success here: “We only work together with hand-picked, financially sound partners, whom we know personally and whom our customers can trust,” says Stephan Haltmayer. “This is an integral part of our quality philosophy.”
The processes of the network are discussed locally on a monthly basis.
For this reason alone, Haltmayer and his management team have to travel a lot. The meetings, however, also turn their attention to customer acquisition. After all, the consignees are often enough the ones who have to pay for the transport and logistics services and who are thus also allowed to choose the service provider.
This also extends to the choice of carrier. “In many cases, we recommend Lufthansa Cargo,” says Haltmayer. “With its strong network, there are reliable high-frequency connections out of Germany to all markets that are important for us.” These include in particular India, the U.S., and, more recently again, Brazil. “China, of course, is also important, although a slower growth has been recently confirmed here due to the increasingly strong currency and rising labor costs.”
Haltmayer also sees Lufthansa Cargo ahead of the competition with respect to eBooking and “troubleshooting”. “There you have it again, the combination of intelligent processes and personal commitment,” he says.
“Our employees have the carer gene.”
“We need partners on the airline side who adopt exactly the same approach.” Underlining the point, he pats Christopher Biaesch on the shoulder. “We don’t settle for half-measures,” he says self-confidently. “A little extra effort is sometimes also needed.”
For example, when QCS had to organize the transportation of the crown jewels of the last Russian tsar from St. Petersburg to an exhibition in Miami. Or when, on one Friday evening, an extremely heavy spare part for a manufacturing robot had to be shipped at the last minute to an automobile plant in Mexico. “It initially looked as if the aircraft was overbooked.
But we then managed to find a solution. On Sunday, the job had been completed,” Biaesch recalls. “The most important thing was that we were constantly in close contact,” Haltmayer adds. “Practically every hour, the customer gave us a call, and we were able to tell him every time with a clear conscience that everything was going to work out fine.”
The pressure on this assignment was enormous, as there was a risk of an assembly line standstill. Haltmayer was nevertheless able to maintain his typical calmness. “I knew that Lufthansa Cargo would not get hectic, but that it would manage the job professionally right to the end.”
|
QCS is represented with its own branch offices at all major German airport locations. Globally, it cooperates with other locally based, mid-sized forwarders. One important recipe for success here: “We only work together with hand-picked, financially sound partners, whom we know personally and whom our customers can trust,” says Stephan Haltmayer. “This is an integral part of our quality philosophy.” The processes of the network are discussed locally on a monthly basis. For this reason alone, Haltmayer and his management team have to travel a lot. The meetings, however, also turn their attention to customer acquisition. After all, the consignees are often enough the ones who have to pay for the transport and logistics services and who are thus also allowed to choose the service provider. This also extends to the choice of carrier. “In many cases, we recommend Lufthansa Cargo,” says Haltmayer. “With its strong network, there are reliable high-frequency connections out of Germany to all markets that are important for us.” These include in particular India, the U.S., and, more recently again, Brazil. “China, of course, is also important, although a slower growth has been recently confirmed here due to the increasingly strong currency and rising labor costs.” |
Haltmayer also sees Lufthansa Cargo ahead of the competition with respect to eBooking and “troubleshooting”. “There you have it again, the combination of intelligent processes and personal commitment,” he says. “Our employees have the carer gene. ” “We need partners on the airline side who adopt exactly the same approach.” Underlining the point, he pats Christopher Biaesch on the shoulder. “We don’t settle for half-measures,” he says self-confidently. “A little extra effort is sometimes also needed.” For example, when QCS had to organize the transportation of the crown jewels of the last Russian tsar from St. Petersburg to an exhibition in Miami. Or when, on one Friday evening, an extremely heavy spare part for a manufacturing robot had to be shipped at the last minute to an automobile plant in Mexico. “It initially looked as if the aircraft was overbooked. But we then managed to find a solution. On Sunday, the job had been completed,” Biaesch recalls. “The most important thing was that we were constantly in close contact,” Haltmayer adds. “Practically every hour, the customer gave us a call, and we were able to tell him every time with a clear conscience that everything was going to work out fine.” The pressure on this assignment was enormous, as there was a risk of an assembly line standstill. Haltmayer was nevertheless able to maintain his typical calmness. “I knew that Lufthansa Cargo would not get hectic, but that it would manage the job professionally right to the end.” |
5 questions to Stephan Haltmayer.
What are your company’s most important quality characteristics?
Our employees are the basis of the success of QCS. They pursue the same goals as the company management. Apart from that, our motto is: quality instead of quantity!
What do you regard as the signs of a good cargo airline?
An airline needs a modern infrastructure, a large route network and good customer service. Lufthansa Cargo has all that, they are the trendsetter in the cargo market.
Which product or which service outside of the cargo world is characterized by special quality?
My Porsche, mid-sized firms and Germany.
What does quality of life mean for you?
To spend time meaningfully. This explicitly includes the occasional glass of good red wine by the fireside.
What are your own personal qualities?
always seek to improve myself and to move in new directions. In my view, success has a long-term character. Endurance and optimism are just as much among my qualities as my willingness to take risks, without which you cannot move forward.
5 questions to Stephan Haltmayer.
|
What are your company’s most important quality characteristics? What do you regard as the signs of a good cargo airline? Which product or which service outside of the cargo world is characterized by special quality? |
What does quality of life mean for you? What are your own personal qualities? |
5 questions to Christopher Biaesch.
What are your company’s most important quality characteristics?
Whether for safety, performance, customer satisfaction, product diversification or investments in the workforce and in the infrastructure – we step up the pace in all fields.
What do you regard as the signs of a good cargo airline?
The quality of an airline is measurable and perceptible. In general, what counts is not to settle for half-measures and to always strive for 100 percent.
Which product or which service outside of the cargo world is characterized by special quality?
The driving style of Sebastian Vettel. He explores the limits, but rarely moves beyond them. He has my greatest respect!
What does quality of life mean for you?
A healthy work-life balance, a good twelve-kilometer run along the River Main, true friends, a strong coffee in the morning.
What are your own personal qualities?
I am optimistic, like life and hope that others notice that!
Photos:
Volker Römer, Ralf Kreuels
planet 1/2012
5 questions to Christopher Biaesch.
|
What are your company’s most important quality characteristics? What do you regard as the signs of a good cargo airline? Which product or which service outside of the cargo world is characterized by special quality? |
What does quality of life mean for you? What are your own personal qualities? |
Photos:
Volker Römer, Ralf Kreuels
planet 1/2012
