Navigating shipping success

The Damco unit in Chengdu functions more like an invisible hand that adjusts and controls the Maersk Group's operations across all major markets, he says.

The Chengdu site contributes about 80 percent to the group's logistics business in China, while the North Asia region including China accounts for one-third of the group's global turnover, says Wang Yuehua, director of Damco Customer Service Center in Chengdu.

"We completed the shift of our customer service function from coastal cities to Chengdu in June. Though it was a very complicated migration process, by having the centralized customer center in Chengdu we have gained a strategic advantage over other peers," she says.

Citing Nike, one of Damco's major clients in China, she says the US company often reached out to Damco from its units in the eastern coastal cities of China to ship products to Europe, which means it has to speak with more than 10 Damco employees to do the same process in different regions of China.

But after the centralization, customers need to make just one phone call, she says. "Every client gets a specific contact person for their business. The centralized service not only makes our clients' work more convenient, but also improves our capability and efficiency," Wang says.

"In Chengdu, we are able to standardize our services, which makes our business much more professional. We are also capable of managing changing customer requirements and to respond in a short time," she says.

Making inroads into the domestic market is another major mission for the Chengdu branch as many of Maersk's clients are clinching business deals in central and western China.

"There is a trend that our clients are moving their manufacturing programs to further inland or to Southeast Asia, such as Hewlett-Packard, which requires us to enhance the knowledge and business ties in the domestic market," Wang says, adding that providing overseas services is one of Maersk's biggest advantages.

The Chengdu site will also look to provide more value-added services, such as information and supply chain management solutions, along with services for physical transportation in China.

The Maersk facility with a total office area of 15,000 square meters currently employs more than 2,000 people, with the average employee age being 25. The young employees as well as the newly decorated office building have become major selling points for the company to attract more talent.

"Many of our international clients had never heard about or seen Chengdu until they came here for inspection or for signing the contract. Most of them are impressed after a tour of our new facilities and are more than eager to work with us," Wang says.

Contact the writers at zhaoyanrong@chinadaily.com.cn and liyu@chinadaily.com.cn