Change management programme accelerates DHL business in Africa

DHL Express, a division of Deutsche Post DHL, has credited its learning and development programme “Certified International Specialists (CIS)” as one of the principal factors in the company’s African and global performance.

“In 2012, the DHL Express division recorded the highest earnings in its history and this would not have been without an engaged workforce focused on international express delivery,” said Mr Charles Brewer, the Managing Director for DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa in a statement.

He said the programme which is delivered to every employee across the company’s global network, has also been a key intervention in Sub-Saharan Africa, to bridge the skills gap and provide comprehensive training and education for the company’s employees.

“CIS has played a fundamental role in the business performance of the company and witnessed how a change management programme can really contribute towards the bottom line.

The firm in Sub-Saharan Africa posted strong growth last year, continuing to drive the economic growth of the continent and I believe that CIS is a big part of this growth and our success,” He said one of the major challenges facing any multinational company operating in Sub-Saharan Africa is the lack of adequate training and education systems which sometimes fall short of global standards.

“While we believe we attract the best and brightest talent on the continent, we know there is a critical need to provide additional training and make our African employees feel part of the global network, while also giving them international experience,” he said.

The programme employs innovative learning methodologies to train employees across all functions on the fundamentals of international shipping, enhancing their knowledge of essential aspects, such as import/export documentation, geography and global expertise, and transport regulations and processes, to name a few.

The training sessions themselves are delivered by employees trained as facilitators. Through video interviews, it has also engaged former executives of the company in telling the story of the entrepreneurial roots of DHL and the values that helped the company to become a global leader in logistics.

To date, CIS has been delivered to over 100 000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, and to nearly 4 000 employees in 51 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, making it one of the largest corporate training programmes ever implemented. The materials have been translated into 42 languages.

SOURCE: DAILY NEWS

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