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Swiss Post has released its new 4-year strategy for the 2021 to 2024 period.
Aptly named “The Swiss Post of Tomorrow,” the strategy focuses on the continuous provision of first-class quality public service.
The strategy is meant to ensure the 170-year-old operator’s ongoing modernization. “‘The Swiss Post of Tomorrow’ is a growth strategy. However, we aim to achieve growth targeted to our traditional core competencies of logistics and communication. These are our strengths and this is where we can make the greatest contribution to Switzerland,” said Swiss Post CEO Roberto Cirillo in a statement about the strategy.
Switzerland’s postal service has been ranked top in the world for three years running according to the UPU’s Integrated Index for Postal Development (2IPD). Among 172 countries, Switzerland achieved standout results for the resilience and relevance of its network, with strong demand for its products and services, as well as a capacity to innovate, diversify its revenue streams, and develop sustainably.
Despite its achievements, the Post is working to increase its profits, which been declining for some years due to the rising gap between letter mail and parcel volumes and a low-interest environment. With the new strategy, the company hopes to generate profits to help self-fund the universal postal service across Switzerland and its other activities.
The strategy will have the company focus on guaranteeing the privacy of information in postal deliveries. Over its history, Swiss Post has safeguarded this principle in physical mail – now it will extend this focus to secure digital communication in areas where the sensitivity of data is essential, such as healthcare.
“A key raison d’être for Swiss Post is that we deliver information confidentially from sender to recipient... Swiss people’s awareness of the value of digital confidentiality and control over their own data will be much greater over the coming years than it is today,” explains Mr. Cirillo.
Over the next 4-year cycle, the company plans to maintain its network of nearly 800 post offices and open up to other service providers and authorities, providing additional access to their customers. Swiss Post offices would then become service centers, bringing in additional revenue, and familiarizing the public with new digital services. This vision of future post offices will also safeguard jobs for the company’s employees.
Swiss Post also intends to maintain its strong leadership position in public transport with its PostBus service. The company is looking to install terminals and digital access points on the road to meet Swiss customers’ growing demand for services enabling mobility. Sustainability will be a focus for developing these services, with the Post investing in alternative solutions such as electric vehicles.
“We are very aware of our responsibility to the environment and are striving to use fully carbon-neutral shipping solutions,” states Mr. Cirillo.
Swiss Post will implement the new strategy by first modernizing its organizational structure, focusing on securing jobs and hiring in areas where additional support is needed, such as IT and courier services. It will also organize training for letter carriers, raising the profile of the profession.
Describing his personal goal for the future of Swiss Post, Mr. Cirillo says, “Remaining relevant to the people of Switzerland is important to us. But that means keeping pace with them. We’ll have done a good job if people see Swiss Post as powering modern Switzerland.”