People by PostNord 2 2022 English

PEOPLE by PostNord #2 2022

PEOPLE A MAGAZINE ABOUT US: WE MAKE EVERYDAY LIFE EASIER

by PostNord

134

”It feels like we´re making a difference” page 64.

PostNorders in this issue: Thomas swipes right.

Annika is a bag lady.

Linn's machine makes magic happen.

And more.

#2 2022

Moving on Always eager to take the next step, Jennifer is a rolling stone. Kind of.

8

Aktiviteter Erbjudanden Gemenskap

PostNord Plus is a Swedish personnel foundation within PostNord AB with the mission of creating an attractive leisure activity for its employees, in the areas of holidays and recreation, sports and fitness as well as culture and events.

Even if you are not employed in Sweden, you are welcome to check out the offerings and join us.

Quiz challenge!

How well do you know your colleagues? Challenge one of your workmates for the chance to win a lovely bag from Vinga Weekendbag.

The bag is made of stylish and sturdy fabric and it’s big enough to contain all you need for the perfect weekend getaway.

To compete, you need to: • take the quiz on the last page of People

by PostNord • follow us on Instagram @peoplebypostnord • leave your correct answers in the comments • tag a colleague you’d like to challenge and make sure he or she follows us as well We will draw two lucky winners and announce them on Instagram. We will also inform them

by DM. You, as well as the colleague you challenged, will each win a bag. Good luck!

COPENHAGEN: Danish Sustainability Specialist Giorgia Vezzani brought some unusual footwear to the photoshoot for Picking a Brain.

Follow us on Instagram @peoplebypostnord

Silver in Publishing­ priset 2021

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Silver in Svenska Designpriset 2021

It’s all about the people IF YOU LOOK up the word commitment, you will see that it means “being involved in something and showing great interest in its success” and “showing active interest in and having a strong feeling about something”. When I started working at the Group in 2014, that was very much embodied by my new colleagues and the view of our company. The place was characterized by an enormous sense of pride. Decade after decade, postal service employees had helped ensure that communication was maintained throughout the Nordic region.

People had been connected together and the company’s existence depended on us. We are also part of the rise of modern society.

As digitalization progresses, we are delivering more and more e-commerce parcels. The fact that the company has existed since the 17th century of course provides proof that what we do is important, but also that we who make up the Group are committed to success and that we continue to deliver, day after day. In other words, we care. About our colleagues and about the senders and recipients.

When I, together with colleagues and external resources, developed People

by PostNord, the spotlight was on the employees who make up the Group. We wanted to highlight all the committed people in PostNord, and report about the company’s development via their stories.

I had a vision of conveying the passion and the destinies that have shaped us and that we carry with us as Nordic colleagues. Because it is thanks to our collective experiences, that PostNord is what it is and that we achieve everything we do – week after week, throughout the M A L I N N O RD É N year, decade after decade.

Editor in Chief, The magazine you are reading now People by PostNord is the eighth in succession and contains some changes. Just like PostNord, our magazine is keeping up with the latest trends and keeps developing and changing as the conditions in the world around us change. We have adjusted the design of the magazine slightly, for example with more graphics, and further refined the “PostNord format” a bit.

In this issue, you can read about how Jeanette enthusiastically communicates with our customers, that Giorgia makes a difference by working at PostNord, and how Jimale makes crucial contributions during his working day. And lots more stories about committed PostNord employees. We haven’t changed that aspect.

Last, but not least, I would also like to say thank you and goodbye.

After just over eight years at the Group, I have chosen to take on a new and exciting challenge at another company. I take with me numerous memories of fantastic Nordic colleagues. I welcome my successor, Björn Bergman, to this fantastic group of people and wish you happy reading!

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD Editor in Chief: Malin Nordén Editor: Sofia Lundgren Project manager: Jessica Somers Layout Artists: Martin Isaksson & Andreas Rondahl Other Contributors: Josephine Carr, Grethe-­Birgitte Friis Jakobsen, Rebecka Mathers, Haakon Nikolai Olsen, Salla Virkkunen and Helen Ridger. Cover image: Samuel Unéus Production: OTW Print: V-TAB E-mail: peopleby@postnord.com

3

MAGNUS FOND

BEHIND THE SCENES

WELCOME!

CONTENTS / #2–2022

IN THIS ISSUE, MEET...

33

Jimale, whose deliveries mean life and death.

24

Hanne, who has one thing in common with Pippi.

6

Mathias, who truly relaxes when riding his Harley.

26

Mind your language – talk like a boss.

16

Henrik, who works with a device that really sucks.

9

Jeanette, who is too nice to get off the phone.

CONTENTS

37

The crew in Alvesta who shows that teamwork works.

47 Anna, who hasn´t met a challenge she didn´t like.

50

Johan, who has electric dreams.

VINJETT MY SPOT// VINJETT ON MY HARLEY-DAVIDSON

“Riding my bike is 100 percent freedom”

Trelleborg, Sweden

“WHEN I NEED to relax, I get on my bike.

At work I’m in the midst of the action – the Service Desk is the very first thing you meet when you contact the IT department at PostNord Strålfors. So when I need a break, my big black Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, weighing over 300 kilos, is my favorite spot in the world. The model has been on my wish list since it was launched. But if I could, I’d probably have at least ten different models…

I’VE DREAMT OF having a motorcycle since I was little. Three years ago, I finally got my license and my dream came true.

It’s a special feeling to sit on it and feel the

elements hit you – in a good way. The wind, the sun or the rain. For me, it’s a way to get rid of stress. It’s total relaxation. On my bike I clear my head. It’s as far from my work as I can get. It’s something I do by myself, for myself – I have nobody to answer to. Still, riding a motorcycle is also a lot about a sense of community. If two bikers meet, they always greet each other – all around the world.

A COUNTRY ROAD flanked by open fields is the best type of road to drive on. The other day I drove to Åhus and back – 250 kilometers just to get some ice cream and some time in the saddle. Because when I’m

on my bike, it’s 100 percent my own time, and that always makes me happy. Riding a motorcycle is 100 percent freedom. When there are traffic jams, I just drive in between the cars and overtake them. It’s all about that feeling when you sit on your bike, turn the key, rev it up – I love the sound of the motorcycle – and just take off. It sparks such joy in my body, regardless of the weather.

And since you’re so unprotected on the bike, you have to be totally focused and really present in the moment.

HAPPINESS, FREEDOM AND community – that’s what riding my motorcycle is all about.”

Follow us on Instagram @peoplebypostnord

6

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

PHOTO: JOHAN BÄVMAN

VINJETT /MY VINJETT SPOT

Mathias Eklöf Age: 44.

Position: Service Desk Manager, Strålfors, Malmö, Sweden.

Closest colleagues: Henrik Håkanson, Anders Nilsson, Nils-Ola Andersson, Michael Nilsson and Dino Gacic.

At PostNord since: 2019.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

7

EASY

DELIVERY

There’s lots going on at PostNord at the moment, from high-tech innovation to sustainability breakthroughs. Read on...

Thinking inside the box COLLECT YOUR PARCEL in no more than ten seconds? Yes, with the new PostNord robot, you just identify yourself with electronic identification, use the door code and a QR code you get in the PostNord app – and pick up your e-goods from the parcel robot.

The new high-tech, self-service parcel robot, also known as “Indoor Parcel Box”, is about to speed up the process of delivering

larger parcels in Sweden to meet the new demands of the e-commerce peak. Through the pilot launched this spring, Malmö residents were the first to get to know the new PostNord parcel robot, which operates in central Malmö. The new robot is a way to meet consumers high expectations regarding flexibility and availability when choosing delivery location.

Lean, green delivery machines AS YOU KNOW, our goal is to be fossilfree by 2030. To get there PostNord Norway already has 35–40 biogas cars up and running, adding another 18 from different suppliers. And more are on the way! Before the end of 2023 PostNord Norway aims to have 118 biogas trucks on the roads as a part of creating more sustainable solutions for our customers and partners.

AI – full of green ideas

It may look like a big box, but it is in fact the new robot.

(NOT SO HUMBLE)

BRAG! …at least according to the Financial Times. When ranking Europe’s leaders in climate for the second time, PostNord qualified as one of the 400 companies leading the way toward a low-carbon economy.

Go PostNord!

8

Green wash – not greenwash A MORE SUSTAINABLE working en­ vironment – as well as more sustainable vehicle washing. This is the result of the new agreement for PostNord Sweden’s vehicle fleet. A total of 24 new sustainable car wash suppliers from all over the country are included in the agreement, which covers electric vehicles, letter carriers, vans, trucks and trailers.

BY USING AI-ENABLED image- and video analysis solutions, we can turn our existing security cameras at terminals into climate heroes. With this technology, we are able to automatically and dynamically measure the fill ratio in vehicles in real time and without manual intervention.

Large volumes of real-time data enable analysis that can alert people to errors and also provide insights on how to further optimize capacity utilization, thus avoiding unnecessary transport and reducing our climate impact.

15,000 m

2

– THAT’S HOW BIG the brand new terminal in Vantaa, Finland is. As e-commerce in Finland is continuing to experience strong growth, a change was necessary.

The new terminal was built in order to cope with the large parcel volumes expected in the future and the expectations and demands of consumers, with the move to the new premises starting earlier this fall.

This means an important triangle has finally been closed, since the new terminals in Turku, Vantaa and Tampere now form the backbone of Finnish freight.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

ABC@POSTNORD / JEANETTE ENGE VINJETT GRANERØD / VINJETT

Jeanette Enge Granerød

O

UT

JEANETTE

|S

A AB

T T E | SA I D

ID

AB

Age: 33.

Position: Customer Consultant, Larvik, Norway.

Closest colleagues: Liz Heum, Andrea Sandbekk and Tonje Strand Aydin.

At PostNord since: 2020.

TE

AID ABOU |S T

J

Jeanette Enge Granerød is so good at handling customers that she prefers to communicate with them in writing.

Come again? Yes, because on the phone, conversations can be so pleasant that they never end.

ET

EA

NE

O UT J E A N

Jeanette gets verbal bouquets

“Thank you very much for all your help and for helping to improve PostNord’s reputation.”

“A verbal bouquet for you.”

“You managed to completely turn my experience around.

You’re good at what you do.”

“Wishing you a glorious day ahead. Always good service at PostNord.”

Do you know a Postnorder who goes above and beyond? Let us know at peopleby@postnord.com

TEXT: SISSEL FANTOFT PHOTO: LEIKNY HAVIK SKJÆRSETH

JEANETTE HAS WORKED in customer service since her teens, first in stores and then at PostNord’s Customer Center in Larvik.

“Here, I’ve really found my dream job! I love communicating with people and think it’s great to be the face of PostNord to the outside world,” she says.

Jeanette has received a lot of pleasant feedback from customers, storing some of it in a document that she can look at on more challenging days to cheer herself up: “Customers give me credit for following up on their inquiries and being good at keeping

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

them up to date. Although the answers are not always what they want, they’re grateful that I do everything I can to help them.”

A customer even wondered if he could send her a gift as a thank you for her help!

Always trying to be nice Jeanette prefers to communicate with customers via written channels, such as chat or e-mail.

“I’ve been told I’m easy to talk to and have kind of a pleasing voice, which makes phone conversations drag on. My boss has listened in to some of my conversations and can confirm that even though I try to round them off,

the customers continue to talk,” she says.

No matter how frustrated customers may be when they contact Jeanette, they are always happy afterwards.

“I’m here to help, and I always try to be nice. That makes it difficult for customers to be angry at me and, moreover, most people are in a good mood once they’ve had the chance to vent their frustration. I’m aware that I play an important role in terms of PostNord’s reputation, so I’m determined to deal with all customers in a pleasant and professional way.”

9

MY LIST / LARS-ERIC LJUNG

Lars-Eric Ljung Age: 55.

Position: Driver, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Closest colleagues: Christian Sjöberg and Peter Hoffmeister.

At PostNord since: 1985.

10

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

MY LIST

IP

S|

TIPS |

TI TIPS | S|

IP

T

T

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

TIPS |

TEXT: SOFIA LUNDGREN PHOTO: SOFIA SABEL

FOR A FEW months, Lars-Eric Ljung got to retrain along with a handful of other colleagues in a program initiated by PostNord in the western region of Sweden. During the program, former mail carriers were transformed into drivers. Some of them obtained licenses to drive heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), whilst others got their HGV licenses upgraded to CE, the highest HGV category, allowing them to tow heavy trailers.

It’s the second year of the program and the benefits are multiple. There is a major need for new drivers due to a shortage of them at PostNord, and mail carriers are less in demand due to decreasing mail volumes.

Last but not least, Lars-Eric’s personal reason for retraining is as follows: “I feel great about this, doing something totally new after 36 years as a mail carrier.

I spent the last few years in logistics, which makes you really tired in the physical sense at the end of the day. Now, spending all day

3

S|

Switching gears after 36 years of carrying mail may sound like a challenge, but for Lars-Eric it’s been a pleasant change.

| TIPS | T

IP

KING OF THE ROAD

PS

When Lars-Eric turns on the radio: P4. I start my mornings by listening to P4 (local news) in the truck. Since I’m on the road all day, I need to know what’s going on traffic-wise, especially in a city like Gothenburg that’s constantly being upgraded and rebuilt. And of course, I want to listen to the latest news!

Rockklassiker. In the middle of the day, I put on Rockklassiker.

It’s a mix of great rock’n’roll tunes from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Iron Maiden is my favorite band, but I never ever sing along. Not even to their tunes.

Pirate Rock. At the end of the workday when I may need some perking up, I listen to Pirate Rock. It’s a small radio channel that was recently purchased by a bigger network. The channel has kept its spontaneous, unpolished attitude – the hosts still sound like regular people.

maneuvering a heavy vehicle in all kinds of traffic, I’m tired in another way – after having to focus on the road for so long. But I don’t ever regret becoming a driver.”

TODAY, LARS-ERIC’S WORKDAY starts off at the PostNord terminal in Hisingen, where he shoots the breeze with his colleagues and grabs some coffee. The team leader then assigns the deliveries of the day, and it’s time to plan the route. Customers can be anyone from families to businesses.

The items delivered are even more diverse, Lars-Eric says.

“On the same day, I can deliver a ton of gravel to one place and a single small parcel to another. Getting to meet our customers is what I enjoy the most, and now there’s a lot of that. Another perk is I get to listen to what I want when I drive my delivery truck – when I’m in my car with my kids, I never get to choose what we listen to.”

11

HOT TOPIC / ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Today 80 out of 1,000 delivery trucks are electric vehicles.

On a mission for zero emissions TEXT: LISE HANNIBAL ILLUSTRATION: CHRISTINA HÄGERFORS

OSTNORD has committed to an ambitious plan: zero emissions in last-mile transport by 2027.

An essential component of reaching this goal is to replace vehicles run on fossil fuels with electric vehicles. But making the right decisions about future investments requires intelligent planning and testing of equipment.

“We have been testing different charging stations to collect data on cost, range and how quickly they charge our cars,” says Hasse Hauch, Program Manager in Sustain­ ability, Parcel Operation. “The tests have shown that standard and medium charging stations can provide sufficient electricity to keep our cars on the road in urban areas.

Electric vehicles are well-suited for city routes with many stops and low speed limits,” Hasse explains. “In the cities, most parcel vehicles drive no more than 50 kilometers a day, and the short range makes it possible to charge them overnight. Moreover, electric cars help reduce particle pollution, and the

P

Watch this short film to learn more about our roadmap to fossil-free transports.

12

drivers love them for being comfortable and noise-free,” he adds.

“Now that the first tests have been performed, we can start expanding the number of cars and charging stations.

But we also need to plan intelligently. We are currently trialing a digital tool that helps us control how many cars should be charged and when to charge them to ensure the cheapest energy,” says Hasse.

“After all, we want to be both competitive and an attractive provider of green deliveries for our customers. It’s about saving the world while while maintaining and enhancing our position on the market.”

Hasse Hauch

Age: 46 Position: Program Manager in Sustain­ability, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Closest colleagues: My team all work from home, but I have daily contact with Christian Nordling and many others.

At PostNord since: 2021.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

PICKING A BRAIN / GIORGIA VEZZANI

TEXT: LISE HANNIBAL PHOTO: JOHAN BÄVMAN

Training for triathlon “I’ve been a dedicated swimmer for a long time, but now I feel like challenging myself and going a bit further. So I’ve decided to do my first triathlon, and training for it requires time and effort.

I’m very grateful for the flexibility of my job at PostNord, which allows me to do other things in life.”

Improving my Danish “I speak Danish at work and can see how my language skills are improving every day. Even though I’m getting better at expressing myself, I’d still like to work on my Danish and reach the advanced C1 level*, the level before native speaker.” * Cambridge English Scale

“Serving the common good” FOR GIORGIA VEZZANI, nothing makes more sense than working for a sustainable future.

“I think that everybody in my generation feels some degree of climate anxiety,” she says. “I wanted to work in sustainability to contribute to the common good.”

POSTNORD IS A place she feels she can make a difference.

“PostNord is a big company, so people often ask me if it has a ‘real’ interest in sustainability or if it’s just a veneer,” she says.

“I can honestly say that I experience true commitment to sustainability goals and a genuine interest in improving things.”

Much of Giorgia’s work involves colPEOPLE BY POSTNORD

lecting and improving data, including for environmental reporting.

“Precise data is crucial when we make decisions, whether it’s about investing in improving our performance in a certain way or about the standards we expect from our subcontractors,” she explains.

ANOTHER PART IS raising funds for various projects and walking the talk in daily life – without being too radical.

“Sustainability starts with small changes – no meat in the canteen, your own mug instead of paper cups, sorting the trash,” Giorgia says.

She also convinced her boss to take the train instead of the plane for a meeting in Stockholm. Every little helps.

Raising money

“What’s very much on my mind is writing a successful application to support the sustainability projects that are part of the Green by PostNord initiative.

Between electrified parcel delivery and infrastructure challenges, there’s a lot going on. Now is the time to do the crucial work on the application and secure the necessary funding.”

Giorgia Vezzani Age: 26.

Position: Sustainability Specialist, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Closest colleague: Head of HSSE (Health, Safety, Security and Environment) Christian Nordling.

At PostNord since: 2021.

13

FOCUS / OUR SUSTAINABLE WORKPLACE

CARING FOR OUR

PEOPLE

For us, being sustainable is a lot of things: striving for fossil-free transport is a given, but also caring about what really makes PostNord go round – the people who work here.

That’s why Henrik is a test pilot, Jari is training the class of ’22, Alexandra has put her phone away and Hanne has grown into a leader.

FOCUS / OUR SUSTAINABLE WORKPLACE

The foundations of HAIP • A physically, psychologically, and socially safe environment • A leading company in the industry when it comes to workplace safety • Zero tolerance for deaths and injuries • Measure all work-related injuries • Cross-functional approach, including the customer perspective

Vaculex can pick up parcels that weigh 20 kilos without any problems – heavier than that, a little help may be needed.

16

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

FOCUS

BELIEVE THE

HAIP PostNord strives to be the best in every part of its business, particularly when it comes to the work environment. With this in mind, new tools and work methods are being tested all the time. Henrik Modalen’s new best friend is the Vaculex vacuum lifter.

TEXT: RISTO PAKARINEN PHOTO: OSKAR OMNE

NOTHER truck needs to be unloaded.

Henrik Modalen walks up to it, picks up the Vaculex vacuum lifter and pulls it closer to the first parcel, which contains computer equipment. He grabs the parcel with the lifter, then moves it onto the conveyor belt and releases it there.

While “Lift with your legs, not with your back” is still solid advice, Vaculex and other tools have added a new dimension. Ask Henrik and he will confirm – Vaculex sucks, but in the best possible way! The vacuum lifter helps him load and unload trucks in a much easier and safer way.

“Vaculex is a fantastic tool. It’s simple to use and it’s made my job easier. Without it, we’d have to do everything manually, but with Vaculex, things go much smoother,” says

A

Henrik Modalen Age: 26.

Position: Terminal worker, Järfälla, Sweden.

Closest colleagues: Henrik Eliasson and William Ohlsson.

At PostNord since: 2021.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Henrik, who has been testing Vaculex for a few months now at PostNord in Järfälla, Sweden.

“When I started working at PostNord, I didn’t consider using any of the tools. When you’re young, you think you can handle just about anything, but when my colleagues recommended Vaculex to me, I tried it out and now I couldn’t do without it,” he adds with a big smile.

The work environment at the letter department at PostNord has always been relatively good. Less so, however, when it comes to the parcel department. That became evident during the pandemic. When the volume of parcels skyrocketed, the risk of injury increased too. And there were even threats of fines for breaches of the Work Environment Act. Something had to be done.

17

FOCUS / OUR SUSTAINABLE WORKPLACE

“I didn’t fully trust it at first, but it can pick up a parcel that weighs 20 kilos without any problems.”

THE RESULT WAS the creation of HAIP, a program for creating a sustainable workplace for parcel processing in Sweden. No accidents, a better work environment and a safe workplace are the three goals of HAIP, whose name is an acronym of the Swedish name of the program, Hållbar Arbetsmiljö i Paketprocesserna (Sustainable Work Environment in Parcel Processes).

In line with the goals of the program, PostNord strives to have the best workplace safety process in the business, going above and beyond what is legally required of the company to provide a physically, psychologically and socially safe environment. This includes zero tolerance of work-related deaths and serious injuries.

Aymen Ali Position: Terminal worker.

Closest colleagues: Muhamed Sadik, terminal worker At PostNord since: 2018.

AS PART OF its zero-tolerance vision, Post­ Nord has invested in new tools and equipment to improve physical work conditions, ranging from stair climbers to work platforms.

And the best people to try them out are those who matter the most – the ones doing the work.

A safer environment has other benefits, too. The more you work in the right way, the quicker it gets done.

“Vaculex is easy to pull up to the truck and it picks up parcels faster than I would be able to do by hand. I didn’t fully trust it at first, but it can pick up a parcel that weighs 20 kilos without any problems. Anything heavier than that, you can help out a little with your hands,” Henrik says.

Even though Henrik is only 26, he says he feels the full benefit of using Vaculex. All those aches and pains he used to have after a long workday weren’t just because he was new in his job, he now realizes.

“I’m all for using all the help I can get. I recently tested a new back plate that gives me extra support while lifting things. I liked it,” he says.

He has also begun to think more about health and safety. Maybe there are other areas where tools could be useful?

“It’s not uncommon for us to get our fingers squashed between two parcels. Maybe there are gloves with padding,” Henrik says.

If not, he might have to invent them.

Here to help: Vaculex: a vacuum lifter to load and unload trucks Raka: a tool to help you reach parcels ParcelPicker: a semi-automatic parcel picker to lift and carry parcels Stair climber: to make it easier to take a trolley up the stairs Work platform: to make it easier to load and unload parcels “The exoskeleton helps a lot when I lift parcels from the floor or the table. I like that it´s adjustable, both when it comes to the weight of the parcel, but I also can decide how much support I want from it. I´ve been using the exoskeleton for a while now and it really makes a difference. When wearing it, it´s impossible to lift in bad way and it protects not only my back but also my legs.”

Soter Analytics: a smart gadget that collects data and warns if you lift something in the wrong way

What Aymen is wearing is the cool-named active exoskeleton from GermanBionic, one of the devices that is tested and evaluated within HAIP.

18

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

FOCUS

Read more about the Strålfors 3D printer on page 52.

P L E H A

D N A ING H

– tech to lighten the load

RIGHT NOW, 336 harnesses are being used at more than 100 terminals and hubs all over Sweden as a part of HAIP. Hopefully, there will be greater interest in the harnesses after they have been trialed. If more harnesses are required, they can simply be ordered via the PostNord webshop e-Handla. The harnesses are intended for those delivering parcels.

They have a small foldable plate to support the parcels when the mail carrier needs to open doors and grab hold of banisters.

WEAR IT

– for safety

THE HAIP PROJECT is made up of many different components – one is the Wearables for safety concept. Here, the focus is on highlighting and making changes to risky ways of working. The terminal and hub workers at Segeltorp and Tullinge have been trialing the Soter Analytics tool for a while now and so far, the gadget has been really helpful.

The smart little tool, about the size of a box of matches, is placed on the back of the wearer’s neck, where it collects data. It also serves as an alarm that warns you by beeping and vibrating when you are lifting something in the wrong way, or when you

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

So far, very little negative has been said about them. Some comments were about the plate being too small – a problem easily solved in a joint effort with Strålfors.

New, bespoke plates were swiftly made with a Strålfors 3D printer using a honeycomb pattern to use less plastic and make it less expensive.

twist in a way that could possibly be harmful.

After wearing the Soter Analytics gadget for at least ten days, you are provided with an analysis of your behavior at work, so you can learn where and when risky situations occur – because only then is it possible to turn old habits into new, healthier ones.

Another positive outcome of the Wearables for safety concept is that it puts the physical work environment at the top of the agenda.

The gadget itself and the analysis it presents encourages workers to discuss their own results, with each other and with management.

Suddenly the topic is on everybody’s mind.

19

FOCUS / OUR SUSTAINABLE WORKPLACE

Logistics Academy: Class of ’22 From having no job to becoming a PostNord pro in six weeks may sound too good to be true. But that’s what Finland’s Logistics Academy is all about.

TEXT: RISTO PAKARINEN PHOTO: RONI REKOMAA ILLUSTRATION: SHUTTERSTOCK

Logistiikka-akatemia • A partnership with Hyria Business Institute and Kehityspiikki • 15 unemployed participants • Theoretical logistics training at Hyria, practical training at PostNord • First program finished in June 2022, and if successful it may be recurring

20

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

FOCUS

Jari Siniaalto Age: 42.

Position: Head of Operations South, TPL, Vantaa, Finland.

Closest colleagues: Jussi Broberg, Kristian Leppä, Jan Zweygbergk, Riku Vuontisjärvi, Oskari Kauranne, Toni Mäkelä, Janne Toivanen, Pasi Johansson, Ninni Tanttu and Jarno Asarieff.

At PostNord since: 2021.

N MID-JUNE, just as school kids all over Scandinavia began their well-earned summer holidays, a group of recent graduates of PostNord Finland’s Logistiikka-akatemia – “Logistics Academy” – were looking forward to getting to work.

The academy, created with two partners from adult education and the employment service, offers fifteen currently unemployed people the chance to receive logistics training and an internship at PostNord Finland.

The training period and the internship last three weeks each.

“Participants are all unemployed people who have applied for the program. Around thirty candidates took part in an interview with a manager, and fifteen of them were chosen for the internship,” says Jari Siniaalto, Head of Operations South, TPL. The Finnish academy is similar to Post­ Nord’s initiatives in Sweden, where PostNord has partnered with Jobbsprånget, which facilitates the introduction of newly arrived immigrants into the Swedish labor market.

I

WHILE LOGISTIIKKA-AKATEMIA hasn’t been specifically aimed at immigrants or designed to add diversity, according to Siniaalto, the program has attracted interest from a diverse range of candidates.

“The candidates’ background or gender is not important as long as we speak a common language,” he says. “What is important is that they’re highly motivated and quick to learn new things.”

Once the fifteen interns hit the PostNord floor, they’ll be doing real work from the get-go.

“Basically, they’ll go to work. They’ll be doing regular packing and collection tasks, even if they’ll probably not be behind the wheel of the biggest forklifts right away,” Siniaalto says with a smile.

“We want to see how they behave in real-life work situations and how quickly they learn new things,” he adds.

THE PURPOSE OF the academy is to create a win-win situation. The candidates gain the experience they need to get a job in a growing business, while PostNord acquires motivated candidates they can train in a proper and cost-effective way.

Once the three-week internship is over, many of the candidates get jobs in PostNord warehouses.

“In theory, we could offer all of them work, thanks to our flexibility. We’ll look at each candidate on a case-by-case basis regarding if and when they can start, but sometimes it could be right away,” Siniaalto says.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

21

FOCUS / OUR SUSTAINABLE WORKPLACE

PAYING IT FORWARD Alexandra Uimonen with her colleagues (left to right) Rainer Ijäs, Heli Rohtmets and Viktor Luomaranta.

Alexandra Uimonen Age: 41.

Position: Health and safety representative, Vantaa, Finland.

Closest colleagues: Everyone! Viktor Luomaranta and Jesse Laine.

At PostNord since: 2006.

HENEVER Alexandra Uimonen goes to the reception, she makes a point of greeting the people there, maybe chatting with them for a minute or two.

And no, she’s not trying to get out of doing her own work in the department of dangerous goods.

She’s doing it because she wants to – and because she’s been the health and safety representative at the Vantaa terminal since the beginning of 2022 and wants to be a positive force for a better work environment at PostNord.

“The workplace atmosphere has become my top priority. I think we’ve let it slide a bit, and the past few years with all the crises in the world haven’t helped,” she says.

“And it’s super important. I’ve been down myself, and I know what it’s like to be burned out and depressed, which is why I’d like to help others in that respect,” she adds.

W

How Alexandra makes the work place better: • Communication is key.

Talk to your colleagues.

• Managers: don’t hide.

Lead by example.

• Give positive feedback.

• Put your phone away during breaks – you’ll be surprised by what you’ll learn.

• It’s everybody’s workplace – make sure everyone feels noticed and welcome.

• Pay it forward. Get the snowball of positivity rolling.

22

DURING HER 16 years, Alexandra has seen PostNord grow and with this growth, the company has understandably changed as well, she says.

“We’ve become more hierarchical, more rigid. I’m sure that’s at least in part by design,

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

FOCUS

Alexandra Uimonen, the health and safety representative in Vantaa, would like to get the snowball rolling.

The snowball of smiles and open communication.

TEXT: RISTO PAKARINEN PHOTO: RONI REKOMAA

because it’s more effective, but we’ve lost something, too,” she says.

She’s determined to change the atmosphere. That’s why she wanted to take on the health and safety rep responsibility, too.

“At first, there were times when I thought I had bitten off a little more than I could chew, but I had talked to so many people here and knew how bad they felt, how anxious they were. I had to do something.”

SHE’D LIKE TO tear down some walls – make managers more visible and communication more transparent – but most of all she’d like people to talk to each other. Share things, however trivial.

“Maybe it’s the Finnish culture, but we’re not good at expressing our feelings. It seems to be difficult to give positive feedback, even though we all know how nice it is to get it,” she says.

But to get it, you have to give it.

Paradoxically, today there are more ways to communicate than ever. And that just may be the problem, Alexandra says.

“I’ve started keeping my phone in my pocket during breaks. And then others do it, too, and suddenly, we’re connecting,” she says with a laugh.

Laughter is contagious, too.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

23

FOCUS / OUR SUSTAINABLE WORKPLACE

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT

As someone who loves a challenge, when Hanne was offered the chance of a new role with added responsibility, she knew it was a chance to climb the career ladder. And that was too hard to resist.

TEXT: LISE HANNIBAL PHOTO: KÅRE VIEMOSE

N MARCH, just around the time of her birthday, mail carrier Hanne Fabricius was called in for a meeting with her boss.

“I had no idea what the meeting would be about. I thought it might be related to some work I’d done for another department,” Hanne recalls.

But it was a different sort of meeting. It was an offer she couldn’t refuse. “Susanne, my boss, told me: ‘There’s an opportunity for you to become a leader. It’s time for you to spread your wings and fly.’”

I

IT WASN’T THE first time Hanne had been asked to climb the career ladder.

She was asked the same question a couple of years ago but didn’t feel ready. This time, she said yes.

“It all happened very fast from there,” Hanne says. “Less than two weeks later, I had my last day at Holstebro, where I had spent 16 years as a mail carrier. I brought a whole box of Kleenex and it was empty by the end of the day. I know you’re not supposed to cry, so one of my colleagues cheered me up by saying: ‘You’re not crying, Hanne. It’s just your eyes sweating.’”

BEFORE HANNE STARTED her new job as a team manager in Mail and Last Mile at Silkeborg, she already had some experience in leadership and coordination as a standby coordinator in Holstebro. To prepare for her new role, she has finished four theoretical courses on running her department, and courses in leadership and human management are in the pipeline.

“The courses have made me grow both professionally and personally, and I’ve learned so much from the other participants.

Plus, I met my girlfriend there,” she smiles.

“I love that no two days are the same, as well as the sense of humor at work and being able to make a difference.”

24

HANNE IS CONFIDENT about running the practical side of her department, but being responsible for other employees is new to her and something she takes very seriously.

“I still have a lot to learn about leading people. Luckily, we have a strong culture of helping each other out at PostNord, and I consult other managers a lot. You can’t know everything, but as long as you know who to call, you’re halfway there,” Hanne says.

WHAT OTHER CHALLENGES has she faced going from mail delivery to management? “Getting less exercise! As a mail carrier, I would first bike to work and then have 10,000 steps under my belt by 10 in the morning. Sitting in the office, I’m lucky if I reach 10,000 steps in a whole day,” Hanne says. Also, going from knowing everyone and everything in Holstebro to starting from scratch in Silkeborg has been tough at times.

“But I love that no two days are the same, as well as the sense of humor at work and being able to make a difference,” she says.

“My approach is a bit like Pippi Longstocking’s: I’ve never tried that before, so I think I should definitely be able to do it.”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

FOCUS

Hanne Fabricius Age: 48.

Position: Team Manager, Silkeborg, Denmark.

Closest colleagues: All the other team managers, my former boss Susanne Elise Jensen and Michael Morrison.

At PostNord since: 1985.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

25

HOW STUFF WORKS / POSTNORD LINGO

LET’S TALK LIKE A BOSS Get on top of PostNord’s strategy buzzwords and key phrases – from Win in Parcel to Green by Post­Nord, we unpack the strategy lingo!

TEXT: SOFIA LUNDGREN ILLUSTRATION: CHRISTINA HÄGERFORS

Cost Leader TO SUCCEED AS a market leader – and to Win in Parcel – we need to be a cost leader.

What does that mean? Essentially, it means having the lowest cost per parcel in the segments in which we work. Being a cost leader is important, as the customers in the parcel industry are price-sensitive and cost is an important way to stand out in relation our competitors. To become a cost leader, we need to continuously improve our productivity and use the right tools to measure, challenge and improve our products, processes and systems. It’s also a mindset of being as efficient as possible and not wasting any resources.

This also benefits the environment and makes everyday life easier for our customers and for employees throughout PostNord.

Win in Parcel EVER WONDERED WHY we like to talk about Win in Parcel? To put it simply, it means we want to ‘win’ in parcel deliveries by being the market and cost leader in the Nordics. Win in Parcel is our number one strategic priority, because the parcel industry is growing so rapidly and requires a focused effort to win against the stiff competition. Our ‘winning aspiration’ is to be #1 in Sweden and Denmark and #2 in Norway and Finland in terms of market share and brand, as well as cost leaders. To achieve this, we’ve devised a number of steps to continue improving our offering, customer experience and operations.

These will help us achieve our goals together.

So, think of Win in Parcel as the overall strategy for our parcel business.

26

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

HOW STUFF WORKS

Truly Nordic DUE TO OUR Nordic brand and presence, PostNord is very well placed in terms of cross-border (between Nordic countries) and international (from the EU and other countries) commerce.

However, we have been focusing mainly on winning in domestic markets and can see an opportunity to grow here. Additionally, PostNord has had different offerings and pricing in all four markets – Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. Now, PostNord aims to find a balance between working together as one company and empowering each country to meet the needs of the local market. So, the sum is greater than its parts, you might ask? Yes, exactly. To achieve this, we will standardize our products, processes and systems across all the countries.

Big Blue Machine IS THIS POSTNORD’S beating heart, you might wonder? Well, it’s big and blue alright, but it’s really another way of speaking, mainly in Sweden, about our core parcel business and its many components: machine sortable parcels delivered overnight to homes, lockers, service points and businesses. This is where our core business focus is and where we excel. The core business is broad enough to allow us to be market leaders, yet focused enough to allow us to develop expertise and excellence, and it’s something we’re doing together across the four Nordic countries. And with our well-defined processes and high levels of efficiency and productivity, we’re a powerful operator, with the expertise and history to serve the entire Nordic market.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Green by PostNord DID YOU KNOW that one of our key climate goals is to be fossil-free by 2030? That’s one of the reasons we set up Green by PostNord, a climate initiative to help us reach all of our climate targets. Green by PostNord provides us with a structured approach and clear roadmap for how to reduce our climate impact and develop PostNord as a sustainable brand. To do this, we’re streamlining our processes, products and systems, and setting green standards for the type of energy and vehicles we buy. We’re also standardizing and coordinating how we work together.

These are just some of the steps we’re taking, but they all add up. Not only is this good for PostNord’s business, but it’s also the right thing to do for society and the environment.

27

THE BEGINNING / JENNIFER ERIKSSON

SKELLEFTEÅ

A moving story If you ever wonder what dedication looks like – take a look at Jennifer Eriksson. Why? Oh, just because she moved 700 kilometers for a career opportunity at PostNord.

TEXT: SOFIA ZETTERMAN PHOTO: SAMUEL UNÉUS

28

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

THE BEGINNING

E IGHT HOURS AND 23 minutes. On a good day. That is how long it takes for Jennifer Eriksson to drive “home” to Skellefteå in the north of Sweden. Life has changed completely for the dedicated PostNord employee since she moved to Uppsala to become a Group Leader.

UPPSALA

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

SIX YEARS AGO, Jennifer started as a PostNord driver, delivering parcels. After just a year, she was accepted onto the Leadership Program in Stockholm, a program she summarizes as “the best thing she’s ever done”.

The program led to a temporary position as a production leader, but Jennifer was hungry for more. And when her coach encouraged her to apply for the Group Leader position in Uppsala, she did not need to think twice.

She applied for the job – and got it! Jennifer says that because she felt that PostNord believed in her, this made her believe in herself. At twenty-two years old, she moved across the country to start working as Group Leader for people twice her age and with twice her experience at PostNord.

“I was super nervous … and had to find my bearings in a whole new city and delegate things to people who know this city inside out.”

The small Logistics Department back home with around 25 colleagues was replaced by the giant – by Jennifer’s standards – hub in Uppsala with around 150 people.

Luckily, Jennifer is a fast learner.

“It’s a stressful job involving a lot of solving problems but that’s what I thrive on. My greatest strength is being able to maintain my famous ‘Northern calmness’ in stressful situations. I’m also good at staying positive and bringing people on board. I guess they

29

THE BEGINNING / JENNIFER ERIKSSON

“On her right arm Jennifer has a tattoo of an envelope, a sign of her love for PostNord. The plan is to also tattoo a parcel – and yes, she’s looking for sponsors, so get fund-raising!”

can see that I’m a little bit obsessed with PostNord,” she says laughing. “I really like the fact that we provide an important public service – the mail must be delivered!”

Follow us on Instagram @peoplebypostnord

30

LEAVING THE STUNNING northern part of Sweden was not a given. In fact, Jennifer never really planned to leave and hopes to move back in the future.

“I love Skellefteå – my family lives there and we’re very close. My two sisters Sanna and Sofie and I are triplets, so it’s like leaving two-thirds of myself behind…”

Now, two years later, Jennifer has settled in well and even bought an apartment in Uppsala – a one-bedroom apartment with three balconies (!) only two doors away from her bestie at PostNord, Moa Wennberg.

She has also taken up floorball, singing, guitar playing and has discovered that she loves climbing.

The interview is once again interrupted by a colleague asking for help. And each time Jennifer greets them with a smile and a “Bring it on”.

“I’ve got problems with how they comb in the C5s on the B-tour…”.

Sounds all Greek to someone not working with mail, but Jennifer is already on the case.

“What I love about my job is helping people. It’s so much fun being the person people come to when the shit hits the fan.

Hearing ‘Jennifer, you’re just the person I was looking for’ always makes me happy. I try to

solve their problems in the best way possible, regardless of what they are.”

The fact that Jennifer sees a future for herself at PostNord is a no-brainer since she is obsessed with learning zip codes – a great obsession to have in this business.

“I’m a true zip code nerd – I’ve learned almost all the numbers in central Uppsala by now.”

LAST FALL JENNIFER took part in the internal manager training program “Leading through change 2.0” so she could acquire more tools as a leader before Solo, the change to alternate day delivery of mail in Sweden, was implemented.

“As a leader, I try to see every person and I care a lot. I’m like a mom here and when something happens, I feel it in my ‘mother’s heart.’ Even though I’m not even a mom yet,” she says laughing.

OVER THE YEARS, Jennifer has become an expert at converting people who have something negative to say about PostNord.

“They don’t even know what they’re talking about, but I’m a ‘Postie’,” she says, with a wide smile.

“I always liked getting mail… especially postcards and Christmas cards, and I had a pen pal when I was younger. I’ll teach my future children how to write the address on an envelope properly, which is something everybody should learn!”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

THE BEGINNING

Jennifer Eriksson Age: 25.

Position: Group Leader, Uppsala, Sweden.

Closest colleagues: Fellow Group Leaders Mattias Wiman and Janne Holmgren, Production Leaders Petra Andersson and Thomas Björklund, mail carrier and best friend Moa Wennberg.

At PostNord since: 2016.

T

IP

S|

TIPS |

TI TIPS | S|

TIPS |

3

S|

IP

| TIPS | T

IP

PS

T

Jennifer’s tips for climbing the ladder What Jennifer loves best about the job is helping her co-workers to solve problems.

“I try to see every person and I care a lot.

I’m like a mom here.”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

1 2 3

Dare to stand out and bring your A game.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help when you need to.

Network!

31

OUTSIDE THE BOX / NEW BUSINESS

OUTSIDE THE BOX / ANNIKA SAHLÉN

Annika Sahlén Age: 56.

Position: Mail carrier, Eskilstuna, Sweden.

Colleagues: Among others Team Leaders Maria Rådman and Stefan Ekström, and mail carrier Maggan Skoog. But I’ve been here so long I can go on with names for ever...

At PostNord since: 1986.

More than just mail When Annika Sahlén gets her delivery truck ready in, she packs way more than just letters. Because in Eskilstuna, the mail carriers not only deliver mail and parcels – they also distribute waste sorting bags to 20,000 households.

“Our vehicles are filled with garbage bags,” Annika says laughing. “It’s great for the environment, as well as a great source of income for PostNord, but it’s a lot of work.

The vehicles are not really built for this,” she explains. Today 50 mail carriers deliver waste bags daily, and when they run out of bags, they leave a postcard to let the customers know that new bags will arrive the next day.

ACCORDING TO ROBIN Gredfors, Production Manager at PostNord Hub Eskilstuna, the bags mean a lot of business: “The mail carriers get a slightly higher work­ TEXT: SOFIA ZETTERMAN PHOTO: JANN LIPKA load because of the bags but also less stops, since there are more mail carriers doing loops.

Even if the volumes fail, we have something HEN ESKILSTUNA THAT WAS THE start of a win-win collaboraprofitable to fill the vehicle with. Without the municipality introtion between the municipality and PostNord: bags, we would need fewer employees …” duced a new waste the deliveries financially benefit both parties The city of Eskilstuna is a global role mosorting system in 2012, but also represent a major gain for the endel from an environmental perspective, and based on garbage vironment, with no additional environmental visitors come from all over the world to gain bags in different colors, impact. This has not only made homeinspiration from its recycling system. Also, one problem quickly owners happy but also resulted in a 50 Örebro has adopted the successful arose: there was no percent increase in recycled waste – recycling system and uses Posteasy, cost-efficient and environment friendly and the numbers keep on climbing!

Nord for bag delivery, and interest solution for how to distribute 18,000 rolls of Homeowners simply sort their from other municipalities could garbage bags every month to homeowners garbage in the color-coded bags not be greater: over 90 percent of in the county. The energy and environment and throw them all in one trash Sweden’s municipalities have visited department in Eskilstuna tried out different sobin. The waste is then sorted by Eskilstuna to look at the waste lutions, such packing the bags in the garbage a unique sorting machine at the Robin Gredfors sorting system.

Position: trucks and having an extra car follow the truck recycling center.

“It feels great to help make it Production Manager, easier for people to sort their wasto hand out the bags. Nothing worked. Until PostNord Hub, one day someone came up with a bright idea: FOR MAIL CARRIER Annika, the sote – while helping the environment couldn’t PostNord deliver the bags? lution meant a doubling of her tasks. Eskilstuna, Sweden. at the same time,” says Annika.

W

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

32

VINJETT / VINJETT

A JOB WELL DONE / JIMALE IBRAHIM

JIMALE’S PRECIOUS CARGO

Jimale Ibrahim Age: 24.

Position: Driver, Umeå, Sweden.

Closest colleagues: David Nyman, André Öquist and Fredrik Jonsson, who is our team leader – they all mean a lot to me. And my boss Kristoffer Vikberg.

At PostNord since: 2021.

Tumor marker test, or maybe a metabolic investigation – inside the plain-looking envelopes Jimale loads into the truck are contents that can change lives.

TEXT: SOFIA LUNDGREN PHOTO: SAMUEL PETTERSSON

UMOR marker tests, or maybe a metabolic investigation – inside the plain-looking envelopes Jimale loads into the truck are contents that can change lives. And yet it turns out that the best way to transport this important cargo is a completely ordinary, run-of-the-mill solution – PostNord’s Express Mail Domestic service – which guarantees rapid delivery.

T

“I PICK UP the boxes at 8 pm and then drop them off at the terminal for further transport.

It’s really a kind of set assignment where I have to be efficient and stick to the schedule, but there’s no stress though,” says Jimale.

Still, time is crucial – every year Region Västerbotten sends some 7,000 samples from

33 PEOPLE

BY POSTNORD

their 30–40 different healthcare units such as hospitals or healthcare centers to laboratories all over Sweden for analysis. In many cases, these samples are temperature sensitive and must be stored correctly – if they are not collected and delivered at the right time, there will be consequences for patients, such as delayed diagnoses and operations.

BEFORE WORKING WITH PostNord, Region Västerbotten used a supplier with refrigerated trucks. Besides appreciably higher costs, lead times were longer. Also, some errors occurred in terms of sorting and missed collections, which ruined the samples.

There are many benefits to Express Mail – not only is delivery reliability now much higher but transport is also more sustainable and costs have been lowered by an impressive 70 percent.

“I have to be efficient and stick to the schedule, but there’s no stress though.”

IN SHORT, REGION Västerbotten is a very happy customer, saying that they have only seen improvements since they started working with PostNord.

“I don’t really meet anyone apart from the people working at the lab, but I’m really pleased to hear that they’re happy with our work.

In my opinion, our collaboration works really well,” Jimale concludes.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD 33

VINJETT / VINJETT Some of the members of the Alvesta Dream Team.

Se bilder och filmer!

Följ oss på Instagram #peoplebypostnord

34

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

VINJETT / VINJETT

G THE GUIDE

A healthy worklife They are all part of creating our shared working environment, and so is everyone at PostNord. Teamwork, sincerity and positive relationships in the workplace are so important to us, they’re part of our guiding principles: ABC Leadership.

38

In Alvesta, there´s no "i" in teamwork. But there is a "w" and an "e".

40

Emil always has a joke up his sleeve to brighten up your day

42

Why did Jari switch from metal to mellow tunes?

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

35

VINJETT THE GUIDE / VINJETT / A HEALTHY WORKLIFE

Keeping you in FOCUS Every year the PostNord leadership asks for feedback on how motivated you feel, what level of pride you take in your work and many other issues. PostNord FOCUS, as we call it. The answers are vital, because without you all, it’s impossible to give customers a good experience and thrive as a company. Here are some areas from this year’s FOCUS that HR consultant Mads Boelt thinks are worth looking into.

Mads Boelt

Response rate

21,711 A record-breaking response rate of almost 90 (ok, 89.38) percent.

Our reputation

About leadership

62

76

“Historically, this has been a low score, but in recent years we’ve taken steps in the right direction. This year the score has climbed one point to 62. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our importance as a critical infrastructure became clearer to many customers and consumers – as well as to our employees.”

“We asked you to rate ‘my immediate manager cares about me as a person’. Here all countries scored 75 or more – a great result.

Our local leaders are crucial in supporting and engaging our employees, which shows that the employees in general really appreciate their immediate manager.”

See more results from FOCUS at the intranet c/o PostNord.

36

*Key performance indicator (KPI) is a measurement of performance which shows the progress toward an intended result.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

THE GUIDE / A HEALTHY VINJETTWORK / VINJETT LIFE

team

High spirits in Alvesta Teamwork makes all the difference in the workplace, according to the staff at the Alvesta Mail Terminal. Especially in times of change.

“We’re all a part of each other’s work environment,” says Peder Granefelt, who was part of the team that led the Solo implementation.

TEXT: SOFIA ZETTERMAN PHOTO: JONAS LJUNGDAHL

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

37

THE VINJETT GUIDE/ VINJETT / A HEALTHY WORK LIFE

T HE TEAM SPIRIT at Alvesta Mail Terminal not only helps them handle 700,000 letters a day – it’s also the reason that staff turnover among full-time employees is so low.

“Yesterday we celebrated the retirement of someone who worked here for 46 years,” says terminal worker and Chief Safety Representative Christina Anzelius Haglund, who joined the team in 1985.

“My colleagues are the reason I want to go to work. Standing at the same machine, day in and day out, is not all that fun, but we still have fun at work, together.”

Group Leader Peder Granefelt nods eagerly in agreement.

“If I didn’t have such great colleagues, I would probably be looking for another job.

They’re the reason I’m here. You spend as much time with these people as you do with your family – you need to have someone to talk to and laugh with.”

It’s safe to say they laugh a lot in Alvesta. Over the years, many colleagues have become close friends. The team goes bowling, plays padel, goes out to eat and runs the “Spring Race”. Activities help build team spirit.

“Everyone is committed and willing to go the extra mile when needed. For example, we never would have pulled off the Solo implementation if it wasn’t for our team effort,” says Production Manager Therese Hällstrand.

THE TRANSITION TO Solo (the change to alternate day deliveries) went smoothly in Alvesta, despite taking place during the pandemic peak. In a way, the timing couldn’t

38

“If I didn’t have such great colleagues, I would probably be looking for another job. They’re the reason I’m here.”

have been worse, with 15 percent of the staff off sick, but thanks to careful planning of the new procedures and the afore-mentioned teamwork, everything went well.

“We have a strong sense of community here. We all know each other well and complete tasks together. Everyone pitches in with their ideas – that’s why we handle higher volumes than many larger terminals. An important success factor is that our employees feel they can influence their workplace through our meetings and one-on-one talks,” says Therese.

Supporting each other at work is a given, the three of them agree.

“It’s about respect, about listening and being responsive. It’s important to remember

that you and your mood affect your colleagues – we are all a part of each other’s work environment,” Peder adds and laughs: “Therese likes the stuff I find boring. Different talents work well together. If we were alike, nothing would get done…”

Therese agrees: “I have zero patience and want things to happen fast. Peder is more thoughtful. We have a culture of speaking freely and we trust each other. It’s important for me to work with my staff. A manager must be visible and accessible. That’s why my office is in the production hall,” Therese says.

“And that’s why you’re not just the boss, you’re one of us,” Christina concludes.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

VINJETTTHE / VINJETT GUIDE

I

PS

| TIPS | T

| TIPS | T I

5

I

| TIPS | T

PS

| TIPS | T

PS

PS

Therese Hällstrand Position: Production Manager, Alvesta, Sweden.

At PostNord since: 2005.

I

Teambuilding – the Alvesta way Peder Granefelt Position: Group Leader, Alvesta, Sweden.

At PostNord since: 2008.

1

See everyone – everyday!

Say hello every single day and make sure that everyone in your team is ok. If not, maybe you can help?

2

Listen to what’s not being said, too – read body language and reactions. Follow up on how your employees feel later on, one-on-one.

3

Show respect! Respect other people and their opinions. Believe it or not, you’re not always right.

4 Christina Anzelius Haglund Position: Terminal worker and Chief Safety Representative, Alvesta, Sweden.

At PostNord since: 1985.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Address problems ASAP! Even if it’s uncomfortable, deal with it. Problems tend to grow when people dwell on them for too long.

5

Give feedback. Follow up on what you have promised and give feedback to your employees.

39

VINJETT THE GUIDE / VINJETT / A HEALTHY WORKLIFE

Emil makes a r lau work e t g h i n g mat On every team, there’s one person who keeps things light and the group tight.

The glue guy. On the Vantaa Customer Service team, it’s Emil Åhman.

TEXT: RISTO PAKARINEN PHOTO: RONI REKOMAA

T’S FRIDAY AFTERNOON. It’s the time of the day when the week’s not quite finished but you feel like you are.

That’s when the customer service team in Vantaa, Finland, takes a quick coffee break to chat, have a breather – and joke around.

“It’s not quality comedy. For some reason, bad jokes are really popular around the office. The whole team loves them,” says Emil Åhman, Customer Service shift leader. (The jokes are a mix of puns and dad jokes, and the response is a mix of laughter and deep sighs).

PostNord Finland recently gave their staff a chance to post feedback and praise others. Had it been an election, Emil would’ve won it by a landslide.

“I don’t know why,” he says, after a pause. “I’m a sociable guy and I like to make sure that everybody around me feels good. I’d like to think that I deal with other people without any prejudice, too. I like to see the good in everyone.”

I

walk around the warehouse, talking to his colleagues there.

“I just think that face-to-face communication is the best. Often, when there’s a misunderstanding, you realize it’s no big deal when you talk to the other person,” he says. “Many of the misunderstandings could have been avoided with a quick chat.”

“That’s why I like to include warehouse people in our Friday breaks,” he adds.

THE BREAKS ARE informal, with the team getting together to shoot the breeze. They can talk about anything, crack jokes and be each other’s cheerleaders for a moment. Not that anyone needs to be prompted to talk, says Emil.

“Some of the drivers have suggested that we turn our team’s workday into a reality TV show,” he says and adds with a chuckle: “Sometimes you have to raise your voice just to get a word in edgeways.”

“We’re a bunch of upbeat people. We’re all different but we have a similar outlook on life, so the talking almost never stops.”

Almost. Some days are just busy, and even Emil gets stressed. What happens then?

“Usually, if I just mention to someone on the team that I’m a little stressed, I’ll get some help. And somebody will make a quip that’ll make me laugh – and make my day a little brighter.”

“I’m a sociable guy and I like to make sure that everybody around me feels good.”

EMIL IS ONE of ten members of the Customer Service team, working with clients in the food sector.

“I’m the person that helps our customers get what they need from our warehouse,” he says.

And in that role, it’s not uncommon to see Emil 40

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

VINJETTTHE / VINJETT GUIDE

Emil Åhman Age: 38.

Position: Customer Service supervisor, Vantaa, Finland.

Closest colleagues: Customer Service team’s Nora Thil, Henri Tolvanen, Tiia Toivonen, Päivi Hölttä, Mia Kirjalainen, Marko Kinnunen, Jaana Happonen, Ossian Huikuri. From the warehouse: Niko Damiano, Rebin Ahmed, Jan Nyman.

U BO

T EMIL | S

A

ID

EM T

IL

AID ABO | S U PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

ABOUT E M

IL | SAID

A

At PostNord since: 2019.

“Wonderful attitude – humor will help you get through anything” “Your baking is fantastic, thanks!”

“Thanks for making my day brighter.

Emil’s amazing. #keepitup #bestday”

41

VINJETT THE GUIDE / VINJETT / A HEALTHY WORKLIFE

Jari Lentiö Age: 41.

Position: Terminal worker, Turku, Finland.

Closest colleagues: Tuomas Laato, terminal worker; Jussi Lindberg, terminal office.

At PostNord since: 2008.

Look! It´s one of Jari's heart rate sensors

42

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

VINJETTTHE / VINJETT GUIDE

Mellow tunes – less stress Mostly working the nightshift, like Jari Lentiö does, can increase stress. But thanks to Firstbeat Life, Jari knows exactly how stressed he is and how well he sleeps.

TEXT: RISTO PAKARINEN PHOTO: EERO SAARIKOSKI

F YOU EVER see Jari Lentiö, a terminal worker in Turku, with his earphones on during his break, you might think he’s listening to loud metal music. It’s an educated guess, as Finns do love their metal. Only this time you’d be mistaken. Jari’s probably listening to jazz or some other, more mellow tunes.

I

HE RECENTLY JOINED the Firstbeat Life program, a health monitoring program PostNord Finland offers its employees. He now wears two heart rate sensors on his chest, collecting his data.

In the phone app’s analysis mode, Jari can see how his heart rate and stress levels fluctuate during the day, depending on whether he’s driving a forklift or handling heavy parcels.

“What I’ve learned is that I sleep too little but that the quality of my sleep is still good. One of the surprising results was that my favorite music, metal, raised my heartbeat and affected my recovery,” he says.

“I’ve switched to calmer music now. After all, the whole point of having a break is to rest.”

THERE IS ONE risk factor that can raise his stress levels, though. Jari regularly works the nightshift, going to work at 10 pm and leaving the Turku terminal at 6 am. He’s a bit like the man from Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark”. He gets up in the evening and comes home in the morning after a detour to the gym, where he does a workout before going home for a shower and breakfast.

“Working nights suits my life right now, allowing me to use my afternoons to take my son to his floor hockey practice and run errands,” he says.

THESE DAYS, HE works out two–three times a week in the mornings and adds a few afternoon walks or bicycle rides to his week. A local gym’s introductory offer made him try it out, and then he was hooked.

“I discovered working out at the gym a little later in life, so I feel no pressure and have no competitive goals. I just do what’s fun. All training and exercise should give you pleasure,” he says and adds with a chuckle, “even if it’s not always all that pleasurable at the time.”

To be fair, there’s one big difference between Jari and the character in the Springsteen hit: Jari ain’t tired, and he’s got the data to prove it.

“I discovered working out at the gym a little later in life, so I feel no pressure and have no competitive goals.”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

43

PASSION / NIKLAS HENNINGSSON

RUNNING – FAR AND FAST! I

PS

| TIPS | T

I | TIPS | T

3

I

| TIPS | T

PS

| TIPS | T

PS

PS

I

Niklas’ tips for new runners

1

Take it easy! Running is tough on the body, so keep your ambitions low and step up the training gradually to avoid injuries.

Measure in time! What matters is that you’re running for 20–30 minutes.

Don’t stress yourself by trying to keep track of speed and distance in the beginning.

Slow down! Most people run too fast. Slow down the pace to have a more pleasant running experience.

2 3

44

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

PASSION

Niklas Henningsson is not afraid to take on a challenge.

Especially not one that requires meticulous planning, a great deal of discipline and extreme perseverance.

That’s why he’s hooked on running marathons all over the world – and always beating his own record.

TEXT: SOFIA ZETTERMAN PHOTO: ANNA SVANBERG

WAS 31 and felt that I was in bad shape and had to do something about it …” Niklas Henningsson says.

The former hockey player – now compulsive elite runner with a gold medal from the Swedish Masters Marathon Championships – admits that the starting shot for his running career was a form of quarter-life crisis. Because to be honest, he didn’t even like running.

But with a full-time-job and young kids, it was hard to make it to the gym at specific times. Niklas decided to keep it as simple as possible: to go running, whenever, wherever.

I

Niklas Henningsson

Age: 39.

Position: Group Risk Manager, Solna, Sweden.

Closest colleague: Security Specialist Jonas Kaufeldt.

At PostNord since: 2008.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

“I had to force myself to run but realized that I could transport myself to and from work that way and save time.”

THE 5K RUN to work soon became 10K – and Niklas just kept on running. But for a goal-oriented, disciplined risk manager who likes to estimate and measure results, just aimlessly running around was not enough.

“I’m the kind of person who needs a challenge, so I decided to see if I could run a marathon."

A year later, Niklas ran his first marathon in three hours and 11 minutes – an incredible time for a beginner. But his dad still said: “Next time you can do it in less than 3 hours.”

Challenge accepted! Despite injuries he ran the Stockholm Marathon in 2016 in two hours and 55 minutes.

AS A RISK manager, Niklas deals with continuity planning and crisis management and follows up on various risks at PostNord.

These planning skills come in handy when Niklas carefully plans his long-term training schedule.

“I run about 10–14 hours a week. It’s verging on the insane to train as much as I do, with a full-time job and a family. But just like at work, improving my results is what’s pushing me to always develop and do better. In this sport, hard work always pays off through faster times,” Niklas says.

His big breakthrough as an elite runner was in 2019, during the Manchester Marathon.

“I finished in 2:34 – and then I won the Swedish Masters championship with 2:31 later that year. I also benefit in my job from

“I run about 10–14 hours a week.

It’s verging on the insane to train as much as I do, with a full-time job and a family.”

being in shape – since I’m more resilient to stress, I feel more alert in general and I’m now able to think faster. I also solve a lot of problems while running.”

NIKLAS NOW HAS run marathons in New York, Malaga, Copenhagen, Seville…

“What drives me is results – it’s a selffulfillment thing, the feeling that you’re improving. I never skip training and I have an inner drive. When it’s cold and dark, I focus on the goals I want to achieve and get my energy back.”

So even when running in his spare time, Niklas kind of embodies the values of our ABC Leadership by being truly committed.

And brave. His next goal: to run 42K in 2:25 flat.

“My dream is to be in the top ten in the Swedish senior championships. Last year I was number 11, so I’m getting closer ...”

45

SKILLS / JOHAN FILPPULA

In a world where there’s a sudden problem with the package sorting machine in Turku, one man can make a difference.

TEXT: RISTO PAKARINEN PHOTO: EERO SAARIKOSKI

T’S SAFE TO say that most of us know who to call if there's something strange in your neighborhood. (Ghostbusters). The answer is just as crystal clear when you ask somebody at PostNord Finland's Turku terminal who to call if there’s something

I

strange at the parcel sorting and it don’t look good.

They won’t say “Ghostbusters.” They’ll say “Filppula” as in Johan Filppula.

Chances are though, that before you’ve picked up the phone and dialed for help, Johan has already figured out the problem and – pun intended – sorted it out.

THE PARCEL SORTING machine in Turku can handle thousands of parcels an hour.

Johan works at the “no read” section with parcels and packages that haven’t got scanned properly end up. Sometimes they’ll get parcels that are destined somewhere else but there’s no space, and sometimes there are packages that are meant to go for a special pick-up which Johan will re-label.

Having worked at PostNord for over a decade now, Johan has seen almost everything there is to see, but it doesn’t mean he’d be bored with his work.

No, no, on the contrary.

“I love working with the sorting machine and I know exactly how it works and why it probably doesn’t work. There are others here who can fix it if there’s a problem, but I’m simply motivated to do it,” he says.

IN HOCKEY, a red goal light sometimes goes off when the puck is in the net. At PostNord, a red light going off means there’s trouble.

“Green light indicates everything is moving on as planned, a yellow light is a warning and if the red light is on, there’s an emergency stop,” Johan explains.

And that’s when they call for Filppula.

“That’s when I’ll get in there and fix it,” he says matter-of-factly, as if it’s no big deal, but according to his manager, Johan is remarkably fast and the inevitable pileup can be quickly taken care of.

JOHAN RECENTLY RECEIVED a gift to commemorate the passing of his ten-year milestone at PostNord – he got to choose between several alternatives and finally chose to take it in cash – but the fact that he still loves to fix the sorting machine must be the best proof of how much he still enjoys his work.

“Sometimes I think that I may like my work a little too much,” he says. “I like to finish all my tasks by the end of the day so that when I come back to my työpiste [“workplace” in Finnish] in the morning, I can begin a new day with a clean slate.”

Johan Filppula Position: Terminal worker, Turku, Finland.

Closest colleagues: John Thu, Kristian Tikka, Victor Djibalene, Mikael Ruoho and Jussi Lindberg.

At PostNord since: 2012.

46

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

THE INSPIRERVINJETT / ANNA PERÄJOKI / VINJETT

A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

In Anna Peräjoki’s world, change is good and underdogs are cute.

TEXT: RISTO PAKARINEN PHOTO: ELLINA NORONEN

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

47

THE INSPIRER / ANNA PERÄJOKI

T HERE ARE TWO kinds of people: those who fear change and those who welcome it. Anna Peräjoki definitely embraces change.

That’s a good thing since in her five years at PostNord, organizational changes and new systems have helped drive her career forward.

“I joined PostNord in 2017 in the telesales team, but just a few months later we moved our CRM system over to Salesforce and it turned out I was quick to learn, so I was made superuser,” says Anna who (spoiler alert) is currently Team Leader for Digital Sales & Onboarding at PostNord Finland in Pirkkala.

AS SUPERUSER, SHE supported the other members of the sales team before taking on a new position as CRM coordinator.

“We’re an up-and-coming company ready to challenge major logistics companies out there, and I find that exciting.”

48

“We didn’t know if the position would be even needed, so I started off with a threemonth trial period.”

“During that period, I was able to take part in Nordic meetings and learned even more about PostNord and the Nordic cooperation,” she says.

In 2019, Anna’s manager and colleagues suggested she should apply for the PostNord Professionals program.

“There were about twenty of us, people from different parts of PostNord, both functionally and geographically, all of us eager to learn more and develop further.”

IT WAS A good program, allowing us to do things such as participate in a boot camp, where we had the opportunity to share our ideas and thoughts about logistics trends with the management. But it was meeting the other people in the company that truly gave the program meaning. It was great to get to know the others,” she says.

When Anna was made Team Leader at the beginning of 2022, she was able to use the leadership manifesto she had written as part of the PostNord Professionals program to support her work.

“I’m very development oriented, I like to try new things and experiment with new methods. And since I’m an optimist by nature, I also see changes as opportunities for good.

I get inspired by other people, and my team members Emilia and Patrik are very important in that regard,” she says.

“Meeting other people and interacting with others simply gives me energy,” she says.

WHERE THE BIGGER picture is concerned, it’s also PostNord’s position in the Finnish market that inspires Anna. She loves being the challenger.

“We’re an up-and-coming company ready to challenge major logistics companies out there, and I find that exciting. I couldn’t work for a company whose values I didn’t share, and PostNord does have a good environmental plan, for example. We’re a responsible employer as well,” she says.

Over the course of five years, Anna has made major strides in her career. She’s been involved in development programs, participated in the Professionals program and now has her own digital sales team. It’s been a whirlwind, as she puts it.

“The last five years have just flown by. It’s been very inspiring,” she concludes.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

THE INSPIRER

Anna Peräjoki Position: Team Leader, Pirkkala, Finland.

Closest colleagues: Emilia Mannari, Patrik Juuti, Tomi Vakkilainen, Mea Pohjalainen and Christa Caselius.

At PostNord since: 2017.

I

PS

| TIPS | T

I | TIPS | T

3

I

| TIPS | T

PS

| TIPS | T

PS

PS

I

Inspire and be inspired – this is how Anna does it:

1 2 3

Communicate clearly: what is happening, why and when. Highlight benefits.

Include others, make them participate.

Know your audience. Some people get inspired by a new development; others get excited when looking at figures.

BONUS: The best way to inspire others is to get inspired and excited yourself. Genuine emotion always shows.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

THE MISSION / JOHAN SÖDERLUND

Driver Johan Söderlund had an important mission: to test-drive the new electric truck. And yes, there were many skeptics at Årsta Lastbil, Stockholm. For one thing, what if the battery died? Three months later, everyone agrees: electric trucks are the future!

TEXT: SOFIA ZETTERMAN PHOTO: SAMUEL UNÉUS

Johan Söderlund Age: 50.

Position: Driver, Segeltorp, Sweden.

Closest colleagues: Shift colleagues Guven Yildiz, Mengesha Melku, Bereket Habtu and Margaretha Norén.

At PostNord since: 1990.

SOUND OF SILEN 50

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

THE MISSION

ESPITE THE ONGOING battle against climate change, there are still very few heavy electric trucks on the roads. The main reasons are that they are expensive, have a limited range and the charging infrastructure is underdeveloped.

But to achieve PostNord’s goal of fossil-free transport by 2030, it’s time to move up a gear. That’s why the new electric truck Scania BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) has been trialed in Stockholm since February 2022 in a collaboration with pharmacy chain Apotek Hjärtat.

The route involves a daily driving distance of 140 kilometers to 18 different pharmacies in central and southern Stockholm and nearby Södertälje. It’s quite a route, since driving to Södertälje means 111 speedy kilometers on the highway. Would the electric truck hold up? Could the battery cope with the challenge?

D

CE PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

“The first time it felt so strange, because when you turn the key, you hardly hear anything.”

No need to worry, according to Johan Söderlund who did the driving during the trial.

“We’ve never run out of battery! The truck can run 200 kilometers on a full battery under optimal conditions, and we have adjusted the routes due to the limited mileage.”

How long the battery lasts also depends on how heavy the load is and what the weather is like, since pharmacy products must be transported in a temperaturecontrolled cabinet and the heating and cooling system uses a lot of battery. Thanks to a powerful charging station, the battery can be fully charged in two hours flat.

“Not having to refuel the truck saves a lot of time. We can also load it twice as heavy as a standard truck,” Johan says.

OF COURSE, the fact that the fossil-free truck is environmentally friendly is crucial. But the best thing about the electric truck from a driver’s perspective is the smooth and silent driving.

“The first time it felt so strange, because when you turn the key, you hardly hear anything. I was even unsure whether the truck had started or not – that’s how quiet it is compared to rumbling diesel trucks. All you hear is the sound of the wind and the wheels spinning against the asphalt,” Johan explains.

Still, it reacts really quickly when you step on the accelerator pedal. Another great advantage is that it neither gives off exhaust fumes nor makes noise, which enables deliveries at odd hours without disturbing anyone in densely populated areas. Two more electric Volvo trucks are now to join the fleet.

“I think diesel vehicles will be phased out. We are moving towards a greener era,” Johan says.

Watch Johan and his electric truck in motion!

Volvo Scania BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle)

Range capacity: 200 kilometers Battery charge time: 2 hours Loading capacity: 18 pallets Max load weight: 15,365 kg (a diesel truck’s 8,900 kg)

51

GADGETS / 3D PRINTER

MIRACLE MACHINE

THE

Replicas of a human spine, tailor-­made tools and even tiny baby hearts that help doctors prepare to perform surgery – the new generation of 3D printers can perform true miracles at the touch of a button.

TEXT: SOFIA ZETTERMAN PHOTO: ANNA SVANBERG

HE STRÅLFORS 3D printing project was launched in 2018 – and it keeps growing.

“I think 3D printing is an industry that will grow in the future for sure,” says Linn Silverklav, who came to Strålfors last year to be part of the 3D printing development team.

“Today, production is up and running every workday,” says Linn as she gives us a guided tour of the 3D department.

T

THE MAIN PIECE of equipment is the industrial printer, with its build volume of 38x28x38 centimeters. It takes 16 hours to print a full build volume – regardless of the product – and more than double that time to cool down the printed items, Linn explains.

“This means it takes about two days to print. If we print small items, we can print up to 500 copies at once. I prepare the 3D printing files in the computer and send them to the machine. Then all I have to do is press the start button!”

STARING AT THE big black box, it’s hard to comprehend just how magical it is. It doesn’t look much. So, what can it do?

“Anything! And everything!“ Linn claims, laughing. “It prints using powder and build items by layering powder and ink that binds it together. You can make extremely complex geometries, like print a ball inside a ball inside another ball, or a perfectly proportioned spine. Things that are impossible to construct in any other way.”

Still, it is hard to grasp how it’s actually done – but after 16 hours the spine replicas are finished. And it sure feels like magic – putting powder into a box and transforming it into body parts.

“We print using nylon PA12, a strong and durable material with many great properties, but if you print thinner you get more flexibility.”

There is also another large printer that prints in color and uses softer materials, like rubber. It can print actual prototypes of body parts – an invaluable help for the Karolinska University Hospital’s pediatric X-ray department, since it enables the surgeons to be able to hold, touch and study a tiny baby heart before performing actual surgery.

STRÅLFORS ALSO PRINTS components that improve life for PostNord employees.

“Right now, we’re printing 22 components each for 300 work footstools, which will make loading the trucks more ergonomic. We are also making plates for carriers to ease the carrier load for terminal workers.”

A major advantage when printing in 3D is it allows you to make prototypes and change

52

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

GADGETS

things. You can also print on demand, so you don’t need warehousing that takes up time and space. Instead, you can print exactly the number of items you need, when you need them.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been a lot of delivery problems, but we’ve been able to help by simply printing the items on site. We’re also closer to the end customers, which is a strong argument from an environment perspective,” Linn says.

She has high expectations for the future of 3D printing: “We hope to be able to continue to develop and expand the 3D printing department and have even more printers in the future – and be as close to the end customer as possible.

We believe this is the future,” says Linn.

“You can make extremely complex geometries, like print a ball inside a ball inside another ball, or a perfectly proportioned spine.”

Linn Silverklav Age: 26.

Position: Technical Account Manager, Strålfors, Stockholm, Sweden.

Closest colleague: My manager, Tomas Lundström.

At PostNord since: 2021.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

53

54

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

FOCUS / INNOVATION

A CELEBRATION OF INNOVATION To stand still is to move backwards.

That’s why we at PostNord constantly are looking to improve things for the sake of all employees, our business and the environment.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

55

FOCUS / INNOVATION

The team behind Niva at Analytics & Automation, Nordic Strategy & Solutions: Mikael Myhrberg, Product Owner, Emilio Marinone, Data Scientist, Åsa Edde, Product Owner and Anne-Christine Lane, Head of Analytics & Automation.

56

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

FOCUS

Creating a c lleague Even though Niva can answer an unlimited number of calls, she doesn’t ever get tired of dealing with upset customers. And not only does she provide support to custo­ mers contacting PostNord – but also to those working in customer service.

TEXT: SOFIA ZETTERMAN PHOTO: ANNA SVANBERG

NE THING ALL custo­ mers have in common – regardless of what country they live in or whether it’s a business or private call – is that they hate waiting in a phone queue.

The waiting time for the PostNord Customer Service line used to be 20 to 40 minutes.

Sometimes over an hour.

That’s why Anne-Christine Lane and her team started mapping the needs of PostNord customers. Why do they call customer servi­ ce? What do they ask?

It turns out most callers, businesses as well as consumers, want to know where their par­ cel is and when and how they will get it.

“We wanted to invent something that speaks all languages and can talk to all customers,” explains Anne-Christine, Head of Analytics & Automation at Group Function Nordic Strategy & Solutions. The “we” refers to her colleagues Mikael Myhrberg, Product Owner for Niva, Emilio Marinone, Data Scien­ tist, and Åsa Edde, Product Owner.

O

What is AI? Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans, and exhibit traits associated with a human mind, such as learning and problemsolving. The virtual agent Niva can simulate human intelligen­ ce processes such as voice recognition and natural language processing (NLP).

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

AT FIRST THE team invented a simple chat­ bot to see if customers were ready to talk to a robot. Developing it further using artificial intelligence was a given, since PostNord is an early adopter of AI. The next step was to develop a more advanced digital solution in close collaboration with the PostNord customer service employees: a virtual Post­ Nord colleague with AI that could step in and handle large volumes of calls and answer the most frequently asked questions. The obvious goal was two benefits for the price of one: cut the waiting time and raise the level of service.

“We developed a smarter version of a vir­ tual agent: Niva. We wanted her to be fema­ le, like many of the other speech services on the market, and have a pleasant and polite voice,” Anne-Christine explains.

As a key representative of PostNord, Niva must be amiable but accurate.

“She can’t be funny, as humor can be misunderstood in the wrong context. And we certainly don’t want customers to get angry if she gives the wrong answer. A big plus is that an AI machine always has the correct

57

FOCUS / INNOVATION

NIVA

Problem solved!

Making Connections Input from customers

information to hand. Niva never hangs up and always asks if you want to talk to customer service to get further help.”

Niva instantly gathers information on current orders based on the caller’s phone number and can suggest solutions to the most common problems. Through AI and machine learning, Niva gets smarter and more solution oriented the more she talks to customers. And your virtual colleague is a fast learner; as of now she only speaks Swedish, but she understands English and can quickly be programmed to pick up the other Nordic languages.

Niva usually handles about 12,000 customers per day and resolves about 20–25 percent of their issues. The rest is passed on to the ‘human’ customer service agents.

But even when Niva doesn’t find a solution, she saves time for her human colleagues by gathering information about the customer and passing it on when handing the case over to her human colleagues.

IN THE NORDIC countries, a total of about 500 people deal with PostNord customers in need of service on a daily basis. In Sweden around 300 people are needed to handle one day of incoming traffic in customer service, and Mikael Myhrberg provides assurance that no full-time customer service staff will be replaced by Niva. On the contrary: “Niva is a great assistant that works 24/7

58

Collecting Data

Customer Service

Routing

“Our goal is to offer the same fast service to all Nordic customers.” all year around; she keeps providing support when staff go on vacation or sickness leave, during peak periods and so on.”

Now, thanks to Niva, new employees receive more specialized and targeted training and can start taking calls after just a few days. This makes a real impact on productivity, since customer service is a demanding job.

People usually don’t stay long and there’s a high level of staff turnover.

The aim is to get Niva up and running in the other Nordic countries as well.

“Our goal is to become truly Nordic and offer the same fast service to all Nordic customers.

The intelligent virtual agent was hard to invent and implement, but it’s easy to teach her new things and we can quickly prepare her to start working in our other markets as well,” Anne-Christine says.

Get to know Niva

1

Niva speaks Swedish and understands English – but can pick up any other language within days.

Niva works 24/7/365 and always answers after one ring.

2 3

Niva always gives the correct answer to your PostNord questions.

4

Niva can answer an unlimited number of calls at the same time – and handles about 12,000 phone calls per day.

5

Niva has cut the customer waiting time for initial response to just a few seconds.

6

The name Niva occurs in several languages and means “expression”, “speech” and “sun”. But it was initially an abbreviation of New Intelligent Virtual Agent (NIVA).

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

FOCUS / INNOVATION

Key facts: At first, the digital keys were used by 100 business customers in Jylland. By the end of 2022, the plan is to have them implemented in all of Denmark.

Terminal Fredericia will be closed. Over the next few months, all activities will be moved to other locations.

Easy keys-y One and half years ago, a nifty little tool was introduced at the Fredericia Transport logistics department in Southern Denmark: a personalized, digital key that saves time, money and hassle.

TEXT: LISE HANNIBAL PHOTO: KÅRE VIEMOSE

RIVER Bent Thygesen has been part of the digital key project from the start and it has made his daily life a lot easier.

“Back in the day, I would drive around with a small mountain of keys and be responsible for each one. So, having just one key is something of a revolution,” says Bent.

D

LARS NGUYEN HØEG, Logistics Developer and one of the initiators of the project, confirms Bent’s experience.

“Before digital keys, the drivers would drive around with a bunch of different keys so they could get into their customers’ buildings. If there were any changes on the route, they would have to spend time going back to the terminal to get new keys, or maybe get them from a colleague en route,” Lars says.

“With digital keys, the driver only needs one unit to open all doors. If he needs access to a new building, he simply uploads the relevant codes to his digital key via Bluetooth and open the customer’s key box,” Lars explains.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

“It’s a huge plus that we no longer need to move physical keys around – only data.”

FOR BENT, USING the new key has been hassle-free. “At first, I wasn’t sure the system would work. But I put the key inside the box and it just did,” Bent says. “The only problem I’ve had is when a customer has two key box-

Bent Thygesen

Age: 58.

Position: Driver, Fredericia, Denmark.

Closest colleagues: Mostly myself, because we drive alone.

But I meet the same customers every day and am part of their routines – and I’m happy with that.

At PostNord since: 1986.

Lars Nguyen Høeg

Age: 34.

Position: Logistics Developer, Fredericia, Denmark.

Closest Colleagues: Allan Stensvig, Mirco Gråbæk and Dennis Schultz.

At PostNord since: 2018.

es and I got the data for the wrong one. Then I had to run around the company’s premises to figure out which one was the right one.”

Not having to worry about a lot of keys makes work less stressful, Bent finds. “Especially if something unforeseeable happens.

When you are focused on solving a problem, you risk forgetting your keys and falling behind on schedule. But now, I don’t need to worry much about that anymore,” he says.

DIGITAL KEYS ARE not only easy to handle and save time, they’re also safe to use. “Because the data on the digital keys is time-limited, nobody else can use them if the key gets stolen or lost. And there’s no GPS inside the digital keys, so they can’t be traced,” says Lars.

Thanks to digital keys, customers can also be provided with service without having to be present in person. “Most customers want us to pick up parcels between 2 and 6 pm so they can let us in and out,” says Lars. “Now, we can extend that window, which provides flexibility for both customers and drivers,” says Lars. “It makes sense to introduce digital keys in several more departments in the near future.”

59

FOCUS / INNOVATION

A swipe of the finger – that’s all it takes for the parcels at Langhus to end up in the right cage. Step by step, automated sorting simplifies everyday life for terminal workers and drivers all over Norway.

TEXT: SISSEL FANTOFT PHOTO: LEIKNY HAVIK SKJÆRSETH

60

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

FOCUS

P

REVIOUSLY, PARCELS WERE roughly sorted by postcode, and drivers had to go through large volumes and scan each parcel.

“Instead, NPS sorts the parcels according to several criteria, based on the information on their address label – all the way down to the delivery location, street and recipient,” Director of Production Development Pål Eier explains.

NPS, or Nordic Parcel Sorting as it is formally known, is a unique automated sorting logic. The system itself consists of a screen and a scanner, and it ensures that the parcels end up in the right place.

“This is a much more secure solution that minimizes the risk of errors. It’s also so simple that it takes a lot less time for substitutes and new employees to learn,” Pål says.

THOMAS GJESTRUMSBAKKEN is Operations Manager at the PostNord terminal at Langhus, and he too uses words like simple and efficient when describing NPS. “We use a finger scanner connected to a phone we have in our pocket.

At the end of each gutter, there’s a screen that shows which cage the parcel is going to,” he says.

When a cage is full of pre-sorted parcels, it is moved to the correct gate, where the driver picks it up.

“It doesn’t take more than 15 minutes to understand how NPS works. The fact that we only need to drag the finger scanner over the parcel makes the system incredibly easy to use. Now we don’t have to remember postcodes, which means more accurate sorting,” Thomas says.

Thomas Gjestrumsbakken

Position: Operations Manager, Langhus, Norway.

Closest colleagues: Kenneth Haslie, Magne Engstrøm and Tor Paul Nguyen.

At PostNord since: 2021.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

Pål Eier

Position: Director of Production Development, Alfaset, Norway.

Closest colleagues: Camilla S. Christoffersen, Frank Uzlastiran and Martin Bårdseth.

At PostNord since: 1997.

“The fact that we only need to drag the finger scanner over the parcel makes the system incredibly easy to use.”

AFTER SCANNING, THE parcels are sorted precisely into cages with a barcode on the outside so that the drivers can deliver them as one pallet.

“This eliminates the need for drivers to scan each parcel. That way, they spend less time handling the parcels, which in turn is cost-effective for PostNord, since we largely use subcontractors for distribution,” says Pål.

Slowly but surely, this method of sorting is conquering Norway. So far it has been implemented at PostNord’s terminals in Larvik, Alfaset and Langhus. During the first quarter of 2023, the system will also be put in place in Bergen and Drammen. Then it’s Stavanger and Trondheim’s turn, Pål explains: “This means that most of our larger terminals will have implemented NPS by the end of next year”.

PostNord’s ambition is to have capacity for 450,000 parcels in Norway every day – an increase of 250 percent compared to 2017.

“We’re completely dependent on production support to efficiently handle the growth we’re experiencing. Given the enormous volumes we handle, we wouldn’t have managed without a system like NPS,” Pål says.

61

BEHIND THE SCENES / UNMARKED GOODS

Ole Kolstad Age: 38.

Position: Professional consultant, Alfaset, Norway.

Closest colleagues: Kim Ødegaard, Lars Flaata, Lars Bråthen and Atle Fonn.

At PostNord since: 2021.

Destination:

UNKNOWN Ingenuity and persistence are just some of the qualities required for Ole and Husnija to be successful at their jobs. Because every day, loads of unmarked goods need to find their way to their rightful destination. And sometimes, some creative investigation is needed to solve the mystery.

TEXT: SISSEL FANTOFT PHOTO: LEIKNY HAVIK SKJÆRSETH

62

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

BEHIND THE SCENES

PS

I

| TIPS | T

I | TIPS | T

PS

3

I

| TIPS | T

“The first day I came to work, I was greeted by a mountain of unmarked parcels. I decided to see it as a challenge and go the extra mile to find the recipients.”

| TIPS | T

PS

PS

I

For your parcel to safely reach its destination:

1

Make sure it has solid packaging. If the box is damaged on the outside, the address information will disappear along with it.

Mark the parcel clearly with the correct address information and make sure the label is properly attached.

Put a business card or a copy of the address label inside the parcel. This makes it easier to contact you should the address label fall off during transport.

2 3

A

ROUND 8,000 unmarked parcels – that’s what Ole Kolstad and Husnija Catovic had to deal with in 2021 in their work at the security department at PostNord Norway's

head office in Alfaset.

“It may be that the address label has fallen off along the way, or that a pallet has been incorrectly split so that the shipment information has disappeared,” says Ole. If the parcel is marked with any information about the sender, a quick Google search can provide information about the supplier so that the parcel can be returned. Other items pose a bigger challenge.

“If we don’t find any information on the packaging, we’re allowed to open the parcel.

Often, there is a consignment note on the inside, with the address of both sender and recipient. We open as few parcels as possible and always try to pack them as nicely as we can afterwards,” Ole says.

WHEN THERE IS no information at all inside a parcel, Ole and Husnija really have to use their detective skills.

“Recently, for example, we received an electric scooter with zero information.

The only thing I found was a QR code leading to a German company. I sent them an email and was called by an employee at the scooter company who wanted me to provide

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

the serial number of the bike. This allowed him to find the name and address of the recipient,” Ole says.

When a customer requests a parcel via the customer center, the information goes to Ole and Husnija, who then try to match it with unmarked goods they have stored.

“We take pictures of the item we think may be the right one and wait for confirmation.

Then we make a new label and send it to the recipient,” he says.

SOMETIMES IT’S IMPOSSIBLE to find out where a parcel has come from or is going to.

Parcels under 20 kilos are stored for one year, and heavier parcels for three to six months.

They are then either sent for destruction or to the Salvation Army’s Fretex stores, free of charge, for resale.

For Ole and Husnija, it is satisfying to know that they are helping parcels find their way to their correct recipients.

“The first day I came to work, I was greeted by a mountain of unmarked parcels. I decided to see it as a challenge and go the extra mile to find the recipients. That’s the only mindset you can have in this job,” says Ole. “It’s fun when we manage to find out where an unmarked parcel is supposed to be going.

I know myself how grateful I feel when a parcel I’ve been waiting for finally shows up.

For us, it’s nice to know that customers are satisfied because of our efforts – it motivates us to know that somewhere, someone is waiting for this particular parcel,” says Husnija.

Husnija Catovic Age: 25.

Position: Professional consultant, Alfaset, Norway.

Closest colleagues: Lars Flaata, Kim Ødegaard, Lars Midsem Bråten and Einar Løndal.

At PostNord since: 2016.

63

THE MOMENT / AID FOR UKRAINE

“It feels like we’re making a difference” TOLD BY JOAKIM HANSSON TO SOFIA ZETTERMAN PHOTO: JOHAN BÄVMAN

E GOT THE news just one day before: starting from tomorrow, we will send emergency aid parcels to Ukraine, free of charge. It all kicked off the next day – luckily we’re fairly used to quickly adapting to new things, and this was something completely new that we had to get done. And fast.

W

PEOPLE FROM ALL over Sweden had opened their hearts and donated clothes, warm jackets, canned food, shoes, blankets, baby formula, toys and plenty of medical supplies.

The items are packed in boxes of 20 that are then sent to us here at Malmö Foreign Department, where we repack them onto pallets. The pallets are loaded onto Polish trucks and sent to Poland before being distributed by the Ukrainian Postal Service to the people in Ukraine who need this help the most.

THE CHALLENGE FOR us has been to send 350 containers a day to Ukraine while keeping up with our regular tasks. It’s an ergonomically demanding job, but despite the

64

extra work, there have been no grumpy faces or complaints. Within the space of just a few weeks after launching this initiative, we had received over 2,300 containers – with about seven packages in each – and packed and sent 764 pallets! It’s a truly special thing we’re doing and it really feels like we’re making a difference, which feels great. We have an incredible team of co-workers here, and everyone is positive and understanding about the situation. We feel honored to do this important job and are proud that we have this opportunity to help the people of Ukraine.

I THINK EACH and every person on our team is a hero – we all make that little extra effort to help.

And our employees are so fantastic that we’re managing to keep up with both our daily work and all the extra parcels for Ukraine. This is an amazing initiative, and it’s great to see people from all over the country helping to make it happen.”

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

THE MOMENT / AIDTHE FORMOMENT UKRAINE

Joakim Hansson Age: 33.

Position: Group Leader at the Foreign Department, Malmö, Sweden.

Closest colleagues: Peter Sveinsson, Stefan Dahl-Silow, Lena Hofvander and Tord Grevin.

At PostNord since: 2008.

31,873

... that's how many boxes were sent in total until October 2022.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

65

WHY? / BECAUSE!

Service on Saturdays Since April 2022, the inhabitants of Denmark’s four largest cities have been enjoying special treatment. Thanks to PostNord’s new service, they get parcels delivered to their door on all business days – and now on Saturdays too.

TEXT: LISE HANNIBAL

HOUGH PARCELS in other parts of the country can be picked up from post offices or parcel locker terminals, most customers would probably consider Saturday home delivery a great service – so why is it only offered in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense and Aalborg?

“In order to get things started in a manageable way, we have launched our six-day parcel delivery service in the largest cities,” says Malene Bjerregaard, Director of Parcels in Parcel, Retail and Communications.

“The big cities receive 40 percent of our total parcel volume. By introducing our Saturday delivery service in these densely populated areas, we can target a lot of people at once and evaluate the outcome: to what extent are we able to deliver the parcels on Saturdays? Are people at home? The experiences we gain from the initial phase in the cities will form the basis for the next phase and help us decide if and where to expand

T

66

the service. The intention is that six days of service will eventually be provided elsewhere too – if it makes sense from a commercial and operational point of view.”

The Saturday delivery service is still relatively new, so there is not enough data yet to confirm the anticipated rise in customer satisfaction. Likewise, it is still too early to draw any conclusions about whether and where to expand next. But how does the extra effort affect logistics and costs?

“Initially, the Saturday delivery service will inevitably take up some extra resources,” says Mikkel H. Hansen, program manager for Parcel Operations Development. “But we believe that the extra costs will be worth it when we can provide our customers with a better service experience,” Mikkel explains.

“In the end, a great customer experience makes up for the extra effort, and we’re ready to go the extra mile to give our customers the satisfaction of having their parcels delivered on a Saturday. Great service is the best way to stay attractive on the market and remain our customers’ first choice,” Malene adds.

Malene Bjerregaard

Position: Director of Parcels, Copenhagen, Denmark.

At PostNord since: 2019.

Mikkel H. Hansen

Position: Program Manager, Vejle, Denmark.

At PostNord since: 1996.

PEOPLE BY POSTNORD

FEATURED

IN THIS ISSUE: Mathias Eklöf 6 Jeanette Enge Granerød 9 Lars-Eric Ljung 10 Hasse Hauch 12 Giorgia Vezzani 13 Henrik Modalen 16 Aymen Ali 18 Jari Siniaalto 20 Alexandra Uimonen 22 Hanne Fabricius 24 Jennifer Eriksson 28 Annika Sahlén 32 Robin Gredfors 32 Jimale Ibrahim 33 Mads Boelt 36 Peder Granefelt 37 Christina Anzelius Haglund 38 Therese Hällstrand 38 Emil Åhman 40 Jari Lentiö 42 Niklas Henningsson 44 Johan Filppula 46 Anna Peräjoki 47 Johan Söderlund 50 Linn Silverklav 52 Mikael Myhrberg 56 Emilio Marinone 56 Åsa Edde 57 Anne-Christine Lane 57 Bent Thygesen 59 Lars Nguyen Høeg 59 Pål Eier 61 Thomas Gjestrumsbakken 61 Husnija Catovic 62 Ole Kolstad 62 Joakim Hansson 64 Malene Bjerregaard 66 Mikkel H Hansen 66

QUIZ Get all these answers, and a whole lot more in this edition. Read on!

1

2

3

When Lars-Erics favorite band Iron Maiden is played on the radio – what does he do?

1. Sings along at the top of his lungs X. Hums the verses 2. Stays totally silent

What kind of joke does Emil prefer to tell to cheer up his colleagues?

1. A practical joke X. A dad joke 2. A “how many xx does it take to yy” joke

In the Veddesta Terminal this clever new device is being tested. What´s its name?

1. The Suculex X. The Vaculex 2. The Slaculex

4

5

When Annica loads her truck, what does she pack for delivery other than the mail?

1. Pizza X. Flowers 2. Plastic bags

What is Jennifer planning to have tattooed on her other arm, eventually?

1. A parcel X. A mail pigeon 2. A post horn

7

8

What do you think this nifty little gadget does when you put it on your finger?

1. Scans parcels X. Checks your blood pressure 2. Shows your star sign

What is Mathias' favorite place in the world, where he goes to relax and clear his head?

1. His Harley-Davidson X. His tool shed 2. His swimming pool

Win a nice prize and compete against other PostNorders – learn how on page 3!

6

Apart from improving her Danish and raising money for sustainability projects, what else is on Giorgia's mind?

1. Macrame X. Triathlon 2. Synchronized swimming 9

Which famous heroine has Hanne borrowed her approach from when it comes to work?

1. Jeanne d´Arc X. Pippi Longstocking 2. Hermione Granger