People by PostNord 1_2022 English

PEOPLE

PEOPLE A MAGAZINE ABOUT US: WE MAKE EVERYDAY LIFE EASIER

#1 2022 “What a great team I have – it’s going to be OK” page 58.

Dreaming of details Why Rasmus’ routines are on the right path to happier customers.

#1 2022

165

PostNorders in this issue: Linnéa burns rubber, Michael works on his karma, Xiaowen has a chemical reaction.

And 162 more as well.

7

SILVER MEDAL 1 2021

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

ID.4 GTX

Find your nearest dealer on volkswagen.se

2

Energy consumption, mixed driving, 18.1-20.7 kWh/100 km.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

THE CONCLUSION*

PostNord

in motion

→ Siv speeds ahead on small rubber wheels, Jarkko discovers muscles he never knew he had, and Linnéa runs people off the road. Regardless of whether it involves roller blading, weightlifting, cycling, rallycross or walking 15,000 steps a day in a gigantic terminal, PostNorders are in motion – and loving it.

In this issue, you will meet colleagues who are active in everything from roller derby to folk racing. You will also meet teams who get along so well that they don’t mind challenging one another on a paddle- or badminton court after work. And you will hear from those who inspire others to go the extra mile. *Based on interviews in the magazine, the editorial staff draws highly unscientific conclusions on topics that bring PostNorders closer together.

Where’s the news?

People by PostNord is a magazine about PostNord employees. If you have access to the intranet c/o PostNord, you will find news and information there. Follow us on Instagram @peoplebypostnord

IMAGES FROM BEHIND THE SCENES

HELSINGBORG. The whole team at the TPL warehouse in Hästhagen gathers in front of Freddy Billqvist’s camera. Page 56.

KØGE. Anna Pozlewicz gives our photographer, Morten Germund a lift in her truck. Anything for the sake of art. Page 18.

Follow us on Instagram @peoplebypostnord Silver at the Publishing Prize 2021 PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Silver medal winner at the Swedish Design Awards 2021

Our best advertising spot Occupational uniforms can be both a comfort and an inconvenience.

They may provide functionality and safety, indicate authority and create a sense of camaraderie – but they can also mean poorly fitting garments and an involuntary deviation from the prevailing fashion.

The blue PostNord uniform clearly signals our professional affiliation, and we put them on, we automatically become ambassadors for our company. That’s why it’s not only important that the clothes function day in and day out, all year round and in all weathers; the design must help build the brand and be so appealing that we wear it with pride.

Autumn 2022 will premier the arrival of an updated uniform with an adjusted fit and improved function. PostNord introduced new work attire most recently in 2017, but a great deal has happened since. At that time, letter distribution was the primary task for a large number of our employees. Today, the emphasis has M A L I N NO RD É N shifted to parcel delivery. In addition, the Editor in Chief, People by PostNord refreshed PostNord brand with its new colors and more accessible deisgn, also needs to be reflected in our uniforms.

Come to think of it, our uniform is probably PostNord’s finest adverisiting spot. All our mail carriers and drivers out and about serving our communities, ensuring that people recieve their mail, are representatives of our company. In this issue of People by PostNord, you have the chance to meet Sophia, Ylva, Mårten and Christina, who are all working on producing the new design. Read more in The Guide on pages 29–39.

Precisely what makes you love your job? Is it your assignments, a pleasant workplace, great colleagues, or? On pages 51–57, we introduce two teams whose members get along exceptionally well with each other. There is also an article about Siv, who spends her days working at a customer service center in Norway, but devotes her free time to the fast and furious sport of roller derby. And we have a chat with Linnéa, who suddenly found herself in the starring role of a German documentary, and Rezai, who is the undisputed king of forklift driving.

Happy reading!

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD Editor in Chief: Malin Nordén National Editors: Robert Långström and Malin Dahlberg (SE), Michael Kirkeby (DK), Tea Manninen (FI) and Sigurd Bjerke (NO) Design: Andreas Wirf Language Coordinator: Louise Holpp.

Other contributors: Josephine Carr, Grethe-­Birgitte Friis Jakobsen, Salla Virkkunen, Rebecka Mathers, Haakon Nikolai Olsen and Fredrik Arvidsson.

Production: Spoon Agency Printing: V-TAB Email: peopleby@postnord.com

3

MAGNUS FOND

You’ve probably never seen the PostNord CEO like this before!

When Sophia Kandell, Brand Specialist & Insight Manager tried her hand at driving a truck, things didn’t go quite as planned... Luckily Scan the QR code help was offered – from the very with your phone. top! Come along on the distribution route where Annemarie Gardshol, CEO and Group President of PostNord, reveals new sides of herself.

Welcome!

10

CONTENTS #1–22

12

Lotte takes charge.

Xiaowen finds inspiration.

52

Julie keeps on dancing.

62 Linnéa is at a loss for words.

16

Ilmo balances his blood sugar.

36

Guled talks uniforms.

64 Allan stacks parcel cages.

58

Nina reminisces.

4

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

INDEX ed Featur is in th issue

Interviewed:

Allan Stevnsvig 64 Andrea Schlechter 31 Anna Pozlewicz 18 Britta Clavilla 52 Cedric Chebib 56 Christian Østergard 23 Christina Bergström 32 David Larsson 23 Evelina Engström 14 Fredrik Heldmark 14 Gry Cecilie Røttereng 31 Guled Mahamoud 36 Göte Östby 14 Haxhi Restelica 44 Håkan Lindberg 19 Ilmo Strömberg 16 Jaakko Hermikoski 21 Janne Bäck 57 Jarkko Mäkelä 9 Jenni Saarela 9 Jesper Klena 50 John Obinna Ozor 66 Julie Appel 52 Jörgen Olin 47 Jörgen Seger 30 Karl-Johan Adenskog 56

Landry Ndikumasabo 15 Linnéa Andersson 62 Lis Bromberg Lund 50 Mads Boelt 57 Magdalena Hvenmark 41 Marcus Hydén 21 Marcus Österlund 43 Michael Morrison Hansen 52 Mikael Ruoho 31 Mårten Ericson 32 Nathalie Malmsten 11 Niels Østergaard 50 Niklas Edghill 56 Nina Bäckström 58 Petri Ikonen 10 Rasmus C. Hansen 49 Reine Sterby 43 Rezai Rahim 60 Ricard Karlsson 41 Siv Kristin Stakkestad 6 Sophia Kandell 32 Stine Sander 49 Tone Wåge 19 Vivi Nybom 38 Xiaowen Chen 12 Ylva Boske 32

Mentioned: Almir Avdagic Anders Kardell Anna Askri Anna Lena Karlsson Antti Kiittelys Antti Lehtinen Aslam Waheid Axel Scheutz Godin Basit Noory Bengt Norén Camilla Nielsen Christian Nordling Christopher Wintersvahn Dennis Larsen Diakou Shabani Ebba Eriksson Edvin Turkic Eemeli Hakala Eero Markelin Egil Møller Nielsen Ehsan Sawwari Elin Nguyen Emile Zaidan

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

31 56 35 41 9 21 35 25 60 46 65 35 56 56 36 14 56 31 10 25 56 6 56

Emma Egemar Eva Pedersen Fadi Mohammed Fishea Abera Fo Luong Frank Uzlastiran Fredrik Nilsson Hampus Schander Hannah Myrhed Hans Frankstedt Hans-Jørgen Andersen Hindreen Shareef Ibrahim El Jishi Jan Fredrik Jacobsen Jawed Nazari Jenny Röjgård Jesper Hjel Jimmi Køpke Joakim Erlandsson Johan Andersson Jola Pochec Jonathan Jirefalk Jussi Lindberg

41 19 56 31 56 31 56 25 32 43 31 60 56 6 60 35 56 31 43 43 19 56 31

Karin Gattmalm Kent Dahlqvist Lars Bryldt Christensen Lars Høeg Lars Lilleheie Schevik Lena Enlund Linda Jaregård Lotta Nilsson Malin Valentin Maria Mossestad Marie Nilsson Martin Redborn Matleena Sirviö Maud Johansson Melissa Kivikangas Micke Tunell Mikael Nordström Mikko Räisänen Mirco Graabæk Mogens Skøtt Mohammed Jabbar Monica Gardebäck Monica Sand

11 63 25 65 6 14 14 41 38 6 43 25 31 41 31 63 41 10 65 31 41 43 41

Morten Jakobsen Motaz Alharidi Muhammad Asim Måns Pihl Naija Bennoude Aidi Navid Nabavi Nicolay Bromark Niklas Hellgren Nikola Cica Olov Lundin Patrik Nilsson Patrik Vikegard Per Hall Per-Eric Lövbom Per-Håkan Bengtsson Peter Starkman Peter Sundman Petra Logje Philip Håkansson Piritta Häkkinen Ravi Kiran Kotty Raymond Iversen Raz Jabarkhil

31 56 31 56 41 41 31 63 56 11 41 56 41 43 43 63 56 31 56 16 25 31 56

Remzi Mehmeti Robin Schei Roman Nistor Sebastian Andersson Shah Masood Barna Sharro Abdulahad Sigrid Waldem Sigmund Chojnacki Sofi Enqvist Sofia Johansson Stefan Fought Ståle Knutsen Therese Karlsson Tiina Salmivuori Tomas Thern Torgny Elofsson Uran Zeka Victoria Svedberg Zeljko Gojkovic Åsa Holmgren Øyvind Skjøren

56 36 56 43 56 41 43 19 35 41 35 31 43 10 41 63 41 25 56 46 31

5

MY SPOT / THE SPORTS HALL, AMALIE SKRAM SCHOOL OF FURTHER EDUCATION, BERGEN, NORWAY

“I know every inch of our track” “IT’S BEEN tougher to get going again after the pandemic. I’ve felt a bit run down ... I don’t know why. The team trains Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’m heading over there right after work today. My workday actually ends at seven in the evening, which is also when practice starts. But we help each other out at work, and created a schedule so that I can make it there on time.

When I arrive at the hall, I put on my equipment and start to skate. My body gradually warms up, and all of a sudden I’m up and running ... all the exhaustion melts away. I’ve never regretted going, even when I’ve almost had to force myself out of the door. It’s the adrenaline kick I get when I’ve mastered a new move, and the camaraderie as well. I get a real boost from being with the others on the team.

6

A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SEEN roller derby in the movie, ”Whip it”. The sport is often portrayed as a lot more violent than it actually is, but what annoys me the most is that the players come across as mean and nasty. Roller derby is the most inclusive sport I’ve ever experienced.

Everyone is welcome. There are people here of all ages, shapes and sizes. Soccer moms, students, project managers, graphic designers and shop assistants. I don’t only take part in roller derby, I’m a referee too. I’ve refereed games all over Europe and it’s the same everywhere. The opponents give each other a hug before and after the games, and everyone is quick to compliment one another.

IN MARCH 2022, my team, The Wet City Rollers, is organizing the Norweigan roller derby

Championships. I know every inch of our home track. We have the perfect floor, it’s smooth and even, and polished just enough to let you do both tricks and skids, but I’ll be so nervous. With all the excitement building up I get butterflies.

But once the signal sounds, it goes away and everything feels fantastic.”

SIV KRISTIN “ASSGUARDIAN” STAKKESTAD, WORKS WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE IN BERGEN, NORWAY. INTERVIEWED BY MARIE-LOUISE OLSEN PHOTO: PAUL S AMUNDSEN

Closest colleagues: Elin Nguyen, Lars Lilleheie Schevik, Jan Fredrik Jacobsen and Maria Mossestad.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Follow us on Instagram #peoplebypostnord

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

7

DON’T MISS

PEOPLE ON INSTAGRAM! Here you will find the best from the magazine as well as unique video clips.

Follow us today! @peoplebypostnord

8

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Pick up

Muscles, toilet rolls and chemical reactions.

“Pick up” provides quick peeks into PostNord’s world on pages 9–16.

TEXT: LAURA IISALO PHOTO: BENJAMIN SOUMELA

THE WORK BIKE

RACKING UP THE MILES It took Jarko just nince months to complete the first thousand kilometers on his electrial bike. That’s thanks to PostNord and the Finnish state.

MORE AND MORE PEOPLE are choosing to cycle to work, and that’s maybe not so strange. It’s good for your muscles, easy on your wallet and it benefits the environment. In addition, it gives you plenty of fresh air, along with time to think about life, the universe and, well, just about everything.

This is something PostNord in Finland has taken to heart. When the Finnish state made the purchase of a bike taxfree, PostNord didn’t hesitate. Warehouse colleague, Jarkko Mäkelä was one of the first to take up the offer. He chose an electric model from Haibike, and after nine months he’d already cycled one thousand kilometers.

“Nothing could make me trade my electric bike for a regular bike. Today I ride to places I never otherwise would’ve considered visiting.

“I love cycling along forest trails instead of on roads, and I’ve discovered muscles I never knew I had! Cycling really helps you work up a sweat,” says Jarkko.

MOST OF THE EMPLOYEES who have accepted the offer have chosen an electric bike. It’s a practical option for the daily commute: the ride to work passes by fast, you’re not quite as exhasuted upon your arrival, and you can choose to make the ride home a real workout.

HR Manager, Jenni Saarela is delighted that that biking to work has become so popular.

She’s bought a bike herself, and has even convinced her family to come along for rides to the countryside.

“I’ve mainly cycled with my kids. We’ve gone on excursions and cycled in the woods – sometimes quite far away – which has been absolutely wonderful. Cycling is a great way to recharge your batteries,” she says.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Jarkko Mäkelä Position at PostNord: Warehouse employee in Vanda, Finland.

Closest colleagues: Antti Kiittelys.

9

THE PHYSICS LESSON / PAPER WASTE

TEXT: LAURA IISALO PHOTO: BENJAMIN SUOMELA

Shredded back to life!

PostNord Strålfors in Finland generates 87 tons of paper waste every year. A magical machine gives everything a new life.

“Over the course of a year, the shreds of paper are converted into 600,000 rolls of toilet paper,” explains Petri Ikonen. of 20,000 euros → Savings Back in 2014, when PostNord Stålfors in Finland decided to buy a paper shredder, the decision was based purely on ­financial aspects: “All confidential material was separated from ordinary paper waste and processed by an external company, which was an expensive solution. The purchase of a paper shredder has resulted in annual savings of around 20,000 euros,” says Petri Ikonen, Project Manager at Strålfors.

security → Increased In conjunction with the purchase, the company also decided to stop separating the different types of paper waste. Today, both confidential material and ordinary paper waste are dealt with securely in-house. “Given that we shred all the paper ourselves, we can ensure that our customers’ confidential material doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. This has raised the level of security,” says Petri.

as a secondary → Shredding assignment Petri and his closest colleagues are not the only ones who operate the machine. Both warehouse and office staff also shred paper

10

as a secondary assignment to their primary tasks. The shredder transforms the paper into pellets that are small enough to meet security standards, but large enough to use for further processing.

paper waste → From to toilet paper The shredder also has a positive impact on the environment. According to Petri’s calculations, Strålfors generates around 87 tons of paper waste per year, 72 of which are shredded on-site. The machine creates small paper pellets that are processed, returned, stored and transported for further ­processing. The tiny shredded paper pellets are used as material feed in soft paper production, resulting in around 600,000 freshly produced rolls of toilet paper every year!

does matter → Size PostNord Strålfors uses a paper shredder from HSM that is around six meters long, three meters tall and two meters wide. ­According to Petri, the original plan was to buy one that was even bigger. “If you’re thinking about buying a shredder, size does matter: the bigger, the better!”

Petri Ikonen Position at PostNord: Manager, Project Management Office at PostNord Strålfors in Vanda, Finland.

Closest colleagues: “Mikko Räisänen, Tiina Salmivuori and Eero Markelin, who are all members of the Project Management Office team.”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

TEXT: LINUS BRÄNNSTRÖM PHOTO: SARA BOGREN

NATHALIE MALMSTEN / #GOALS

THE ADVERTISING GEEK In an increasingly digital and stressful world, Nathalie Malmsten believes in the mailbox. Personally, she destresses by dancing.

“WHAT? Do people still use direct marketing?”

This is the type of question Nathalie Malmsten hears a lot. She’s in charge of all advertising mail distributed by PostNord in Sweden.

A fair number of people consider direct ­marketing to be “stone age media”, when in fact it still plays an important role.

“I can’t reveal the exact figures, but direct mail is extremely profitable,” says Nathalie.

Even though the advertising operation as a whole has shrunk in recent years – largely due to digital options – it still accounts for a substantial part of PostNord’s revenue from the letter business in Sweden.

“Direct mail had an exceptionally good year in 2021. We always compare with figures from the previous year, and this is the best result I’ve seen since I took over the responsibility for the service.”

Nathalie has been with PostNord since 2012, but has been working with direct mail in one form or another since 1996.

“I’m a firm believer in the mailbox as a communication channel. Digitalization has amped up everyone’s stress levels, but this type of advertising is one that doesn’t add to our stress. You can look at it when you have the time and energy.

W

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Nathalie Malmsten Position at PostNord: Product Manager, Market Communication in Stockholm, Sweden.

Closest colleagues: “My ‘right-hand man’, Product Specialist, Olov Lundin and Project Manager, Karin Gattmalm; we work closely and often have lunch together.”

This gives you a better chance of cutting through all the noise and I’m convinced that it still has a place in the media landscape.”

Nathalie playfully refers to herself as an ­“advertising geek”. When watching tv together with her family they compete who’s the first to spot the correct brand during advert breaks.

“I hope that I can keep working with some kind of advertising for the rest of my professional life.”

Another goal is to carry on dancing for the rest of her life – or at least until she turns 100.

Nathalie used to be a gymnast, and she has been dancing for as long as she can remember. Up until recently she’s mainly been attending dance classes at her gym. Today she is dancing an actual dance studio too. Every semester, they put on quite a large show.

“I had a bit of a cancer scare in 2016.

It had me thinking a lot about whether or not there was anything in life that I wanted to change. I didn’t want a different job, a divorce or a new home. I just realized I really wanted to start dancing a whole lot more!”

11

THE BEGINNING / XIAOWEN CHEN

! a l o H Sah l a

n, C i a o

o, H a a h ll o i ,N ,O

A vast mix of cultures come together at Xiaowen Chen’s workplace. Greetings from all corners of the world echo in the halls of the terminal.

THERE’S AN OLD saying that New York City is commonly referred to as a ”melting pot” because of its massive diversity. A place we go for insipiration, where cultures meet and merge. In other word, a bit like the PostNord TPL terminal in Helsingborg, Sweden. E4, as it is known, is the largest e-commerce terminal in the city, with customers including Footway, Verisure and Sector Alarm. Here, Xiaowen Chen from Guangzhou, near Hong Kong in the south of China, contributes to E4’s mosaic of cultures.

“Ten years ago, my husband was offered the chance to work in Sweden. We discussed the opportuntiy, and though I loved living in China, working in international trade, I was keen on broadening my horizons a little and trying something new.

T

SHE EXPRESSED AN interest and three interviews later, she started working at the TPL terminal, responsible for packing, returns and receipts of incoming goods. There was a lot to learn.

“I was like a baby in the beginning. Even though I’d completed higher education in China, I suddenly found myself in a different corporate culture, working with people from all over the world is something.”

THIS IS ACTUALLY something Xiaowen really appreciates. Besides learning how to say “hello” in a variety of languages, including Spanish (hola), Greek (geia sas), Arabic (sahlan), Italian (ciao) and – most recently – Serbian (zdravo), she finds her colleagues’ backgrounds to be a big source of inspiration.

“We can find ourselves in exactly the same situation, but come up with completely different ideas and solutions. These meetings create a kind UPON THE COUPLE’S ARRIVAL in Sweden, they of ‘chemical reaction’. It’s inspired me to think were delighted to find a wonderful country and a more about the ‘why’ and to stay open to new fascinating culture. But the language was tricky. insights and knowledge from my colleagues.”

Xiaowen was taking a course in Swedish for immigrants (SFI) when a PostNord representaXIAOWEN HAS NO DOUBT habout the ways tive dropped by the school one day, looking to in which her colleagues have inspired mindset. recruit new staff.

They’ve helped her create a more rational “I wanted to practice my Swedish in real life, understanding of society and the world at large. not just at school. The course was teaching me When she’s not at work, or spending time with her to read and write and to understand the family, she’s reading. A lot. Can you guess what? grammar, but given that my husband is from “Philosophy and psychology. I think that in such Southern China, too, I didn’t have the chance to a diversified world, you can always learn more. This practice pronunciation at home,” says Xiaowen will inevitably help you think more freely, to be with a chuckle. more open and tolerant.”

12

“We can find ourselves in exactly the same situation, but come up with completely different ideas and solutions. These meetings create a kind of ‘chemical reaction’.”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

,P i , Sa l u t r

Any

am

Oi,

TEXT: HENRIK EMILSON PHOTO: FREDDY BILLQVIST

el

o u n g, A hl a n, H

r i , H o i, a b a S

vet

, Na m

as

ka

r, B

j

ur

o

on

Xiaowen Chen Position at PostNord: Terminal worker in Helsingborg, Sweden.

Closest colleagues: “So many! From a variety of countries including Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Serbia, Sweden, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as from Africa and the Middle East. They are so smart, skilled and clever, and I’ve learned so much from them!”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

13

ABC@POSTNORD

TEXT: MALIN DAHLBERG PHOTO: ANDERS DEROS

ABC@POSTNORD

A vote of confidence

Are you good at going the extra mile? Or do you know someone who is? Please let us know at peopleby@postnord.com

When the terminal was tasked with opening a new business service center – in record time – the employees had their work cut out for them. “We’ve learned a lot,” say Evelina and Fredrik.

THE LOCAL parcel delivery service suddenly closed its doors, and no other operator in the area had sufficient capacity. So where were the people of Landvetter going to collect their parcels? The solution was to open a business service center at Härryda parcel terminal just outside of Gothenburg. A brilliant idea! But how was it actually executed?

“Yeah, that’s what we wanted to know too, when asked to lead the project,” says Fredrik Heldmark, who, in partnership with his colleague, Evelina Engström, was responsible for everything from remodeling the property to recruiting staff.

The decision was taken in April 2021, and things had to happen fast.

The goal was to have

T

14

everything up and running three months later.

“The time pressure was immense. We had to build a new entrance and make room for a customer car parking lot, among other things,” recalls Fredrik. Evelina adds: “Even though stress levels were high, we were thrilled that the assignment was given to us who work at the terminal. It felt like a real vote of confidence.”

IN ORDER TO find out what running a business service center involved, they arranged field trips and contacted colleagues at Post­Nord who had already completed the same journey.

“There was quite a bit of detective work in the beginning,” says Fredrik.

Evelina’s challenge was to recruit 16

Evelina Engström and Fredrik Heldmark Position at PostNord: Team Leaders at Härryda parcel terminal in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Closest colleagues: “We have many, but a special shout out to Lena Enlund, Shift Coordinator at Härryda, and to Linda Jaregård, who knows the entire terminal like the back of her hand. During the project, we also received a lot of help from our colleague Ebba Eriksson.”

­people – in the middle of the vacation.

“We’ve been completely transparent with the staff from start to finish: We have to learn this together as we go.”

Evelina emphasizes that a big advantage has been that they’ve been able to design their own way of working.

The business service center officially opened on June 28, 2021.

What have you learned along the way?

“I’ve developed a much broader pers­ pective of PostNord’s business,” says Fredrik.

“I’ve learned that you can do a lot more than you think,” says Evelina.

TERMINAL MANAGER Göte Ösby on Evelina and Fredrik’s input: “We gave two of our skilled Team Leaders a clear brief and full control. With courage, knowledge and a dedicated staff, there’s no limit to what you can achieve. A big thank you to everyone who was involved in the project.”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

TEXT: MALIN DAHLBERG PHOTO: MAGNUS LIAM KARLSSON

PICKING A BRAIN / LANDRY NDIKUMASABO

32% Sweden vs. Burundi “I was born in Burundi and educated in the UK; and now I’m living in Sweden, married to a Kenyan. This has given me quite a broad perspective that I apply both at work and in my private life. One interesting observation is that Burundi isn’t actually all that different from Sweden. Swedes say a lot without talking much. Even though it may be quiet in a room, an intense conversation can still be taking place. This is exactly what it’s like in East Africa too, where the people are more reticent than in the pulsating culture of West Africa.”

40% A daily struggle “I devote my free time to my three children, ages six, four and one. They are Scandinavian through and through. Everything is a negotiation. It’s a struggle every morning to get their shoes tied and to choose a coat.

Even though the winter can be a bit (!) of a challenge for someone who grew up in the tropics, I love it here in Sweden. Society runs smoothly and, in my opinion, the corporate culture is extremely open and inclusive.”

“We have to stop relying on our gut feeling” WHEN YOU’RE LISTENING to music on Spotify or thinking about what to watch next on Netflix, the platforms themselves often make suggestions. How about a British murder mystery? Or why not the Weeknd's latest album? And these recommendations aren't random. Netflix and Spotify analyze your history and make suggestions that are so accurate that you wonder if they're able to read your mind.

“This doesn’t only apply to streaming services today. All industries make use of data to provide an improved customer experience and to make their business more efficient. So this is something we need to do at PostNord too,” says Landry Ndikumasabo.

LANDRY IS A MEMBER OF the Group’s Analytics & Automation team, and is currently working to make PostNord a more data-driven operation.

“We want to go from making decisions based

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

on experiences and gut feeling, to decisions that are based on data from real consumer behaviors and insights. Intuition and gut feeling are all well and good, but they do have their limitations.

“Relying on data allows us to quickly react to changes, and it provides more people throughout the organization the mandate and confidence to make more informed decisions.”

DATA CAN BE USED to establish how and where consumers prefer to collect their parcels, or smarter ways of managing customers.

They can also help with resource-planning and predict potential problems that could arise at a terminal.

“For example, we can predict when a sorting machine will run into difficulties. It may sound strange, but our analyses picks up on tiny signals in the data. The good thing about this is that it allows us to better plan our time during the period that the machines are offline. ”

​28% A new language “I speak five languages: English, French, Swahili, Kirundi and Kinyarwanda. I’ve tried to learn Swedish too, but it’s not happening. They say that you can actually ‘fill up your hard drive.’ Which means that if you want to learn yet another language, you have to let one of the others go. But I haven’t given up just yet. I’ll keep on trying. Luckily, Swedes are so good at English, and I work in an international environment at PostNord.”

15

MY LIST / ILMO STRÖMBERG

TEXT: LAURA IISALO PHOTO: BENJAMIN SUOMELA

HE HACKS HIS HEALTH Ilmo Strömberg measures his sleep, physical activity and blood sugar. Then he collates the results in Excel.

Health is everything for PostNord’s own influencer.

ILMO, Quality Manager at PostNord Finland, is in charge of the company’s sustainability work. In other words, his working day is filled with figures and spreadsheets, which might have had something to do with how his personal passion flourished: health and well-being on all levels.

Four years ago, he developed an interest in biohacking. That is a modern term for

I

ways of tracking the body and your health.

In addition to sleep, physical activity and recovery, he also keeps tabs on his blood sugar. To maintain a holistic overview of his health and recovery, he collates the results in a spreadsheet.

“It motivates me to make necessary lifestyle changes,” he explains.

ILMO DECIDED to start sharing his thoughts and ideas in a blog with as many as 4,000 visitors a month at its highest.

“I was amazed at how many people

were interested in what I was writing. This forced me to take a more systematic approach to my biohacking and measurements. As a result, I’ve become better at what I do,” he says.

Ilmo does outdoor weightlifting, and has mastered the demanding “muscle up” exercise that combines a chin-up with a dip.

“I can still remember the feeling when I did it for the first time, after struggling with it for about a year. Over time, I’ve mastered even tougher exercises. Training has taught me endurance and how to be stubborn,” he says.

His long-term goal is to be in as good shape as possible for as long as possible and to maintain an elevated quality of life.

“I want to still be doing the muscle-up exercise when I’m 70. Of course, the most important thing of all is to enjoy what you do!”

Ilmo’s tips for healthy living

1

Balance your blood sugar “There are many people who swear that the secret to a long life is to control your blood sugar levels. After a meal, you should work standing up or take a walk because this flattens out the blood sugar spike and improves efficiency.”

2

Focus on sleep “It’s worth downloading an app that changes the lighting in your home from blue light to yellow light in the evening, as yellow light doesn’t have the same negative effect on your sleep quality.”

3

Go your own way “Explore leisurely activities and other fun things that make you happy in life. You will find that your potential increases when you discover your true passion.”

16

Ilmo Strömberg Position at PostNord: Quality System Manager & Climate Lead in Helsinki, Finland.

Closest colleagues: “Petri Ikonen and Piritta Häkkinen are both members of my virtual team.”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

FOCUS / CHANGING TERMINALS

E

R M E IN T

TH

Jaakko is in complete control, Tone has great expectations and Anna is a perfect fit for the job.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

AL

O M O B !

Meet the staff working at the fastest growing terminals and are at the heart of commerce’s new network.

17

NOTHING S TOPS

Anna Pozlewicz is the personification of her workplace: full of life and practically un­stoppable.

Both her, and the terminal in Køge, thrive on new challenges.

KØ GE

TEXT: MARIE-LOUISE ARNFAST PHOTO: MORTEN GERMUND

18

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Anna Pozlewicz “THE SWEDES are very fond of wine, and we can safely say that not everyone buys their bottles at System­ bolaget”, says Anna Pozlewicz with a laugh.

Anna is team coordinator at the terminal in Køge, outside of Copenhagen. She ships 24,000 bottles of wine to Sweden every day.

Twenty-four thousand! It’s the online outlet Vinoteket’s customers who are ordering wine like there’s no tomorrow. In three years, sales have risen from 200 parcels of wine per day to around 2,000.

“They fill 60 pallets in total."

S

NOTHING STOPS THE SWEDES from drinking wine. Nothing stops e-commerce and the PostNord terminals from growing accordingly. And nothing stops Anna. In fact, the ringtone on her smartphone is “Don’t stop me now” by Queen. Which is no coincidence.

“Partly because I’m a huge fan, and partly because it’s kind of a motto for me. I cannot and will not be stopped. I emigrated from Poland to Denmark ten years ago with my husband and my son. When I arrived, I started off working in various cleaning jobs.

Today I’m Team Coordinator here in Køge, scheduling the working day for around 50 of my colleagues. And I’m taking a leadership course so that I can move up even further.

The Danish expression about “building the airplane while you’re flying it” is a pretty fair description of PostNord’s TPL success in Denmark. The Køge terminal opened in 2018 and got off to a flying start. In fact, it’s been growing continuously.

HÅKAN LINDBERG IS Head of the terminal. While the wine travels in one direction, Håkan travels in the other. From his home in Helsingborg, Sweden, it takes him one hour and twenty minutes to commute over the Øresund Bridge. A standard trip to an anything but standard workplace.

“When we opened, we had 30,000 sqm

Rigged for the future PostNord Norway will be opening an ultra-modern facility in March 2022. “It will mean a completely new way of working for us,” says Tone Wåge, District Manager for Bergen and the surrounding area.

“We’re proud and delighted that PostNord is investing so heavily in Bergen,” says Tone Wåge.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

of space under one roof. This year, we’re expanding to add another 35,000 sqm in a new TPL warehouse. Our ambition is to have doubled our business once more before 2024.

I’m convinced that even more shops – both conventional and online – will be looking for a complete logistics solution in the future.

And we’re really good at delivering it.”

EVEN THOUGH DEMAND exploded during the pandemic, Anna and her colleagues ­succeeded in maintaining a steady pace.

“Here in Køge, we have to be able to grow along with our customers. We have to keep an eye on how PostNord’s customers’ businesses are developing so that we can ensure that everything runs smoothly and that we progress. As in the case with Vino­ teket. I simply love this kind of challenge.

For me, the best day at work is a day that

“In our sector, it’s all about delivering on time and at the right price. The new terminal will take the efficiency of the handling of goods to a new level – especially when the new section of the E39 motorway opens in autumn 2022.”

A BRAND NEW TERMINAL will also be opening in the town of Drammen, outside of Oslo in September 2022.

“Commerce patterns changed radically during the pandemic. We’ve experienced a 50-percent growth compared to last year. But even before the pandemic we were growing at a rate of 15–20 percent annually,” says Director of Production Development Pål Eier.

IN 2015, POSTNORD handled about 60,000 parcels per day. That figure has now jumped up

makes a difference. It’s often like that here, which suits me to a tee,” she says.

BACK IN POLAND, Anna worked as a ­geo­graphy teacher. And she still does. Kind of.

“We receive parcels from all over the world. If one of my colleagues asks where a specific country is, I take pride in answering clearly and concisely; and, ideally, quickly,” she chuckles.

Otherwise, I don’t really miss my old job. Or Poland, for that matter. We love the Scandinavian lifestyle and we now have a daughter who’s growing up here. There are all kinds of opportunities to develop if you want to. The Danes work really hard, but they’re good at letting their hair down, too – and we appreciate both aspects. I’ve also started acquiring a taste for good wine. There’s so much you can learn through your work.”

to 150,000 parcels on an average day, and a staggering 300,000 during peak periods.

“We’re investing in new terminals and machines so that we can sort such huge volumes while also gearing up to accommodate the growth we believe is just around the corner.

There’s nothing that suggests that this trend will end when the pandemic fizzles out. Which is why we’re planning for continued annual growth of 15 percent up until 2030,” he adds.

Returns are another area PostNord is focusing on.

“There’s a lot of value tied up in circulating goods, so running an efficient system for returns is just as important as getting the goods out to consumers. We’ve already opened a Fulfillment Center in Langhus for the largest operators.”

19

TEXT: SISSEL FANTOFT

TONE AND HER COLLEAGUES have great expectations for the new terminal.

“The new terminal will provide us with a fantastic, full-scale sorting facility. This means that we’ll be able to handle the current volume of parcels quicker and more efficiently, and that we’ll be well-prepared for the future as well.”

Position at PostNord: Team Coordinator at the terminal in Køge, Copenhagen.

Closest colleagues: Sigmund Chojnacki, Eva Pedersen and Jola Pochec.

AL TH E TE R M I N F O R TH E S E R A C T A TH

T N E M N ENVIRO Geothermal heating is used to heat the premises, and energy-efficient lighting is powered by green electricity. The new terminal in Tampere is helping ­PostNord become fossil-free.

TEXT: SINI-MARIA MELANEN PHOTO: BENJAMIN SUOMELA

20

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

T THE THIRD-LARGEST city in Finland is set in beautiful surroundings on a narrow strip of land between two in-land lakes: Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi. This is where PostNord has chosen to build a brand new terminal. It’s more than “just” modern, eco-friendly and well-planned – it’s also the first sorting terminal in Finland that PostNord owns by itself.

“We previously ran our operation from the premises of one of our suppliers. The new terminal has given us full control of the entire supply chain,” explains Jaakko Hermikoski, Regional Manager of Operations.

IN THE LONG RUN, the number of employees is set to rise from 15 to around 30. One of the benefits of the new facility is faster and better machine sorting.

“We can now handle up to 5,000 parcels an hour.

The machine reads, weighs and sorts the parcels and guides them in the right direction, sending them on their way to be transported and delivered to the right address,” says Jaakko.

Jaakko Hermikoski All in all, the terminal and Marcus Hydén has contributed to a more efficient operation, with a Position at PostNord: ­Regional manager for reduced number of hanoperations, and regional dling stations. manager in Tampere, Finland.

“The work runs faster Closest colleagues: Jaakko and more smoothly, and and Marcus are each other’s the sorting machine has closest colleagues. Terminal helped us cut down on manager Antti Lehtinen is human errors,” relates the third member of the Marcus Hydén, Regional tight-knit team.

Manager.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

THE TAMPERE terminal is not only fast – it’s really green, too. The building has been awarded the Green Building Council Finland’s BREEAM certificate with the rating “Very good”. This means that the business is helping PostNord achieve its goal of becoming fossil-free by 2030.

“The terminal is heated using geothermal heating, the eco-friendly LED lighting is powered by green electricity and the facility is preparing for charging elecric vehicles, keeping future investments in mind,” says Jaakko.

DID YO U K N O W TH AT... ...another terminal, twice the size of the Tampere terminal, is being built in Vanda?

In addition, air curtains are used to ensure that as little heat as possible is lost. Even the terminal doors have been fitted with air curtains to minimize loss of energy during loading.

“We don’t lose any heat at all when the vehicles back into the terminal, which provides a much more pleasant working environment for employeesl,” adds Marcus.

21

22

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

FOCUS / NEW LOGISTICS

“WE’RE RARELY MISTAKEN ABOUT WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN” They’re tasked with predicting the future – even though it changes on a monthly basis. To succeed, David Larsson and ­Christian Østergard use everything from AI to sophisticated robotics – and good, old-fashioned parcel trolleys.

TEXT: SAM SUNDBERG PHOTO: CHRISTIAN GUSTAVSSON

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

23

C CHRISTIAN ØSTERGARD LOOKED skeptically at his colleague. Something had to be wrong with the coordinates.

Three weeks had passed since they launched their experiment. 150 load carriers had been fitted with GPS trackers and other technology, because the inquisitive PostNord strategists were keen on tracing the trolleys’ journey from terminal to customer and, they hoped, back again.

They were running their test on one per thousand of PostNord’s entire fleet of load carriers, or “cage trolleys” as they are often called. Around 100,000 of them are in operation in the logistics system, a ubiquitous but utterly indispensable part of the Nordic network. The problem is that the little rascals tend to end up getting lost out in the suburbs.

Many of them disappear at the customers’ premises, sometimes because they are simply forgotten, and sometimes because they are so good at what they do that they find their way into the customers’ own logistics chains.

In addition to GPS transmitters from Sigfox, the parcel cages were fitted with temperature sensors. The readings from these devices alone revealed that all the cages – which should have travelled straight out to the customers and back again – had made some interesting detours. Hot, cold, hot, cold, hot, cold, hot, cold...

But the signal from one of the load carriers had actually disappeared right at the start of the test. Christian naturally assumed that the technology had failed. But now his colleague informed him that the device was transmitting once more. The coordinates were clearly stated and identified on the map.

All Christian could do was laugh out loud and scratch his head.

“Sydney? Australia? How did it end up there?”

CHRISTIAN ØSTERGARD AND David Larsson are Senior Strategists on the Nordic

24

Christian Østergard Position at Postnord: Senior Strategist, Nordic Strategy & Solutions.

Strategy & Solutions team. Together they are nine employees tasked with predicting the future and making sure that PostNord is prepared for it. PostNord covers a geographically huge area that extends from the German border in the south, to the point where Norway ends and the Barents Sea begins in the north. The needs and conditions may vary, but deliveries have to be made everywhere. Regardless of flash floods or snow storms, rising market conditions or pandemic lockdowns. During a time when volumes are increasing rapidly, customers are simultaneously demanding fast, convenient, and eco-friendly deliveries.

WE’LL COME BACK to the cage trolleys. But Christian and David have a broad assignment. Briefly put, they have to have the prescience and inventiveness to assure PostNord’s competitive strength in the future.

New, nimble competitors are gobbling up market shares in desirable areas, offering bespoke solutions to major customers. So for PostNord, it’s a question of making opti-

“WE WANT TO HANDLE HALF OF ALL PARCELS IN THE NORDICS USING ONE AND THE SAME MACHINE.” – DAVID LARSSON, SENIOR STRATEGIST, NORDIC STRATEGY & SOLUTIONS

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

O VAT I O N

S |I

NN

O VAT I O N

S O VAT I O N

NN

NN

|I

|I

AT N OV I O N S

3

N |I

S

THREE EXCITING INNOVATIONS IN LOGISTICS

David Larsson Position at Postnord: Senior Strategist, Nordic Strategy & Solutions.

mal use of the Group’s existing network of terminals, fleets of vehicles and staff. It’s also about making the most out of the massive investments made over the past decades, and using them in a smarter way.

“If you enter the market and pick up three major customers, in princple, you can put in the exact dimensions of the customers’ parcels into your system. It’s a lot easier than if you – like us – want to process half of all the parcels travelling around the Nordic region, using one and the same machine,” explains David.

I meet him and Christian digitally, via Microsoft Teams, on an overcast autumn day.

Unlike most days, they are sitting together in the Arken building in Solna, just outside Stockholm. Usually they are out travelling, meeting partners, customers and colleagues all over the world.

A graduate of Luleå University of Technology, David has always been more comfortable with numbers than with words. He has been working with transport and logistics for almost 27 years now. And he’s been with PostNord since 2015.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Christian speaks with a broad Stockholm accent, even though he lives in Copenhagen.

He is the son of a Swedish mother and a Danish father. While David is a graduate engineer, Christian studied strategy and marketing. He started working for Posten while he was still a student, and then he simply stayed in the field from then on. His first job was as a letter sorter in Copenhagen; he was then given more responsibility in various management positions in Post Danmark, moved on to the Belgian Post and then returned to PostNord.

He states that PostNord has a couple of major benefits compared to the “new kids on the block”. The huge distribution network is one of them, while the other has to do with the vast amount of data that the company has access to.

“We combine this with the knowledge of people who are familiar with the physical processes and how people act in our flows.

This produces excellent results. People without data doesn’t cut it, nor does data without people,” says Christian.

They start by collecting and analyzing

1. AUTONOMOUS GOODS VEHICLES Einride is conquering the world with its autonomous, electric goods vehicles. The latest addition to the range is a flatbed truck that can carry different types of containers. The goods vehicles are autonomous at SAE 4 level, which means they are ready for standard roads. The technology is complimented with human skills – truck drivers who monitor the journey remotely.

2. RECYCLE YOUR PARCEL The Finnish company RePack makes recyclable packaging solutions for e-commerce. End customers can choose RePack as an eco-friendly shipping option. Once they have unpacked their goods, they simply place the cardboard in the nearest mailbox, from where it is returned to RePack. The packaging can be reused up to 20 times.

3. IRONMAN IS HERE Exoskeletons are available in two versions: passive and active. Guardian XO from the American company, Sarcos Robotics is of the latter type: A battery-powered machine that gives the user the strength to lift up to 90 kg effortlessly. The strength provided by the exoskeleton boosts productivity and should also reduce injuries. All at a reasonable price of 900,000 SEK per year.

We work with David and Christian Ravi Kiran Kotty, Lars Bryldt Christensen, Victoria Svedberg, Hampus Schander, Martin Redborn, Axel Scheutz Godin and Egil Møller Nielsen.

25

hard data. These data makes it possible to use robotics, image analysis, finely calibrated forecasts, artificial intelligence, autonomous trucks and highly sensitive sensors, making PostNord’s logistics network even stronger and more efficient for the future. A lot has already started happening across different parts of the Group.

For example, in Norrköping PostNord TPL operates one of the most modern warehouses in Sweden for its customer, ­Bauhaus. Socalled AGVs (Autonomous Guided Vehicles) are already used to handle residual packaging, and will provide support in future manual work. The technique called, “pick by voice”, entails employees receiving instructions in their headset and then orally confirming what they pick. This way they always have both hands free. Video analysis ensures that the right goods are loaded onto the right vehicle – often an electric vehicle from Einride, powered by the largest solar panel installation on a single roof in the Nordics.

Across the world, different companies have come up with innovative logistics initiatives.

Like Amazon’s parcel delivery drones, and Ford’s two-legged robot that is able to hop out of an autonomous vehicle, run up the steps to a house and carefully place a parcel by the front door.

In recent years, however, all the hype about autonomous vehicles and futuristic robots has died down a little.

“Three or four years ago, I thought that the development of autonomous vehicles would move faster. Everyone did, in fact, but it turned out to be tougher than expected. We’re more

26

as straightforward as possible.”

This is achieved by working on multiple fronts, using data as the guide.

“We look at everything: the smartest way to pack a vehicle, how to optimize the routes, which algorithms and which data provide the best results. We want to know as much as possible about each and every delivery so that it is as agile as possible and precisely the way the customer wants it,” explains Christian.

↑ “This is what we’ll have to learn to work with soon. A vision-controlled forklift from India,” says David Larsson. realistic today,” says Christian.

David adds that no technical solutions are available yet for automating parcel deliveries.

Or at least, none that even come close to delivering value for money – aside from the leading characters in fictive YouTube videos.

“They simply don’t exist as of yet. Our ambition is to improve conditions for the mail carrier or parcel delivery supplier, so that his/her job is

EVEN THOUGH THE ROBOT revolution is taking its time, pretty much everything indicates that it is inevitable. Sooner or later, people and advanced robots will be working side by side in the sorting terminals. And many forklifts and trucks will be guided by artificial intelligence in the future. Christian and David are in close contact with other strategists across Europe to keep up with the latest developments. They are also closely monitoring what is happening in the United States and China, where, in many regards, the most progress in technical development has been made. For example, there are several places in the world where technology is used to discourage undesirable behavior. The idea here is to make it safer for people to both work and live together with autonomous vehicles and robots.

“It’s a question of identifying patterns and then removing the unwanted ones. So David can produce a robot that functions better...”

That’s as far as Christian gets before David, the robot specialist, interrupts him: “I’d just like to say that the robots must be foolproof. You should be able to go as crazy

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

27

FOUR P

IL

S

U FO

P IL

L A RS | T H

E

28

R

“YOU REALIZE THAT THERE’S A LOT OF WORK LEFT TO DO WHEN YOU FIND OUT A CAGE TROLLEY HAS MADE ITS WAY TO SYDNEY.”

U

valuable data that the PostNord network is generating, the period since March 2020 been a humble lesson for futurists and forecasters. For the Nordic ­Strategy & ­Solutions A PILOT PROJECT will soon be launched team, too. The pandemic didn’t only throw using a robot from the Indian company, Tata, a wrench in the works of the global logiswhose tasks will include lifting parcel trolleys. tics system. In just a short amount of time This development is another reason why the it radically altered the way we consume.

Group wants to keep a tighter rein on its load The E-baromater shows that revenue from carriers. It’s not simply a question of being e-commerce increased by 50 percent during able to pinpoint them on a map of the world. the first quarter of 2021, compared to 2020.

A robot has to know exactly where in the Neither human nor artificial intelligence terminal a given parcel trolley is, how it is set had any chance of predicting such massive up and what it contains. growth.

“You realize that there’s a lot of work left “We’re rarely mistaken about what’s going when you find out that a cage trolley has to happen in the future. But when it comes made its way to Sydney,” chuckles Christian. to how fast it’s going to happen – to be Parcel trolleys have been used in the busicompeltely honest, we’re not so strong. We ness in more or less the same way since the misjudged autonomous vehicles, and how 1980s. Its obvious simplicity is deceptive. The hard it would be. The evironmental transition perfect cage trolley is light, stable, stackthat we’re currently experiencing is happenable, collapsible and easy for both people ing a lot faster than many of us expected. and robots to load. It The robotization of should fit as snugly as logistics wasn’t working possible into a vehicle, at all just a few years roll smoothly and be ago, but now there adapted to a variety of seems to be a number machines. It’s an equaof well-functioning tion worthy of the most solutions,” says David. advanced AI. Christian is on the same “The simple is often page: difficult. And no matter “The pandemic has how much new techaccelerated everything. nology we may have, no We’ve quickly and single unit is more imsubstantially changed portant to our business our behaviors and than our cage trolleys,” preferences. Time is says David. moving a lot faster now.

The findings from the But so is the world data. experiment with GPS Huge volumes of it is trackers and temperaavailable, we have 5G ture sensors indicate and we can run calculathat there is much to tions much, much faster. gain from keeping better Some of the colleagues track of the load carrion our team have to ers. Today it seems likely replace their computers that the trolleys will be regularly just to keep fitted with a handful of up. Everything is moving different technologies, faster.” as a way to control them So how about that while also collectparcel trolley that ending data about their ed up in Sydney. How movement – data that did it get there? can contribute to more The truth of the mataccurate forecasts and ter is that no one knows. new working methods.

There are still things that not even all the – CHRISTIAN ØSTERGARD, IN SPITE OF THE data in the world can SENIOR STRATEGIST, NORDIC growing trove of solve.

STRATEGY & SOLUTIONS

| T H E FO

as you like in the terminal without ever running the risk of being injured by a robot. Write that instead!”

RS

x

LA

R PILL AR

HE

4x |T

LOGISTICS OF THE FUTURE The four Cs – Convenience, Climate, ­Capacity and Cost are the four pillars of the logistics of the future.

CONVENIENCE As purchasers, we are focusing increasingly on convenience. For example, we want deliveries without signatures and collection boxes. Today, PostNord strategists are looking at many ways to make things more convenient for end customers. Such as: • Digital locks – Locks on doors and large mailboxes that can be opened temporarily for delivery.

• Saturday deliveries – Since the middle of November 2021, two million households in Sweden can have parcels delivered on Saturdays.

• Automated deliveries – Several companies have already trialed parcel deliveries using drones and robots. However, there’s still a ways to go for a functioning solution to be up and running.

CLIMATE AI and image analysis are being developed to improve the capacity of vehicles and to optimize routes. Electric vehicles, from forklifts to trucks, have an important role to play in reducing companies’ carbon emissions. However, many large towns and cities are looking to reduce road traffic, irrespective of fuel, which demands innovation.

CAPACITY PostNord is planning to continue to grow.

However, the company needs to make more efficient use of its existing infrastructure. The large network of terminals is going to be upgraded on the basis of data collection and artificial intelligence. Data can be used to predict flows and assist in everything from installing sorting machines to ensuring the right level of staffing. In the future, sorting robots and autonomous forklifts will work side by side with people in the terminals.

COST While things are becoming more convenient and eco-friendly, costs must be kept at level that is reasonable to customers. The key is to generate value using PostNord’s giant network of terminals – and to upgrade them with technological innovations. Data analysis has a key role to play in keeping costs down. The better you can predict the flows, the better you can adapt the business to accommodate them.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

The Guide

Dressed for success 130 years since the introduction of our first uniforms, the time has come for yet another new model. Let’s take a closer look at the Nordic’s most-known blue uniform.

30 38

Hoodies and collars.

Four PostNorders talk about the uniform today and tomorrow.

It has always been inspired by the times we live in. Vivi Nybom takes us on a journey through­the history of the mail carrier uniform.

32 36

It’ll be here at the end of 2022.

Meet the team developing PostNord’s new uniform.

Guled Mahamoud explains that the uniform is meant to signal security and care.

See pictures and videos!

Follow us on Instagram #peoplebypostnord

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

29

The Guide

“A MODERN HOODIE WOULD’VE BEEN GREAT” JÖRGEN SEGER views the ­uniform as a tool. It makes his work easier when he’s out delivering goods in and around Gävle, because he doesn’t have to introduce himself. The blue ­attire serves as his business card. Everyone knows who he is and why he’s there.

“The uniform functions as protective clothing.

Especially the shoes with their steel toecaps, which can actually prevent your toes from being crushed.

When you drive a truck, you also get really dirty, so it’s good to wear robust clothing that is resilient.”

What item of clothing do you think is the most important?

“The protective shoes and a wind- and waterproof coat. Sometimes you step outside to find it’s pouring rain, and then it’s great to have a really good shell jacket. It’s a real mood-killer being cold, wet and miserable.”

What, if anything, do you think is missing from the current uniform?

“I wouldn’t mind a hoodie. One in a more modern style with a zipper that sits higher up on your neck.

I also think it’d be good to be able to replace the reflectors and do something about the pants, which are a bit thick and bulky.”

J

Jörgen Seger Position at PostNord: Truck driver in Gävle, Sweden.

Closest colleagues: “I don’t want to single anyone out. They’re all great!”

30

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

TEXT: MALIN DAHLBERG, SINI-MARIA MELANEN, MICHAEL KIRKEBY PHOTO: ALEXANDER LINDSTRÖM, PRIVATE

“CUSTOMERS RECOGNIZE US EVERY DAY”

“COMFORT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT”

GRY CECILIE RØTTERENG, ­Production Manager at the Langhus facility in Oslo, is responsible for managing deviations Gry Cecilie ­Røttereng at the terminal. If some- Position at PostNord: thing goes wrong with Production mana parcel, it’s her staff ager at Langhus in that heads out to take Norway. care of it.

Closest colleagues: Gry joined PostNord “My management in 2016, working in colleagues Raymond Customer Service – a Iversen, Nicolay Brodepartment where mark, Øyvind Skjøren, you don’t usually wear Almir Avdagic and the company uniform.

Ståle Knutsen, as well ­Today, she works in as district manager production at the termi- Frank Uzlastiran. nal, where work clothes, Fishea Abera and protective footwear Muhammad Asim are and the ­PostNord blue group leaders on my are all a part of her service team.” everyday life.

“I don’t have to wear the uniform when I’m working in the office, but I choose to do so. It’s comfortable and practical, and I think that wearing the uniform generates team spirit.

We’re all a part of the same work team,” says Gry, and continues: “When we have staff in from other companies, they sometimes show up in their usual work clothes to begin with. However, they eventually ask if they can borrow a

FOR ANDREA SCHLECHTER in Sønderborg, the uniform fulfills an important function when she’s out delivering letters and parcels in Andrea Schlechter Southern Jutland, right Position at on the border between PostNord: ­Mail Denmark and Germany. ­carrier in Sønder“All our customers borg, ­Denmark. know who we are when Closest colleagues: we arrive. This type of “Hans-Jørgen Ander­ recognition provides a sen, Morten Jakobsen, kind of security. At the Jimmi Køpke and same time, the uniform Mogens Skøtt.” helps establish a feeling of community amongst colleagues. But if my 16-year-old son was asked to wear a school uniform, I bet he’d say: ‘No way – I get to decide what I wear,’ haha!”

What item of clothing do you think is the most important?

“That depends on the season, but the safety shoes are both light and comfortable. And our pants – both the long and the short model– are excellent. They have loads of pockets. You can ­never have too many pockets: for your hand scanner, pens, hand sanitizer and so on.

We have to carry around all sorts of things.”

What, if anything, do you think is missing from the current uniform?

“I don’t know if we’re missing anything in the PostNord wardrobe. In fact, I think we have a lot to choose from. But it would be good to have some breathable rain clothes that keep the rain off without leaving you all sweaty. And perhaps some short ankle socks – the long ones look a bit silly when you’re wearing shorts in the summer!”

MIKAEL RUOHO is a member of the terminal staff in Åbo, Finland. He thinks the uniform is practical and rather helpful in Mikael Ruoho his everyday work.

Position at “Here in Finland, we PostNord: Member often have subconof the terminal staff tractors working in in Åbo, Finland. the terminal, and then Closest colleagues: it’s easier to spot the “Jussi Lindberg, PostNord staff by Eemeli Hakala, their uniforms. ­Petra Logje, MatOn the other hand, leena Sirviö and the uniform does Melissa Kivikangas. make us all look a bit We share responsialike… then again, you bility for operations can always express in the terminal your personality in warehouse.” other ways.”

In Mikael’s opinion, the current uniform has been good and comfortable to wear,

7

|T

|T

but it can get cold in the terminal during the winter.

“I hope they consider temperature variations when designing a new uniform.

Because our work is physical, comfort is incredibly important,” he emphasizes.

IPS | TIPS IPS | TIPS

IPS | TIPS

PostNord uniform. So that they can feel a part of the larger community.”

Is there anything in the current uniform that you’d like to change?

“Probably the trousers, which e ­ vidently weren’t designed for women. I also think it would be good to take a look at the ­protective shoes we wear here in the ­terminal. They’re heavy and clunky and they often rub and cause blisters. There must surely be a better option.”

Is there any garment that you think is missing?

“It gets really cold in the terminal during the winter. We have thick coats here in Lang­hus, but we'd all be warmer with woolen undergarments. This way, you dress in layers and can take your coat off if you needed to.

|T

“I hope they take temperature variations into account when designing the new uniform.”

|T

“I also think it’d be good to take a look at the protective shoes we wear here in the terminal.

There must surely be a better option.”

IPS | TIPS

“THE UNIFORM GENERATES TEAM SPIRIT”

How to take care of your work clothes

The PostNord uniform is hard-wearing and durable, but it will of course last longer if you take good care of it.

1. Store your work clothes in a clean, dry place. Hang them up on hangers or fold them up and place them on a shelf. Don’t just dump them down in an unfolded pile.

2. Wash all garments that you wear close to your skin at 60 degrees, or else there’s a risk that they won’t get completley clean and will start to smell of sweat after a while. Wash other clothes at 40 degrees.

3. Never mix light and dark colors. Make the colors and fabric last longer by turning your clothes inside out before placing them in the washing machine.

4. Dirt solidifies over time and becomes harder to wash out the longer you leave it.

So make sure to wash your work clothes regularly. Probably more often than you think necessary.

5. Tips: Use a moist cloth to wipe off any loose dirt, gravel, etc. before putting the clothes in the washing machine. Make sure to empty your pockets of stones, rubbish and other small items.

6. Dry outdoor wear and water-repellant garments in a dryer from time to time, or iron them on low heat – that helps activate the water repellency.

7. Do not use fabric softener as this diminishes the fabric's function.

You probably know that... ...the basic pants have double hems, right? Ripping off the turquoise hems and unfolding them lengthens the pants by four centimeters.

→ It won’t be a whole new uniform, but a real refresh of the design. Sophia Kandell, Mårten Ericson, Hannah Myrhed, Christina Bergström and Ylva Boske are all involved in the project.

32

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

The Guide

A uniform

FOR THE FUTURE 3,000 employees have spoken. Towards the end of 2022, you’ll be able to pull on work clothes that feature updated ­designs, more sustainable materials and above all – pants for everyone!

TEXT: MALIN DAHLBERG PHOTO: KRISTINA SAHLÉN

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

33

TS C

SOPHIA KANDELL, Brand Specialist & ­Insight Manager, is sure that the staff will really appreciate the new pants. She’s spent time at the terminals and tested the current uniform “in action”, so to speak.

“I know what it feels like to carry car tires in a tight pair of pants, and how the jacket slides up the small of your back when you climb into the van.

This, and all the other observations that our colleagues in Production has shared, are invaluable in project like this,” she says, before continuing: Sophia Kandell “Upon looking Brand Specialist. closer at the current design, it was clear that our uniforms today were designed at a time when the main task was to deliver letters.

S AC T | FA |F

“We received a lot of good points and opinions. We had to do a lot of work on the pants.

The current version is baggy and stiff, with a short crotch that isn’t a good fit for women.

The new pants need to be comfortable when you move around a lot and perform heavy lifts, so we’ve reinforced them with sections of stretch material and a much better fit,” says Mårten Ericson, Business Controller at Production in Sweden.

| FAC TS

34

TS

THE NEW UNIFORM will be launched towards the end of 2022, and it will not only meet the parcel carriers’ new demands for visibility in traffic, but also align neatly with PostNord’s updated brand identity. The project kicked off with a major survey in which 3,000 employees were given the chance to provide feedback and input about their work clothes. 74 percent stated that they feel Mårten Ericson, good in their uniform Business Controller. and are proud to wear it, but the survey also revealed that certain items – such as the vest and the women’s pants – needed improving.

↑ The PostNord blue will remain, but the leather belt in the current collection will be replaced by a canvas model.

S AC T | FA |F

C

WHEN THE LATEST uniform was launched in 2017, several pockets had been removed.

PostNord won’t be making that mistake again. It led to a storm of protest from mail carriers and drivers who suddenly found they had nowhere to put their keys, pens, cellphones and everything else they needed close at hand.

“You’d pass colleagues in the hallway and they’d hiss, ‘what about our damn pockets?’

It was really tough, because I could see their point. The designer back then thought that the clothes looked neater without them, but the garments have to be practical and function in everyday situations. Working on this new collection, we considered it crucial to listen to the people who actually wear Christina Bergström, the clothes,” says, Purchasing Christina Bergström, Administrator. who was once a mail carrier herself, but now works in Purchasing Services and is responsible for PostNord’s uniforms in the Nordic region.

| FAC TS

W • During an ordinary month in • •

•

•

2021, there were clothes worth 23,633,003 SEK at the PostNord warehouse in Helsingborg.

In 2020, 146,922 items of clothing valued at 17,567,229 SEK were delivered to employees in Denmark, Finland and Sweden.

The items in greatest demand vary. When a new collection is launched, everyone wants the new items. But statistically, the cotton t-shirt is the most popular item. Around 40,000 men’s and women’s t-shirts were delivered in 2020.

The least popular item is the bike beanie, which is available in two sizes. “We thought it’d be a ‘best-seller’ because the company had asked for bike beanies to wear under bike helmets instead of bobble hats,” says Christina Bergström.

There are around 8,000 bike beanies in stock. Only 581 have been issued since 2017. “It’s a real ‘shelf-warmer’ – which is what we call the items that no one buys,” concludes Christina.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Today, we’re delivering more and more parcels, so we need to design clothes that are flexible in the context of heavy lifts, and visibility in traffic.”

AS THE WORK PROGRESSED, the project team also analyzed the uniform from a sustainable perspective. For example, the 100 percent cotton t-shirt has been environmentally certified, and the current leather belt will be replaced with an army-style canvas model.

“It’s neither ethical nor in line with the times to use animal-based materials when there are viable alternatives.

In addition, a major benefit of the canvas belt is that it’s easy to adapt to different body sizes,” says Sophia. She continues: “We thought it was important to quesYlva Boske, tion all the details Design Expert. that could lessen the environmental impact of the uniform. Fleece is delightfully soft and warm, but it releases microplastics when you wash it. We’re also making sure that each garment lasts longer, by for example putting a storm placket over the

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

zipper to protect it against dirt and water.”

On average, PostNord uniform garments last up to 700 washes, so recycling will be an important aspect going forward.

“We need to take on a more circular approach to our work. For example, we must make sure that clothes used by temporary staff, called in during the summer and peak periods, is returned back into the production cycle,” says Sophia.

FROM A VISUAL perspective, the new uniform needs to be future-oriented and snappy – as well as reassuring and familiar.

The person responsible for achieving these near-contradictory descriptions is Design Expert Ylva Boske.

“It’s not a question of eliminating the strong identity that the PostNord uniforms have already built up. The objective is to ensure recognition while bringing in a more modern expression and aligning with PostNord’s new identity,” she explains.

“The overarching design will also ensure higher visibility in traffic and feature more, larger reflectors to improve visibility in the dark.”

THERE IS STILL a whole lot of work to be done before PostNord employees can get

their hands on the new clothes, but the whole team is naturally hoping for a successsful outcome.

“The best thing about this project is having the chance to design something that will make a real difference to PostNord staff in their everyday work. The design has to do more than ‘just’ build the brand and look attractive, it also needs to function day in, day out, all year round and in all weathers. It’s a brilliant challenge!” says Ylva. Sophia adds: “It’s been a lot of fun and really educational to study the working days of our drivers, terminal staff and mail carriers, and to understand how important the design is to the quality of their work – how the placement of every little pocket actually matters a great deal."

We’re the work group: Sophia Kandell, Brand Specialist & Insight Manager, Ylva Boske, Design Expert, Anna Askri, Sourcing Manager, Sofi Enqvist, Purchasing Analyst, Christina Bergström, Purchasing Administrator, Mårten Ericson, Business Controller.

Representatives from Production: Stefan Fought (SE), Christian Nordling (DK), Aslam Waheid (NO) and Jenny Röjgård (TPL).

35

Guled Mahamoud Position at PostNord: Chief Safety Officer at the Langhus terminal in Oslo, Norway.

Closest colleagues: Robin Schei and Diakou Shabani.

36

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

The Guide

BEYOND WHAT MEETS THE EYE “Work clothes are all about safety and consideration. They have to suit the situation you’re in,” says Guled Mahamoud.

TEXT: MARIE-LOUISE OLSEN PHOTO: LEIKNY HAVIK SKJÆRSETH

IF YOU’RE USED to being outdoors in the Nordic region, you’re well aware of the difference between wearing clothes that are comfortable – and clothes that aren’t.

“Simply put, it’s no fun if you end up wet or too hot,” says Guled ­Mahamoud, and adds: “I go running, so I know it’s essential to wear the right clothes for the weather conditions. Otherwise I won’t get what I need out of my training sessions.”

Guled Mahamoud is Chief Safety Officer at the PostNord terminal in Langhus, just south of Oslo, and has worked for PostNord for more than ten years. He divides his time between his office and the production floor.

“During my free time, and when I’m not at the office, I usually dress casually, often in a shirt and jeans. But when I’m working out in production, I naturally wear my uniform, our work clothes.

Otherwise I wouldn’t feel comfortable.”

How do you mean?

“It’s a physically active job, and as I see it, work clothes are all about safety. For example, it’s important to use materials that provide protection but are flexible as well, so that you can move

I

easily. And the fit is incredibly important, too; the clothes have to be the right size. We often work in dark conditions as well, so the clothes have to have reflectors to make you more visible.

“Finally, I like to look and feel fresh all day long.

You quickly work up a sweat, and not all the parcels are clean, so I like clothes in materials that are easy to clean.”

Guled pauses before continuing: “But these are just the purely physical aspects. I also like to think about the signals my clothes send to other people. I love working here, I think I have a great job. So I want a uniform that signal that. I want my work clothes to let people around me know that my employers think I’m important, that they care about me. I want the clothes to be made of materials that maintain a high quality standard, and to feature details that have been considerately adapted for the sometimes heavy work we carry out at PostNord.”

Do you think it’s possible to design a uniform that everyone can identify with?

“It’s probably not easy, but I think it can be done if you devote time to studying the different functions that the clothes have to fulfill, from both physical and mental perspectives. For example, that they need to represent safety and care. And then unapologetically implementing it.”

“I want my work clothes to let people around me know that my employers think I’m important, that they care about me.”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

37

The Guide

GOLD AND REVOLVERS – THE HISTORY OF A UNIFORM The year is 1893. Mail carriers wear long blue coats with golden buttons – at least in the cities. The dress code for rural mail ­carriers, however, is a lot more exciting.

TEXT: MALIN DAHLBERG PHOTO: KRISTINA SAHLÉN

IN NINETEENTH-­ rural mail carriers can choose from: a sword, a CENTURY Sweden, a revolver with a holster, a signal horn, or a leather uniform signaled that you cloak – and in the winter – a wolf skin! were employed by the “Mail robberies were quite common at that state. Customs officers, time. So rural mail carriers had to be able mail carriers and railway to defend themselves. Some even carried a employees – in principle, lockable metal bag, a bit like a portable safe,” all wore dark blue coats with intriexplains Vivi. cate golden buttons. It was hard to tell them apart. women → Unmarried “Golden loops at the bottom wanted! of the coat sleeves were the The number of e-commerce parcels solution for mail employees. Not is prominently rising today. The long after that, all mail carriers development actually mirrors what started wearing an ID number on happened with letters towards the Vivi Nybom, their collars, a bit like the riot police Exhibition Producer end of the 1800s. In 1850, around helmets today. It wasn’t a popular at the Postal Museum seven million letters per year were move,” says Vivi Nybom, Exhibition sent across Sweden. In 1900, this in Stockholm.

Producer at the Swedish Postal figure shot up to 260 million. And just Museum.

20 years later, it had reached a staggering 626 million letters per year. To handle this volume, mail stations were opened all over Sweden and Protection for rural mail → carriers because there was a staff shortage, women The museum's collections include a set of “dress were actively recruited as well. regulations” from 1893. This is a kind of bro“In 1863, the first female mail carriers chure that presents the equipment required for were hired under the prerequisite that they the postilion’s working day. The most eye-catchwere unmarried and of age. They had to be ing information deals with the paraphernalia 25 years old.”

I

38

gold, → More higher pay The uniform was used for many years to signal hierarchy within the Posten organization. The number of corners on the hat badges and the thickness of the golden loops indicated rank and salary. It was actually not until the 1980s that the uniform no longer signaled a mail carrier’s income.

From military to sporty → The dark blue, military design remained until the 1960s, when the first greyblue uniforms appeared in Sweden. In the 1970s, the word “uniform” was replaced with the expression, “service clothes” and the polished buttons disappeared in an attempt to move away from the military heritage. Since then, mail carriers’ uniforms have become increasingly sporty and functional.

“If you look at the choice of material, colors and cut, you can see that the uniform has always aligned with contemporary fashion,” says Vivi. → Malin Valentin, Head of the Postal Museum in Stockholm, wearing a uniform coat from 1893.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Odd facts!

Did you know that “postal peace” did not exist between Denmark and Sweden until 1735? Up until then, it was permitted to attack each other’s mail workers.

It was quite simply a standard tactic of war to try to prevent the delivery of important messages.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

39

EVERYDAY DRAMA / THE WATER LEAK IN HALLSBERG

IT WAS

IN POURING

IT ALL STARTED like it almost always does – like a normal day. Trucks were being loaded and shipments sorted.

Some staff arrived, while others were leaving at the end of their shifts.

Some were drinking coffee and making plans for the coming weekend. June 7, 2021 was a bright and sunny summer day in Hallsberg outside Örebro – 23 degrees in the shade and an entire summer to look forward to.

Then all of a sudden someone shouted out. It was hard to hear what the person was saying at first, so no one could recall exactly who was the first to notice the water. What was certain was the water flooding in. Way too much of it. In absolutely all the wrong places. It was flooding the entire terminal floor.

“I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from, but there was water everywhere. Some-

A

Around 500,000 liters of water flooded the Hallsberg terminal. All the machines could have shorted circuited, and millions were at stake.

That's when the everyday heroes stepped up to the plate.

TEXT: KALLE DIXELIUS PHOTO: HENRIK GUSTAFSSON NICANDER

40

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

one said it sounded like a motor was running.

That it was the pumps from the sprinkler room running at maximum power. We looked into the room and saw that the entire floor was flooded at about 40 cm deep,” says Ricard Karlsson, Technician at the PostNord terminal in Hallsberg, and a true everyday hero.

He took a look around. On the sprinkler room door hung the name of the company that had installed the system. A quick Google search later, he was on the phone with them. After several conversations, he found out what he feared. The main tap in the sprinkler room, was now completely submerged in water. Walking into the room could literally be life-threatening due to all the water that was now most likely electrically charged.

“The only alternative was to find a different way to shut the water off – a service shut-off – somewhere on-site. It’s a pretty big faucet. But no one knew where it was located. Finally, we found a drawing that showed its location and we could turn off the water.”

How long did it take?

“It felt like an eternity.”

Magdalena Hvenmark is the Terminal Manager at Hallsberg: “I think it took about 45 minutes.”

How bad could it have gone?

“Really bad. If it hadn’t been for Ricard and Anna, a lot more water would have flooded the production halls. And what does a mail sorting machine cost? Millions. The water was rushing in. Worst case scenario: all our machines could have short circuited.”

SO, OVER TO ANNA. Ricard Karlsson isn’t the only one who can take on the title of a hero after the incident at Hallsberg. While he desperately tracked down the main tap, Magdalena and local custodian, Anna Eriksson, stood in a room where the water level steadily rose. They realized that they had to get rid of the water so that it didn’t make its way into the production halls. Anna grabbed some water scrapers from the shower room and said that there were wells

under the heavy mats on the floor.

“But the wells weren’t working. So Anna plunged her hand into the disgusting water and unblocked the water trap. There was a loud sucking sound and all the water drained, which meant that we had prevented it from entering the production halls,” explains Magdalena.

SINCE THEN, the subcontractor in charge of cleaning the terminal has been replaced, so Anna is working elsewhere today. As thanks for her quick thinking and efforts, she recieved flowers and a giftcard. She will always be remembered fondly at the Hallsberg terminal.

Magdalena continues: “While all this was going on, Ricard was trying to find out how to shut off the water. I clearly remember being constantly on the phone: with HR, the local authorities, the media, the PostNord crisis center... Then I saw Ricard, and calmed down. I remember thinking: “Damn!

What a great team I have – it’s going to be OK.” EVERYTHING WORKED OUT in the end.

The fire service helped pump out a volume of water equivalent to a 25-meter long swimming pool. That’s 500 cubic meters, or 500,000 liters, if you prefer. The terminal subsequently celebrated the response with pie. And, every cloud has a silver lining. The terminal now has an updated emergency response file for what to do if something similar happens again.

It includes phone numbers to all relevant authorities, subcontractors and the municipality, as well as drawings of the entire building.

“I wasn’t aware that the technical and service staff knew so much about the building. This is something I’ll remember from now on,” says Magdalena.

← Left to right, back row: Patrik Nilsson, Monica Sand, Uran Zeka, Emma Egemar, Tomas Thern, Ricard Karlsson, Mikael Nordström, Per Hall, Anna Lena Karlsson, Maud Johansson, Sharro Abdulahad, Sofia Johansson, Mohammed Jabbar, Navid Nabavi, Lotta Nilsson, Naija Bennoude Aidi and ­Magdalena Hvenmark.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

41

THE MISSION / MARCUS ÖSTERLUND

G E N I US I DE A

in Lund

42

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Marcus Österlund Position at PostNord: Safety Officer and mail carrier.

Closest colleagues: Joakim Erlandsson, Sebastian Andersson, Hans Frankstedt, Therese Karlsson, Monica Gardebäck, Per-Håkan Bengtsson, Johan Andersson, Sigrid Waldem and Marie Nilsson.

The equipment wasn’t set up for the new way of distributing letters in Sweden. That was when Marcus and Reine came up with an idea that was obvious, yet brilliant.

TEXT: KALLE DIXELIUS PHOTO: FREDDY BILLQVIST

J

WHEN APOLLO 13 was far out in space on its way to the moon, everything went horribly wrong. The carbon dioxide levels suddenly started to rise. The astronauts’ lives were in danger, and the technicians back on Earth were faced with an urgent task: to get a square hose to fit into a round hole – without using anything but what the astronauts could find in the space ship.

THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH how it was for Marcus Österlund and Reine Sterby – mail carriers in Lund in the south of Sweden – when they had to find with a solution for the new way of distributing mail. The existing equipment simply wasn’t set up for processing the small parcels, called Varubrev. A safer, simpler and more efficient method was needed – ideally one without using any additional material, other than what they already had.

“We soon realized that the equipment in the vehicles didn’t work particularly well on the days we drive the short route and only distribute Varubrev. So how can we make a new and better table without bringing in new material? Is there anything we can use from what we already have? That would be the cheapest, simplest and most effective option,” says Marcus.

They measured, calculated and thought it over. Varubrev have to be placed securely so that they don't rattle around in the vehicle if the driver has to brake abruptly, or hit a bump. At the same time, it should ideally be easy for the mail carrier to both load and reach the mail from the vehicle.

THE GENIUS IDEA WAS AS simple as it was obvious.

“Blue trays. What can we do with them? Best of all would be if we could bring the blue trays into the vehicles themselves. This would eliminate the need to reload, and they’re good, stable containers for the Varubrev.”

Said and done. They started sketching out a solution together.

“We asked ourselves: ‘What do we need to do to be able to put the table directly in the vehicle?’ There musn’t be too many new elements.”

There was already a hole where the old table used to stand.

“And we had to use it, since it’s already there in all the vehicles! So I started sketching out what it could look like,” says Reine, who is currently on sabbatical from his job at PostNord, getting – off course – his Master’s in Engineering.

THEY HANDED THE SKETCH OVER TO master machinist, ­ Per-Eric Lövbom, who built a prototype. And the rest, as they say, is history.

“It was incredibly well-received,” says Marcus, before continuing: “The prototype Per-Eric made arrived, and everyone was incredibly eager to start using it. Once we’d tested it, we sent it to another office, where they carry a lot more letters than we do, and they didn’t want to give it back. ‘Why should we?’ they asked.”

Why do you think the vehicle table is so popular?

“Because you don’t have to reload. You can simply take a blue tray from the cabinet and put it in the vehicle. It makes things so much easier. And you have a clear view of what’s written on the parcel. So things have gone really well, really fast.”

Reine agrees.

“It actually doesn’t feel much like such a genius idea. It seems more like something anyone could have come up with, but I still don’t think we could have found a better solution.”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

43

THE INSPIRER / HAXHI RESTELICA

AN AT TEAM TH

NSPIRER EI |

T 44

| SPIRE R E IN |

INSPIRER | E H

INSPIRER

TH

E TH

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

TTENTIVE CAPTAIN He was going to be a professional soccer player.

But when a serious injury put a stop to his plans, Haxhi Restelica found a new direction. Today, he’s a manager who wants to help employees take his job.

TEXT: LINUS BRÄNNSTRÖM PHOTO: FREDDY BILLQVIST

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

45

H HAXHI RESTELICA STILL remembers that day like it was yesterday.

He was 18 years old and hadn’t played soccer for nine months due to a serious knee injury. His second one in just a short period of time. Forced to go through surgery, Haxhi never managed to play at the same level as before the injury: promising center back, ready to be drafted for the junior national team, and practice with Landskrona’s Division 1 team.

The news was a real downer. No new contract with Landskrona BoIS. “It was hard to take in. I was absolutely convinced that soccer was going to be my life. When I was in school, I was so sure a professional contract was waiting for me that I hadn’t even considered anything else,” he says.

After the meeting at the soccer team’s clubhouse, Haxhi spent a long time sitting in his car in the parkinglot.

“I guess I spent half an hour there thinking it over. ‘OK, so I’m not going to play professional soccer. That door has closed. So what do I do now?’”

“I was absolutely convinced that soccer was going to be my life. When I was in school, I was so sure a professional contract was waiting for me that I hadn’t even considered anything else.”

46

FAST FORWARD 17 years, and Haxhi is the manager of the letter terminal in Malmö. With a staff of 500. How did he end up here?

“If I’d made this journey anywhere other than at PostNord, it would have meant working for seven different companies.

I’ve been a truck driver and a Transport Manager, then I transferred to the general cargo terminal, where we work with pallets and heavy shipments, before moving on to the parcel terminal where the focus is largely on e-commerce. And now I’m at the letter terminal, where the work is largely defined by the postal law in Sweden.

However, it all started with an internship at Poståkeriet, as the company was known back then.” Because Haxhi had dreams of becoming a professional soccer player, he explained to his school guidance counsellor that he wanted to take a high school course “where you don’t have too much homework.”

As a result, he found himself on the vehicle and transport line, where he had the chance to get his trucker’s license. After his internship, which largely involved carrying heavy furniture up stairwells, he landed a summer job. Since then he has stayed in the world of mail delivery.

“PostNord is a fantastic company, with amazing developement opportunities. As my career has progressed, I’ve developed both upwards and sideways. It’s a matter of having courage, challenging yourself and trying new things.”

and I’m keen on giving my employees the same opportunities.”

Haxhi believes there are two types of leadership.

“One is to play your cards close to your chest, with the intention of – to put it bluntly – making yourself appear indespensible.

This may well help you secure your position, however, you prevent yourself and others from developing.

“I prefer the other approach. I try to share as much of my skills and competence as possible with my employees so that they can take over my job one day. Again, there are two ways they can do this. Either because I’ve moved on in my career and they naturally step up into the role, or they’ve developed to such an extent that they simply outshine me. Either way I’ve succeeded because I’ve helped an employee develop to the point where he/she can take this step.”

Haxhi sees delegation, coaching and having confidence in his employees as a way to help him develop, too.

“By involving more people, I free up time for myself to reflect and work on my own development.”

For example, Haxhi is a member of the trainer team that offers courses in change management. These courses are available to all managers and executives at PostNord in Sweden.

HE’S A COACH during his free time, too. He’s stepped in to take charge of club FK Besa’s IT CAME NATURALLY to him. When he was Division 3 team – a Landskrona association playing soccer as a boy, he was quick to learn he was involved in establishing after his own the playbook by heart. He would even make soccer career came to an end. his own suggestions about how to approach “Without taking anything away from the the different games. In his professional life, sport, the main objective here is to work with too, he’s never been shy marginalized young people. about sharing his thoughts We want to get them off about how thing can improve, the streets, involve them in develop and become more associations and help them streamlined. find their way back to the “I’ve always been that kind job market. Using our broad of person. I actively seek out network of contacts, we’ve ways to improve everything helped about 45 people get I do.” jobs over the past five years,” It didn’t take long for his he says proudly. suggestions and ideas to All the years he spent Haxhi Restelica attract his managers' interest. playing team sports also gave Position at PostNord: After driving a truck for a him a set of values that he ­Terminal Manager while in Helsingborg, he was carries with him in his work. at Malmö letter offered a shot at the role “The most important terminal, Sweden. as a Transport Manager. thing I’ve learned is that Closest colleagues: After that, he worked as everyone on the team is “When I need someone to a Production Manager at equally important. A forward bounce ideas off of, I usually several terminals before simply cannot score 20 goals call Bengt Norén, Terminal landing the job he has today. without the support of his Manager in Alvesta, and Åsa “I’ve been able to teammates. The same applies Holmgren, Terminal Manager follow my journey because of in Toftanäs. It’s natural for me at work. Someone has to be my positive attitude towards our goalie, someone needs to contact them and toss accepting new tasks. Early to take care of the midfield, around terminal-related in my career, I had a load of and someone has to be the ideas.” tasks delegated to me, which forward, daring to challenge gave me the opportunity to develop and the established order and make courageous prepare for the next step when it was time to decisions. We have a shared goal, and we move on. It’s been a real success factor for me, need to move towards it together.”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

UT HAX

I | ABO

HAXHI | A

H

I|

A

XH

T

BO

U

ABOUT H

“I’ve had the pleasure of having Haxhi with me as an employee and colleague for three years, and I think he’s developed both his terminal knowledge and leadership skills. It’s a pleasure to have him on my team and to be able to follow his journey. Haxhi is Region South’s own Zlatan Ibrahimovic, always a high performer, and he commends both his team and himself – which I absolutely love!”

JÖRGEN OLIN, REGIONAL MANAGER, REGION SOUTH, SWEDEN

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

47

How do you keep the customers satisfied? It's the tough nut PostNord has to crack. In Denmark, employees already have the nutcrackers in full swing.

TEXT: MARIE-LOUISE ARNFAST PHOTO: MORTEN GERMUND

Teaming up for FOCUS / THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY

GREATER CUSTOMER SATISFACTION 48

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

I IT’S FANTASTIC to be able to make a positive difference for someone – but it’s not always easy. This is something that Stine Sander, Head of Parcels, Retail & Communication at PostNord Denmark, knows all about.

Behind her long title lies a constant focus on how customers perceive PostNord’s service and an unwaivering commitment to continuously improve the customer experience.

“We continually measure how commercial customers and consumers rate our service. In both cases, we compare our results with those of our closest competitors. And, of course, we keep a close eye on what consumers are writing about us on Trustpilot.”

← “I’m seeing a lot of positive change in my workflow.

Everything is running smoothly, which makes my work a whole lot easier,” says terminal employee, Rasmus C. Hansen.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

POSTNORD DENMARK HAS already significantly boosted its reputation, and is close to surpassing its closest competitors in the field of parcels. Customers and consumers are giving higher ratings, and Trustpilot users are handing out more stars than before. However, there is still room for improvement, according to Stine.

“We have the advantage of being a wellknown brand. Everyone recognizes PostNord and has an opinion about the service we provide. We’re the biggest operator on the parcel market, and our volumes are so large that if only a small percentage of parcels aren’t delivered at the right time or to the right address, it means we’re disappointing as many as half a million people in Denmark every month.

"That’s a lot of people. So we must constantly think about how and where we can improve. Not just when it comes to the quality of our delivery, but also with regard to our communication and our products."

THE ACCURACY OF DELIVERY in Denmark is 97 percent. Nine out of ten parcels are delivered within 24 hours, and this is something PostNord is communicating clearly in both TV and radio adverts, as well as in messages and mail to consumers. Nevertheless, the majority of Danes are still unaware that PostNord’s delivery quality is so high. “‘I wish!’ is what most Danes say when we tell them about our delivery level. Every parcel, letter or other shipment that we deliver is thus an opportunity to prove to consumers that we at PostNord are both quick and efficient. But we can only succeed when all employees

49

“We have the advantage that we’re a well-known brand. Everyone recognizes PostNord and has an opinion about the service we provide.”

– STINE SANDER, HEAD OF PARCELS, RETAIL & COMMUNICATION

mile. For example, I can pick up a parcel from a commercial customer so that the customer doesn’t have to waste time returning it.”

It’s also important to give private customers a little extra attention sometimes.

“If a customer has ordered delivery to their home address but doesn’t answer when I ring the doorbell, I can make a call the next time

I’m in the neighborhood and ask if I can come by with their parcel.”

Even though customer satisfaction is much higher today than it was a few years Niels ago, Niels still meets the Østergaard occasional customer with a complaint.

“In that case, it’s important to listen closely and try to understand what the problem is.

Then you need to look into it and get back to the customer as quickly as possible.

In principle, the customer is always right, and you need to try to see things from their perspective. If you approach the situation with a cheerful, positive attitude and know that you’re always doing your best, you usually end up with satisfied customers.”

“ESSENTIAL TO CORRECT MISTAKES QUICKLY”

“POSTNORD HAS A BETTER REPUTATION TODAY”

RASMUS C. HANSEN has worked at the Køge parcel terminal for the past two years.

“My impact on customer satisfaction primarily deals with Rasmus C. ­Hansen helping to load the trailers with the right parcels for the right destinations. If a parcel ends up in the wrong place, it won’t reach the customer in time. On the one hand, it’s fairly routine work, but on the other hand, it does demand accuracy and attention to detail. You have to be careful, and any mistakes you make have to be corrected quickly. And, of course, you have to handle the parcels carefully to avoid damaging them.”

JESPER KLENA handles the dispatch of trucks from the parcel center in Taulov to parcel terminals in Køge and Brøndby. He has been with PostNord for 15 years.

“In my job, I can influence Jesper Klena customer satisfaction by sending trucks to Køge and Brøndby on time and with the right parcels. Otherwise, there’s a risk that the final link in the chain will receive the parcels late or – worst of all – the wrong parcels.”

The first vehicles are sent on their way at 5 PM. and the last at 2 AM. Occasionally a parcel sorting machine or a vehicle will break down, and then it’s important to solve the problem quickly.

This can involve sending the parcels unsorted so that they can be sorted in Køge or Brøndby, for example, or arranging for a new vehicle.

“You have to keep a close eye on the production and transport stages, and you have to have a good working relationship with the Production Managers.”

If a parcel gets lost, all necessary resources have to be devoted to finding it as quickly as possible.

“I’ve noticed a clear improvement in customer satisfaction, especially when talking to my family and friends. PostNord has a much better reputation than previously,” concludes Jesper.

↑ “Responsibility for customer satisfaction doesn’t only apply to a specific unit at PostNord.

Each and every day, each and every employee affects what customers think of our service,” says Stine Sander. focus on making sure we keep our promise each and every day,” emphasizes Stine.

NIELS ØSTERGAARD, a mail carrier in Aalborg, agrees that customers must receive the service they expect.

“It’s essential to always follow the guidelines, but, occasionally, you have to go the extra

“WE HAVE A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION” LIS BROMBERG LUND is a mail carrier in Holbæk and has worked for the mail service for 31 years.

“As a mail carrier, you have a major influence on customer satisfaction. Lis Bromberg Lund I may not actually meet customers in person as often as previously, but I guess I get to say ‘Hi’ to around one in ten.”

If customers are not home to receive their parcels as agreed, Lis gives them a call to hear if she can leave the items somewhere else.

“They usually appreciate that. I recently had a really large, valuable parcel to deliver to a customer. I called ahead in good time, and explained exactly when I could be there, and the customer was incredibly thankful.”

What really annoys some customers is when a parcel isn’t delivered as expected.

“In such cases, we have to try to deal with the situation as soon as possible. I think that certain customers are unfairly hard on us on social media, and that the tone can sometimes be unpleasant and not entirely accurate. Personally, I find that the majority of customers are satisfied.”

50

“I’m also seeing a lot of positive change in my workflow.”

In Rasmus’ experience, customers’ opinions of PostNord have improved significantly.

“I’ve noted it among my family and friends.

I’m also seeing a lot of positive change in my workflow – everything is running smoothly, which makes my work a whole lot easier.”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

W O R K | W E L L- B E T A IN G G N AT I E B W L-

O

L L -

O

- B E I N G AT W O R K ELL | W |W E

N L L- B E I G AT W O E RK |W K |W R

RK

EL

FOCUS / WELL-BEING AT WORK

BE

W

HIGH FIVES ds IN

AT

& open min G

RK | WO AT

WELL -B

EI N

G

What is it that makes you love your job? Your tasks, your colleagues, your manager, or the perfect topspin forehand? The answer is: all of the above.

Let’s visit some workplaces that’ve found magic.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

51

52

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

GOOD KARMA to help one another Britta Clavilla, Michael Morrison and Julie ­Appel dance across generational borders.

TEXT: MARIE-LOUISE ARNFAST PHOTO: MORTEN GERMUND THE WORKING DAY is over, but you’re still sweating bullets.

Your colleagues are screaming at you. Your pulse is pounding.

Sound a bit horrible?

Hold up, don’t stop reading yet. This is perhaps the best workplace in Holstebro we’re talking about.

“We have all kinds of social events including badminton, darts, table tennis and padel after work. And, of course, we have our Friday get-togethers every other month. This is where employees of all ages meet up and have fun.

There’s room for everyone. Us young’uns bring a bit of Nik & Jay, while our older colleagues bring Kim Larsen and Abba. And then we dance to each other’s music.”

T

THAT’S HOW Julie Appel describes her workplace. Her plan was to take one gap year after finishing high school, but now she’s been working at the mail carrier office in Holstebro, Denmark, for two years. In her opinion, it’s the best workplace in town.

And the PostNord employee satisfaction survey, FOCUS backs her up. The Holstebro team scores off the charts when it comes to the psychosocial working environment. One of the

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

secrets is that many of the 40 employees get together during their free time, too.

HER COLLEAGUE, BRITTA CLAVILLA, has been one of the driving forces. Having been with PostNord for 25 years – filling the role of union rep for the past ten – she has a good idea of what’s needed to create a supportive working environment.

“We have a different kind of relationship to one another because we share interests outside the workplace. This means you can be there for a colleague if he/she has a problem. And we’re more willing to help one another out if one of us is having trouble finishing his/her route. This is essential in maintaining a healthy atmosphere at work,” she explains.

WITHIN THE TEAM, it’s usual to head out and help a colleague when you’re finished with your own route. If he/she needs a hand, of course. Someone may have an unusually large amount of mail on his/her route one day, or he/she may have run into an unexpected problem, such as a flat tire. “It’s good karma to help one another,” Michael Morrison Hansen says. Michael is Team Leader in Holstebro and focuses heavily on maintaining a safe and secure environment.

53

↓ Michael Morrison, Britta Clavilla (bottom left) and Julie Appel (right) score off the charts in PostNord’s employee satisfaction survey. Or rather, their workplace does. Part of the secret of why the employees do so well in Holstebro is that they help each other out and spend time together outside of the workplace.

“Some people are keen on trying something new. However, most people find comfort in knowing exactly what they’re going to be doing during the day, having a fixed route. Generally speaking, this also boosts delivery quality and helps generate good customer relations. This is what I’m aiming for,” says Michael. He continues: “Of course, not everything is idyllic in Holsterbro all the time, but we make an effort to speak openly about problems and deal with them early on, before they escalate. We have mutual respect for one another. This means that we’re good at seeking out solutions and compromises when a conflict arises.”

54

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

SPIT IT

OUT!

The job is challenging, both physically and mentally.

Nevertheless, the employees are thriving. What’s their secret?

TEXT: LINUS BRÄNNSTRÖM PHOTO: FREDDY BILLQVIST

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

55

↑ Left to right, back row: Fredrik Nilsson, Motaz Alharidi, Raz Jabarkhil, Remzi Mehmeti, Fadi Mohammed, Niklas Edghill, Edvin Turkic, Nikola Cica. Left to right, front row: Jonathan Jirefalk, Anders Kardell, Philip Håkansson, Emile Zaidan, Christopher Wintersvahn, Fo Luong, Måns Pihl, Zeljko Gojkovic, Karl-Johan Adenskog, Peter Sundman, Ehsan Sawwari and Cedric Chebib. Absent: Ibrahim El Jishi, Roman Nistor, Patrik Vikegard, Shah Masood Barna, Jesper Hjel and Dennis Larsen.

“THE WAREHOUSE IS A TOUGH GIG. It’s heavy work in a risky environment. You spend the whole day inside a metal box with no windows.”

The words are spoken

by Cedric Chebib. Cedric is a Production Manager at PostNord TPL – more specifically at the Hästhagen facility in Helsingborg – and he knows what he’s talking about. Before he became manager, he was a forklift operator in the 13,500 sqm warehouse.

However, in spite of the slightly cynical description, the workplace scores high in FOCUS, the PostNord employee survey.

Together, the staff at the warehouse have found a way of working that allows them to really enjoy their tough job. They’ve become a tight-knit group who support one another.

“Everyone is aware of the daily targets and

T

56

helps out to make sure we hit them,” says team leader Karl-Johan Adenskog, whose own goal is to ensure the team works well together.

One way to do this is through the daily morning meetings. Everyone at the warehouse takes part, and everyone can have a say.

“Everyone is given the chance to speak, and I encourage everyone to be fair and honest.

There are some things that can be difficult to say, but spit it out! It’s going to come out sooner or later anyway,” says Cedric.

The fact that it’s a relatively small workplace helps employees dare to speak up..

“A lot of people have been here for a long time, and we’re quite a close group. We trust one another and we trust our managers. That means we don’t shy away from talking about improvements that can be made and improvements we need to make,” says forklift operator, Niklas Edghill.

When a new suggestion is made, Cedric is quick to try it out.

“Everyone is given the chance to speak, and I encourage everyone to be fair and honest.”

– CEDRIC CHEBIB, PRODUCTION MANAGER AT POSTNORD TPL

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

A

BO

UT PO S

T

|

N

S

O

RD

FOCU

FOCU

RD

ABOUT POSTNORD FOCUS |

N

O

S A

BO

UT PO

ST

“EVERYONE NEEDS TO CONTRIBUTE” THE PHYSICAL and social working environments are measured every year as a part of FOCUS, the PostNord employee survey. Its purpose is to check the status of employee job satisfaction and loyalty. The survey contains questions about everything from working conditions and ergonomics, to working relationships, behavior and what they think of their immediate manager.

Mads Boelt, “Of course, there Nordic HR Expert are differences at PostNord. between how people experience their workplace and what has the biggest impact on job satisfaction and motivation. However, one majoy factor across all areas is good leadership. This, in turn, is dependent on established work processes, and maintaining a good, respectful dialog. Everyone needs to actively contribute to creating a good working environment,” says Mads Boelt, Nordic HR Expert at PostNord.

JANNES IS 100 PERCENT SURE “The best idea wins, so we give everyone a fair shot. It also boosts motivation when people can say, ’Hey, that’s my idea, and we’re using it!’” he adds.

Niklas agrees.

“It encourages you to come up with other solutions, to find ways to do things better,” he says.

SEEMINGLY SIMPLE things can work wonders for well-being. For example, making sure that employees are given new shoes or a new shirt as soon as they ask for it. It’s also about accepting feedback – both when you’ve done something well and when you’ve made a mistake. It’s about feeling involved and motivated.

“Ever since I started working at PostNord, I’ve felt appreciated. I’ve always felt that I’ve done a good job. I’ve worked at other places where it wasn’t like this, and that’s an unpleasant feeling. You work hard but you don’t get the recognition you feel you deserve. I’ve

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

always received it here. Feeling appreciated really boosts your job satisfaction, says Niklas.

The unit also puts a lot of time into training new employees, so that they feel welcome and have all the tools they need to tackle the challenging job.

To further increase job satisfaction, they’re currently working to expand employees’ skills.

The chance to move up through the ranks is a major motivating factor.

“I started out as a picker. Having the chance to move up and try taking on more responsibility means that everyone goes the extra mile. And it helps to build a positive working environment,” says Karl-Johan.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that everyone at the TPL warehouse likes each other.

“It’s easy to be social, joke around and laugh because we work so closely together. This makes the work more fun and more enjoyable in an otherwise tough environment; it’s really empowering,” concludes Niklas.

100 OUT OF 100 points. Is that even possible? Most definitely.

Just ask Janne Bäck, Production Manager at the PostNord TPL terminal in Helsingborg, Sweden. In the annual FOCUS employee survey, he scored a perfect 100 on four statements, Janne Bäck, including: “My Production Manager manager cares at PostNord TPL. about me as a person.”

“You need to have an open climate where everyone can speak their mind.

My door is always open to signal that you’re always welcome. It’s important to listen and to show that you’ll make time for conversations. I always try to make myself available,” he says.

57

A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME / NINA BÄCKSTRÖM

NINA GOT HER MEMORIES

BACK If someone asked you what you were doing at work exactly ten years ago, you probably wouldn’t have a clue. But mail carrier, Nina Bäckström knows.

TEXT: MALIN DAHLBERG PHOTO: PAVEL KOUBEK ONE WINTER DAY IN 2011, Nina and her colleagues at the mail carrier office in Säffle were sorting three trolleys of parcels. You may be wondering how she can possibly remember that… Well, mail carrier, Nina Bäckström has a crystal clear memory of what happened that day. She has just received her memories back from the Swedish Postal Museum’s collection of diary entries from 2011. The museum regularly collects memories and diary entries from PostNord employees in Sweden. They capture everything from what they had for breakfast to what they do during a working day. The more detailed, the better. The intention is to collect snapshots from everyday life. The diary entries can reveal a great deal about changes in the business, and they also highlight what’s remained the same – like a letter to the future.

“I was so taken aback when I got my diary entries back.

I simply don’t remember taking part in the collection. It could almost make you a little afraid of yourself,” says Nina with a laugh, before adding: “But it was a lot of fun to read. I’d written down everything from the moment I got out of bed to when I turned the light out at night. One detail that immediately took me back to that particular day was that we’d just replaced a window at home. I could see it so clearly.”

The profession of mail carrier has changed significantly over the past ten years, taking in more and more parcels and consignment letters, digital aids and new assignments.

“Just think of how we stamped parcels manually before, whereas now we scan them with our cell phones. Back then we had three trolleys of parcels, and today it’s closer to ten. So much has happened both at PostNord and in society at large.”

E

WHEN NINA ISN’T working, she loves to spend time outdoors.

Riding four-wheelers, grilling hot dogs, playing with her cats, Bull and Månmörker, and her dog Turbo. And looking after her family’s herd of 300 cows. Yep, that’s right. A herd of ruminating cattle that need food, water and love. “I haven’t lived in the country very long, but I love it there. I feel like this is where I’m meant to be, idling around in long johns, rubber boots and a knitted hat.”

58

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Nina Bäckström Position at PostNord: Mail carrier in Säffle, Sweden.

Closest colleagues: “Come on, there’s no way I can choose. Everyone at the mail carrier office in Säffle!”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

59

N I S E Y E H T WI K C A B E H T N I D A E H S I OF H SKILLS / REZAI RAHIM

If there was oil paint under his wheels, there’d be a Mona Lisa on the floor of the terminal.

Rezai Rahim has elevated forklift operation to an art form.

TEXT: LINUS BRÄNNSTRÖM PHOTO: LINA ALRIKSSON

SPLIT VISION. A concept you’ll often hear mentioned in the world of sports.

It may be said of a soccer player who appears to be able to see what’s happening behind him/her while also being able to foresee what lies ahead. They simply always end up in the right place, at the right time. But it can equally apply to a forklift operator at the parcel terminal in Växjö.

Rezai Rahim is constantly reading his surroundings – both for the sake of safety and to ensure that he stays at least one step ahead.

“You’re scanning the next thing you need to do, and the next thing after that. You’re constantly planning your route and we hardly ever see you driving long stretches without something on your forks,” former Terminal Manager, Tonny Johansson writes on LinkedIn. Rezai himself says it’s all about staying focused.

“I never let up. I focus on maintaining the same level all the time, eight hours a day.

Before I ­start the forklift, I plan what route to take so that I can get everything done. Empty forks? Never.”

S

60

WHEN HE ARRIVED in Sweden from Afghanistan nine years ago, Rezai had never been anywhere near a forklift.

Getting his forklift operator certificate gave Rezai a chance to make ends meet while studying – and that was how he ended up at PostNord.

He’s still studying alongside working a full-time job. And he exercises at the gym several times a week.

“I like having something to do. It’s boring to sit around at home,” he says with a laugh.

One of his future goals is to have the chance to drive bigger vehicles.

“I want to get a good education, perhaps as a truck driver.”

His split vision will certainly come in handy there, too.

Rezai Rahim Position at PostNord: Terminal worker in Växjö, Sweden.

Specialist skill: Drives a forklift with split vision.

Closest colleagues: Basit Noory, Hindreen Shareef, Jawed Nazari.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Follow us on Instagram #peoplebypostnord

“BEFORE I ­S TART THE FORKLIFT, I PLAN WHAT ROUTE TO TAKE SO THAT I CAN GET EVERYTHING DONE. EMPTY FORKS? NEVER.”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

61

OUTSIDE THE BOX / LINNÉA ANDERSSON

There’s a note on her car saying, “Can I have your autograph?” A colleague starts to sing “Movie star”.

Another greets her in German. That’s how it’s been ever since a documentary filmmaker decided to follow Krokom’s most daring rural mail carrier.

TEXT: MALIN DAHLBERG PHOTO: GÖSTA FRIES

62

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

As seen on German TV HER COLLEAGUES at the post office in Krokom are of course joking. And it’s maybe not so surprising that they’re teasing the leading actress from the film a little. After all, it’s not every day a German film crew comes to town.

It all started when rural mail carrier, Linnéa Andersson was having lunch and found herself sitting next to a reporter from the local newspaper, Östersunds Posten.

She started talking about her working day.

How she covers 320 km

H

on the Valsjöbyn route, stopping for coffee with her grandma and grandpa in Skärvången. About the days filled with driving through woods, past lakes and mountains, and about her meetings with people and animals. And, of course, about her passion: folk racing.

came along on the long mail delivery route through the beautiful Jämtland landscape, but were just as fascinated with Linnéa’s daredevil hobby.

“Everyone in my family is a motorsport fan.

My parents folkraced before I was born.

We have four cars, but one of them is a bit…

THE REPORTER turned her story into an artiwounded. It caught fire during a race. It cle in the paper, and that was the end of that – could have become really dangerous beuntil a German documentary filmmaker called. cause the fuel line had actually come loose.

“She’d read the article and asked if I’d be The film crew was there, but they missed all willing to participate in a documentary about the drama!”

Jämtland. I was at a loss for words. I mean it What was it like having a film crew followwasn’t even Swedish TV, it was German! Little ing you around? me, who grew up in Sikås, a town with a popula“Well, it was unusual to have the camera tion of perhaps 200 on a good day, starring in a there, but at the same time I thought it was German documentary? pretty cool. Jämtland is my home turf, after “I was initially shocked, then delighted. I all; I grew up here and love it. thought ‘how often are you going to get a chance “And I hope my involvement in the project like this?’ and jumped at the offer.” can help more people understand how we work at PostNord.”

THE TV CREW ARRIVED in Krokom in August 2021 and filmed on four occaThe documentary about Jämtland will be sions over a two-week period. They screened on German TV in spring 2022.

Linnéa Andersson Position at PostNord: Rural mail carrier in Krokom, Sweden.

Closest colleagues: “Kent Dahlqvist, Peter Starkman and Micke Tunell. Not forgetting my Manager, Torgny Elofsson and Team Leader, Niklas Hellgren. They’re always up for a cup of coffee and a chat when there’s time for it. They call and check on you when you’re off sick, and always want to know how I did at the folk races. You really feel that they care about you.”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

63

GADGETS / THE PARCEL CAGE

THE TERMINAL’S BEST FRIEND There’s one thing that is absolutely indispensable at a terminal. It runs on four wheels and can carry heavy loads. The team in Denmark will soon receive 14,500 new ones, and Allan is taking care of it all.

TEXT: MICHAEL KIRKEBY PHOTO: MORTEN GERMUND IN MANY COUNTRIES, the mail carrier’s horn has become the symbol of the postal service, but really it should be a more common everyday object, like a parcel cage on wheels. The rectangular metal parcel cage is used to transporting all shipments between terminals and distribution hubs.

It’s actually impossible to work without it.

And in Denmark, PostNord employees can soon look forward to a major update of this classic piece of equipment.

“It’s about time. Some of the containers we’re using today date back to the early 1980s. They were old back when I joined the company as one of Santa’s little helpers back in 2003,” says Allan Stevnsvig, who has been tasked with testing the new parcel cages in Denmark and purchasing no fewer than 14,500 of them over the coming three years.

The objective is to find a lighter load carrier that’s easier to work with. Another requirement is that the parcel cages must signal much more clearly that they come from PostNord.

“They can help boost the brand and reinforce recognition of our organization.”

Another advantage of the new types of parcel cages is that they are stackable, which is better for both the climate and the company finances.

“They’re a bit like shopping trolleys. If a truck carries 33 full parcel cages when we

I

64

← Allan Stevnsvig is a Logistics Planner at the PostNord terminal in Frederica.

leave the terminal, we have room for 110 empty cages when we return. This means that we can eliminate two out of three journeys with empty parcel cages. In addition to reducing our carbon footprint, this naturally saves us both time and money.”

Will the new ones last just as long?

“I don’t think so. The new ones feature more moving parts, but they’re also much user-friendlier in everyday situations.”

Let’s back up a bit… what was that you said about joining the company as ”Santa’s little helper”?

“Oh, yeah. Haha! That’s what they called us who handled Holiday mail decorated with ornaments and glitter, packages that the sorting machines couldn’t handle. Since then, I’ve worked as a Production Manager and Planner, and I love it – there are all kinds of exciting opportunities at PostNord.”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Allan Stevnsvig Position at PostNord: Logistics Planner at the PostNord terminal in Frederica, Denmark.

Closest colleagues: “Lars Høeg, Mirco Graabæk and Camilla Nielsen. And there are many others all over the country I simply couldn’t do my job without.”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

65

ILLUSTRATION: JOHAN HÖRBERG

THE ODDER STORY / THE BRIDGE THAT WASN’T THERE

“Everything was gone!”

Around 99.9 percent of all working days pass by as usual. But then comes that day when you make one wrong turn and all of a sudden the ground beneath you disappears.

ON AUGUST 18, 2021, John Obinna Ozor took the Koppsla­ hyttan exit just outside Borlänge as he always does when delivering It was 3 AM and raining. Visibility was poor, but he could see that there was water everywhere. After three days of heavy rainfall the area didn’t look the same. At all.

He hadn’t driven 20 meters before the road suddenly disappeared. The little bridge was gone! He stamped on the brake pedal and pulled the handbrake, but it was too late. His blue Volkswagen Caddy dropped four meters.

“Everything was gone. The van fell head first down the hillside

66

now turned into a rushing stream of water,” says John.

He has no idea how many times the van turned over and over. It literally ‘went with the flow’ and he couldn’t even open the door. As luck would have it, one of the windows was open slightly. ”I had no idea how I would get out. But as the van gradually filled with water, I was finally able to kick the door open and escape.”

THE WATER WAS flowing fast.

John couldn’t even work out how deep the water was, so he turned on the van’s hazard lights and clambered up onto the roof. His cell phone had been washed away, so

there was nothing to do but hope for the best.

“I had to wait for two hours. The timber transports that passed by didn’t see me. But finally, a guy, probably on his way to work, saw the lights and pulled over, so I shouted up to him.”

When the police arrived, they spent 30 minutes trying to reach John. Without success. They had to get hold of a boat. A policeman with a rope tied around his waist finally managed to bring the frozen driver back to “dry” land, where he was put in an ambulance to warm up.

It took several days to recover the van.

JOHN MADE IT through without any serious physical injuries.

“I talked to my manager and he gave me a number to call if I needed more support, but I felt that I could handle it on my own.”

However, every time John passes the scene of the accident, it still hits him: “What if I hadn’t made it?” But he says that he doesn’t let the thought linger.

“I need to get on with my life. I tell myself a lot of positive things.

Sometimes, I wonder why I wasn’t able to react faster and turn. But there was no way I could have.”

ROBERT LÅNGSTRÖM AND MIKAEL MORIN

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

DRY ACTIVE COMFORT

The favoriTe is back.

This soft and highly comfortable baselayer is made of a partly recycled blend, which provides both warmth and efficient moisture transport in a wide temperature range. If you only want one baselayer for all your workouts and physical activities, then this is it.

Discover at craftsportswear.com.

Available in multiple colors.

Make room for a lie-in Together with our partner Scandic Hotels, as a PostNord employee you get a discount* at the chain’s hotels in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Germany.

Book at postnordplus.com *Valid only for leisure bookings and not for signature hotels