Three leading industry figures welcomed delegates today (October 10) to the World Postal Business Forum hosted by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) at POST-EXPO in Hamburg, Germany. The forum, which this year is focused on dealing with challenges while seizing opportunities in the digital age, brought together experts from around the world to discuss the key trends and threats currently affecting the postal sector.
The audience received welcoming speeches from Pascal Clivaz, deputy director general of the UPU; Kenan Bozgeyik, chairman of the board and director general of PTT Corp (Turkish Post); and Tony Robinson, founder and CEO of POST-EXPO.
Speaking at the event, Clivaz said, “All of us are familiar with the challenges facing the postal network, including fluctuating profits and the need to succeed in a highly competitive market. Digitalization provides the industry with the opportunity to overcome these challenges and to grow our businesses. The UPU is committed to driving change. We want to provide the industry with something that they can take back to their business to help them thrive.”
Bozgeyik added, “The main aims of PTT Turkish Post, and of the industry as a whole, are integrity, integration and inclusion. Therefore, the UPU’s work is extremely important to us. We want to be among the key players in the sector and to achieve this we need to embrace the digital age. We have grown our business by 50% in the past two years and the main reason for this success is due to the importance attached to digitalization and innovation at PTT Turkish Post. The postal industry needs to adapt to change or it will face huge challenges in the future.”
During the forum experts addressed a number of key topics, including unlocking the opportunities of postal big data, data-driven solutions for dangerous and prohibited goods and postal communications. The UPU also hosted two workshops looking at integrated solutions for the postal supply chain and inclusive e-commerce.
Speaking during the big data session, David C Williams, governor of the US Postal Service, said, “New disruptive technologies are a threat to our industry, but they also represent a huge opportunity. If we don’t hurry and embrace new technology now, then we will be threading the needle at the speed of light and no one wants to do that.”
Brian Irish, VP of marketing at Bell and Howell, added, “It takes a long time to turn a big ship like a postal operator, therefore it is important that we develop a clear strategy for making best use of big data. Operators need to identify what is important to them and build their business around that.”
POST-EXPO continues tomorrow (October 11) in Hamburg, Germany. For your final chance to see the technologies on show and hear leading experts in the conference, register here: https://postexpo.com/en/index.php