THE SERVICE MANAGER: THE KEY ROLE IN A COURIER SERVICE

Functions of a Service Manager in a courier service

 

As we have said, the role of the service manager is crucial to easy, reliable communication within a business. Their responsibilities include:

 

1. Implementation and maintenance

The Service Manager is responsible for the design, configuration and implementation of a courier service, and for ensuring that it meets the needs and goals of the business in the most efficient way possible. Besides periodic maintenance to ensure ongoing optimal operation of the service also falls to the Service Manager.

 

2. The customer’s advocate in conflict management

The Service Manager is the customer’s advocate in the resolution of any conflicts or performance issues that may arise with a courier service. They manage incident resolution with the service teams and ensure that appropriate steps are taken to minimise performance impacts.

 

3. Performance oversight:

Using the information available through the GIO platform, the Service Manager monitors the performance of the courier service, and analyses metrics and statistics to identify areas for improvement, and in turn suggest service optimisation measures.

 

4. Training and support:

The Service Manager provides training and support to users to ensure that they understand and use in an efficient way all the functions and features of the courier service. They respond to queries and provide technical assistance when required.

 

5. Strategic planning:

They take part in strategic planning for the implementation and continuous growth of document logistics processes. They assess new technologies and tools that could improve the efficiency of the service and user experience.

 

6. Internal and external communication

The Service Manager facilitates effective communication between technical staff, the service team within The Mail Company who manage incidents in the courier service, users and external providers of courier services in order to ensure problem-free service provision and effective collaboration.

 

7. Reporting and service optimisation

The metrics available to a service manager not only ensure efficient service provision and help the business to improve its operations, planning and costs, but they also help to increase user satisfaction and confidence in The Mail Company. Examples include:

 

• • • Measurement of successful deliveries as a percentage of all packages sent.

• • • Measurement of lost and damaged packets.

• • • Operational security in order to prevent theft and to advise the customer or take steps to prevent theft in function of the type of product to be sent.

• • • Measurement of cost per delivery also provides value added to the customer as a cost-reduction tool.

• • • Measurement of customer satisfaction and the satisfactoriness of the service as a whole.

What happens when an organisation does not have a service manager for its courier service?

 

If a business does not have a service manager and manages its courier service directly with the service provider, the service provider will have a customer service department that only looks after day-to-day operational issues, such as:

• • Pricing a one-off service.

• • Urgent deliveries.

• • Incident reporting.

 

Examples of problems that have been or might be experienced by a business with no Service Manager:

• • Problems with delivery service quality, damaged packages, misdeliveries, etc., because the absence of someone to manage these issues has a negative impact on the business.

• • Unaddressed inefficiencies also leads to wasted resources and unnecessary extra cost, etc.

• • Failure to manage changes such as demand peaks or unexpected challenges may be problematic if there is no expert to monitor the situation with the know-how to respond appropriately.

Benefits of a Service Manager

When you work with a service manager, you not only have someone who deals with straightforward everyday tasks, but there is ongoing high-level dialogue with the customer.. There are many value-added functions in the work of a service manager, such as:

• • Focusing on adequate levels of service. To that end, the service manager submits a monthly report that reviews invoicing and overall service quality, not just individual incidents but also the rates of incidents across the service.

• • For quality problems, management and advanced conflicts, the service manager is the customer’s advocate, they work to identify root causes and suggest remedial measures.

• • The service manager’s report provides traceability and analysis of all the data for a service so as to identify potential cost savings.

• • On an annual basis, drawing on their knowledge of the reality of service provision for the customer and analysis of the data provided by the GIO, the Service Manager makes suggestions for improvement, in both quality and efficiency of the service.

The financial impact of a Service Manager

 

As a consequence of the functions we have just described, it is easy to see what the main problem experienced by businesses that do not have a Service Manager encounter it is none other than the financial impact,because without a Service Manager, the business just receives an invoice for courier services and that is it for the service. There is nobody to be concerned about whether the service is efficient or the scope for improvement.

 

What makes a good Service Manager

 

To be a good service manager, as well as a strong empathy and communication skills, you need extensive experience in the management of courier services. The job demands deep knowledge of the market, of the needs of each type of business and of the solutions available to optimise a service.

Service Management and developing technology

 

In the future, the job of the service manager will be ever more tied to technology, and where the impact of technology will be most visible is in the sophistication of dashboards or control panels, which will be affected by:

 

• ● Artificial Intelligence and machine learning : The incorporation of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning in dashboards will allow automation of the resolution of some problems. These systems may also make recommendations to improve service efficiency.
• Advanced Analysis: the addition of advanced data analysis and visualisation capabilities to dashboards. That will allow service managers to have more detailed information about the performance of a courier service, to identify trends and patterns, and to take decisions on the basis of more, better information.
• ● Flexible configuration and customisation: The dashboards of the future will offer flexible configuration and customisation options to respond to the specific needs of each service manager and each business. That will include the capability to select and organise KPIs that are most relevant to the objectives of each organisation.
• IoT Integration: The Internet of Things (IoT) may have an important role in the future of service managers’ dashboards. The addition of connected devices and sensors may provide real-time information concerning the status and performance of courier systems.
• Report Automation: It will be possible to generate automatic detailed reports concerning the performance of a courier service, which will speed up the process of submitting reports and decision-making.

Meeting The Mail Company’s Service Manager

A service manager at The Mail Company knows all the market playersand their work is supported by all the data and information provided by the GIO Platform,, which means that they know exactly which courier company is the best fit for a business in function of geographic area and the types of items that are sent out.

 

The Mail Company is a courier service integrator, whose principal tools are technology and service management. The Mail Company offers the flexibility to choose from more than 80 logistics providers.

 

Its way of working is based on exhaustive analysis, in which the role of the service manager is a determining factor to provide traceability of service and invoicing alike.

 

A good example of that is a success story in which in the initial audit at a major electrical chain in Spain, the service manager for the project identified that the majority of the cases were being moved empty.It was decided to shift to a system of delivery on demand, an improvement that allowed the business to save €100, 000 in the first year.

 

As we have shown in this article, today it is vital for there to be a Service Manager to manage an courier service in order to optimise and ensure the efficiency of each business’ courier service.

 

The assistance of a specialist business like The Mail Company will give you access to customised solutions, optimise your courier and package delivery processes and help you to optimise your cost base.

Contact us and learn how the GIO Platform and our team of service managers can propel your business towards intelligent and efficient document logistics management.