Dematic Logistics Company

Background

Dematic is a logistics automation and material handling company based in Luxembourg. It has operations in the United States, Australia, China and Europe with representations in 35 countries across the world. The organization has initiated a base of over 5,000 systems and has more than 4,000 employees spread out across its international branches. The company generates estimated annual revenue of one billion Euros. Historically, the organization has a long standing tradition despite being recently formed. The company can be traced back to 1819 in Wetter, Germany when Dematic was created. The company was incorporated 1973 by Mannerson. It has gone through a number of acquisitions, which ultimately resulted into the establishment of Dematic. One of the most recent acquisitions was of HK Systems, a North American softer solution and material handling company. This has ensured that the organization operates within the United States. Currently, the company is under the ownership of Teacher’s Private Capital and AEA Investors after successful completion of its acquisition from Triton, a private equity firm.

Mission, Products and Services

The mission of the organization as stated by the website is improving the efficiency of clients and logistics processes with integrated systems, services and products across the world. The organization is renowned for the design and manufacture of individual products and equipment of material handling including automated storage and retrieval systems and an assortment of order picking systems, sorting systems and conveyors. The company has adopted a policy where all the products it offers are accompanied by design, planning and consultative services that compliment the products. These are merged with different components of software and hardware systems that combine to form a total logistics solution. Besides, the organization also offers information technology and software solutions like material fowl support systems, warehouse management systems, and paperless order picking systems. The company also gives a wide range of customer services including technical operations of different kinds of facilities and their maintenance (Emmett, 2005).

Basic Information

Dematic is an industry leader. Currently, it controls about 30% of the European market and also holds a significant market share in the global market. However, it has some prominent competitors like CAT, Paragon Technologies, Dearborn Mid-West Conveyor and Automation Inc. However, the organization has continued to generate good revenues over the years despite the strong competition in the market. This is because of the innovative nature of the solutions of the company (Rushton, 2010).

A schematic Diagram of one of the Innovative Solutions offered to the clients

The company has been identified as having a diverse work place. The management of the organization has identified the strategy for making certain that all regions of the world are given a workforce that they are able to relate with. This has ensured that the organization employees workers from different backgrounds in order to cater for its multinational appearance. At present, the company has over 4,000 workers working from diverse parts of the world.

A Diversified workforce on a Dematic meeting

Challenges

The main challenges that are faced by the company include the growing competition in the global market. Being an organization that operates on the international market, the company has experiencedd stiff competition from the organizations dealing in the same field. There is also the issue of the comp[any’s operations in different cultural settings (Plunkett, 2007).

Analysis of Dematic Logistics Company

Organizational Culture

The culture of the organization is focused on innovation and creativity. This culture has been critical in ascertaining that the organization has continuously remained among the leading companies in the sector in the global market. Innovation within the organization is enhanced by the motivation of employees by the organization to be innovative in the way they conduct the businesses of the company. The organization has laid its focus on the customers in order to deliver intelligent logistics solutions for genuine competitive advantage. For the company to remain competitive and provide the clients with the best value, it has adopted certain unique modes of operation. These include listening to the customers and collaborating with them, which acts as a basis for the provision of smarter solutions. Besides, the company also strives to improve the value of its clients in all stages. It is outstanding with the solutions that are offered to clients. The management is in recognition of the fact that all clients are unique in their own way and to ensure that this is catered for, it has tailor made solutions that provide a competitive advantage to the customers. The organization has pursued the strategy of innovation to grow its aggressive competition in the market. Through proven innovation, the company is renowned for the implementation of the state of the art solutions that have always given their customers an upper hand in competition. The management believes the success of clients is reflected on the success of Dematic and strives to provide the best solutions to the customers. This organizational culture has been noted to have positive impacts on the operations of the organization and its relations with the customers (Manzini, 2011).

Reasons for the success of the organization

There are several factors that have ensured the successful operations of the organization. One of them is that the company is focused on the particular needs of its customers. This is important in ensuring that the company is able to make sure that all clients attain satisfaction from the use of the company’s products and services. The management has established that there is need for the company to look into every customer distinctively with regards to their needs and requirements. This enhances the satisfaction levels of the clients and undertakes a critical function in making sure that the organization has a loyal customer base in different parts of the world (Kreowski et al, 2011).

It is also important to note that the company has integrated the element of innovation in its operations. This has been significant in ensuring that the company offers state of the art products and services to its customers. Besides, innovation has been a primary aspect of competitiveness in the market. This has been critical for the success of the company since many customers are in need of innovative solutions to the operations, challenges and problems of the company.

The company has also been successful as a result of its efficient and workforce that has undergone proper training and offered the right motivation and incentives to work towards the success of the whole organization. The human resource policy of the organization ensures that achievements are rewarded and underachievement is addressed through strategic measures that do not expose the workers to punishment. This has been crucial in making sure that the workers view the success of the company as their own, enabling them to work hard in achieving their goals and objectives that are a reflection of the success of the company (Baudin, 2004).

Attractiveness of the Organization

One of the elements of attraction to the organization is that it has an international appeal, which implies that all those working in the company have the likelihood of experiencing elements of diverse cultures. This multicultural appeal serves as a significant role in ascertaining that people from different cultures are exposed to other cultures and offered a basis under which they are able to work competently with individuals from different backgrounds. This has notably been established to impact enhanced efficiency at the place of work and boost the relationship of different workers within the company.

The other attractive element in the company is its technological inventiveness. Most people, especially the youth and young adults are interested in working in the fields that are heavily reliant on new technologies. This element of attraction is not limited to just the youth and adult populations but also other workers from diverse demographics. The over dependence on technology for Dematic Logistics can be attributed to the fact that the organization must make sure that the solutions provided by the company are of high quality and this stipulates that it is inline to the emerging technologies in different regions of the world. This attracts people who consider themselves technology enthusiasts and also many who have become attracted to various technologies used in different countries across the globe (Campbell, 2002).

Motivation for Working for Dematic Logistics Company

After graduation, I would be interested to work for the Dematic Logistics Company. This is attributed to the fact that there are several opportunities for growth and also the challenges that would make it interesting to work for the company. For example, working in a multicultural setting is quite challenging and yet provides opportunities for growth. It is also important to bear in mind that the organization offers high quality training and support to its workers, a factor that is crucial in making sure that the workforce is accorded opportunities for the development of their careers. Another incentive for working for this company can be the fact that it provides the best motivation and rewards for workers. The remuneration is highly competitive, while also career advancements is offered through such elements like promotions. This ascertains that the organization is able to maintain its workers and in order tyo be self sustainable and maintain its workforce, the company has presented constant expansion and growth.

Questions to the Head of Human Resources

1. What is the policy of the organization with regards to the recruitment, induction, training and job posting of workers?
2. What are the motivational factors that the company has for its workers from diverse cultural backgrounds regarding their own cultural background and the multicultural aspect of the organization?
3. What measures and strategies have the organization initiated for the protection of workers from being harmed in the place of work? Do these measures and strategies extend to workers who are working outside the country or does the state regulations in these countries affect the safety and health provisions of the company?
4. What are the benefits offered to employees? Are these benefits extended to the immediate family members of the employee?
5. What is the criterion applied for promotions and wage increase?

 

References

Baudin, M. (2004). Lean logistics: The nuts and bolts of delivering materials and goods. New York, NY: Productivity Press.

Campbell, R. M. (2002). The politics of postal transformation: Modernizing postal systems in the electronic and global world. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Emmett, S. (2005). Excellence in warehouse management: How to minimise costs and maximise value. Chichester, West Sussex, England: Wiley.

Kreowski, H.-J., Scholz-Reiter, B., & Thoben, K.-D. (2011). Dynamics in Logistics: Second International Conference, LDIC 2009, Bremen, Germany, August 2009, Proceedings. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer -Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Manzini, R. (2011). Warehousing in the global supply chain. London: Springer.

Plunkett, Jack W. (2007). Plunkett’s Telecommunications Industry Almanac 2008: Telecommunications Industry Market Research, Statistics, Trends & Leading Companies. Plunkett Research Ltd.

Rushton, A., Croucher, P., & Baker, P. (2010). The Handbook of Logistics and Distribution Management. London: Kogan Page.