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~ PostNL ~

“A distinctive approach to keep delivering”

Considering everything, a safe and healthy environment for our customers, employees
and partners remains our highest priority. We apply all possible guidelines that help us

limit social interactions to protect our people and the public, and have made additional
adjustments to our working methods and locations at home and abroad.”

Text: Giseke Hopstaken, Director of PostNL International // Photos: PostNL

ostNL International means mail and parcels cannot arrive or be delivered. More
With 13 branches worldwide and an international than 90 countries were suddenly unreachable at the start of
P network covering 190 countries, PostNL’s attention the COVID-19 crisis.
goes far beyond Dutch borders. PostNL has the largest,
state-of-the-art logistics mail and parcel network in the The Challenge
Benelux area. Internationally, PostNL enables business Another consequence of limited transport capacity is
customers and consumers to tap into the growing, global that demand exceeds supply; this significantly increases
e-commerce market with international solutions for mail, the price of purchase for international transport with
packets, parcels and returns. PostNL was named one of destinations outside Europe. Many logistics service
the best postal companies in the world by the Universal providers worldwide choose not to deliver to these
Postal Union (UPU), thanks to the increasing quality of its destinations temporarily; and, this at a time when cross-
international services. border e-commerce is a growth ambition for many
webshops. PostNL has opted for a different approach;
“It’s our goal to keep quality high, also during the doing everything possible to keep essential lanes open,
COVID-19 crisis,” says Hopstaken. outside and inside Europe. Customers can choose
alternative transport and pay a temporary surcharge to
The Impact cover the extra costs of more expensive transportation,
The COVID-19 crisis had the greatest impact on which only applies to destinations outside Europe..
deliveries for destinations outside Europe. Due to limited
flight capacity, certain destinations are more difficult to Handling the challenge
reach, while others are completely closed; borders are At the start of the Covid-19 crisis, PostNL immediately
inaccessible to traffic and shipments from the outside. This set up a crisis team with the aim of continuing delivery
services at home and abroad.
“90 COUNTRIES “By deploying the right expertise, excellent purchasing

strategy and the ability to respond quickly, we arrive at
UNREACHABLE BECAUSE creative solutions with the team,” says Giseke Hopstaken.
“The team keeps a close eye on which countries are
OF COVID-19. DUE TO THE accessible by plane, and is constantly looking for other
ways to reach destinations, such as the use of cargo planes
PANDEMIC, FAR FEWER for deliveries outside Europe. Trucks are now used in
Europe for destinations that cannot be reached by plane.”
AIRCRAFT ARE FLYING The Distributions & Linehaul team within PostNL also

THAN USUAL. THAT MAKES plays an important role. By quickly adapting to new
situations and purchasing alternative transport, the most
IT DIFFICULT TO HAVE MAIL critical lanes can remain open. This requires a different
way of working; the regular purchasing process is aimed
DELIVERED FROM THE at buying transport for a specific period. During the
COVID-19 crisis, searches for available transport capacity
NETHERLANDS ABROAD.” are conducted daily and per country. This is a more
intensive approach that requires a high degree of focus and
fast action.

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