[EN-SEA] What Carriers Can Learn From ANZDL's Success Story

IN it's heyday, "Australia New Zealand Direct Line" (ANZDL), was one of the most profitable and successful companies in the shipping industry.

Originally the company operated under the name "Australia New Zealand Container Line" (ANZCL) before its acquisition by Delmas in 1988 where the company paid just US$2.2 million for it.

As a testament to its highly regarded reputation within the industry for consistent premium level customer service, Delmas sold the company to CP Ships for an estimated $120 million in 1999.

Today, we look back and learn how the company emerged from obscurity in the late 1980's to become one of the most respected and profitable in the industry.

Within the ANZDL story there are also several key lessons that today's carrier can learn from, particularly in the present volatile operating environment.

Always profit-minded, ANZDL focused on providing premium level customer service on a consistent basis in a bid to stand out from the pack.

ANZDL's service-driven and people-oriented outlook gave it the highest profit margins in the industry, an approach that may provide pointers for today's carriers in how to attain profitability year-in, year-out.

In a recent interview with former senior vice president and member of the co-founding team, Robert A Beilin, it was easy to understand why the company worked so well and why it is so fondly remembered.

It’s senior management wanted to create a people inclusive business that would result in delivering high quality customer service every time. This was the key principle behind the company’s success.

"ANZDL always wanted to be the best, the highest quality provider and the most profitable shipping company in the business," said Mr Beilin, now chief business development officer at China Merchant Holdings.

In outlining the company’s philosophy, Mr Beilin explained that the ANZDL vision focused on three components - giving customers the best service every time, developing organisational values, and encouraging a unique style of organisational behaviour.

"A company's got to have a strong notion of itself, so we wanted to create strong values for our employees. And then we wanted to demonstrate what behavioural ethics we wanted," he said.

Source : HKSG, 31.10.09