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franchise.co.nz – PUTTING PEOPLE IN BUSINESS
hen Mark Little, CEO of national courier franchise Aramex New
Zealand, speaks about partnering with other franchise networks,
there’s an evident passion that comes from shared challenges — and
shared successes. A trusted franchise partner, and a proud member of
the Franchise Association of New Zealand, Mark says, “Aramex is very
open, honest and transparent [with other franchise networks], because
we’re all in the same game of franchising. That’s at the core of the
business.”
As a multi-level franchise organisation, Aramex New Zealand truly
understands the importance of providing a valued service to business
owners across the country. It’s a commitment that stems from the top
down. From national franchisor through to regional franchisees, and its
fleet of courier franchisees, everyone at Aramex is committed to partnering
with Kiwi franchise networks to understand their business needs. Mark
says, “The key with the courier franchisees is that you’ve got owners who
really care about their exclusive territory — every pickup and delivery in
that area is theirs.”
He highlights an example of Aramex New Zealand’s collaborative ethos, in
working with cleaning franchise Jani-King, which participated in Aramex’s
Kiwi Walk & Run series. “They now have our cleaning contract, and we are
their courier business,” Mark explains. It’s this ability to find synergy with
a range of fellow franchise networks that has made Aramex such a staple
of the delivery landscape for over 40 years and has seen them develop
over 300 courier franchises across 18 regions in New Zealand.
Investing in industry-leading technology
As part of a commitment to continuous improvement, Aramex has
recently invested in upgrading its IT systems and platforms. Designed
to provide seamless integration for its customers, and built with ease of
use in mind, aramexConnect allows customers to send parcels with just
a few clicks, even managing consignments from their mobile phone. And
if customers need assistance? Aramex has a dedicated IT team to assist,
including a helpline with local and global support.
The investment in its IT capabilities allows Aramex to comfortably service
large retail networks. Mark highlights its support of the Briscoe Group,
which has 89 New Zealand locations between Briscoes Homeware and
Rebel Sport, as evidence of its advanced capabilities. He explains, “That
adds huge complexity, as we need an IT system that can work with 89
different locations, get the right pickup, the right courier address, and
the right parcel. It’s this technology, and how fluid we are as a company,
that allows us to succeed. Yes, we’re owned by a multi-national
corporation but we’re still a company that works at that granular level
with the customer.”
Supporting its customers’ customers
In addition to investment in IT, Aramex has redefined the receiver
experience, ensuring its customers’ customers are informed every step
of the way. Reflecting on the challenge of educating parcel receivers,
Mark says, “We’re doing a lot of work bringing a business that’s over 40
years old up to date with what a receiver needs.
“You, as a receiver, would have no idea what ‘on board with a
courier’ means. So, we’re really working hard to expand the knowledge
around what we portray to the receiver, because we are now the
face of, say, Briscoes. We are now the problem if that parcel doesn’t
get delivered.”
These efforts have resulted in great improvements. By transforming
the tracking provided on its website, Aramex has reduced customer
enquiries by 27%. The increased visibility at every step of the parcel’s
journey gives receivers peace of mind, and this commitment to
transparency drives Aramex New Zealand at every level, Mark says. “The
simple sentence of ‘deliver as promised’ is huge in our business. If we
say it’s going to be Monday, make it Monday.”
Offering more to big businesses
On working with bigger franchise networks, Mark says one of Aramex
New Zealand’s advantages is volume discounts. This ability to generalise
pricing results in a competitive rate for all franchise networks’ locations,
as well as a more streamlined service and account management. Aramex
structures things so there’s ‘one person to talk to, not 50’, which is sure
to be a benefit to franchisors and franchisees across the country.
Understanding that franchise networks aren’t uniform in size across New
Zealand, Mark explains that while a franchise outlet ‘might be very small
in Palmerston North, they’re still going to get the benefit of the whole
group’s buying power’. “We won’t say Palmerston North has different
pricing to Auckland or Christchurch so, for a group like a franchise, it can
be very beneficial.”
Whether you’re an emerging SME, an established national franchise
network, or somewhere
in between, Aramex
New Zealand has the
ability to get your
products into your
customers’ hands
sooner. Get in touch
today to learn more.
How Aramex New Zealand is helping
franchise networks go the extra mile.
HELPING
FRANCHISE
BUSINESSES
REALLY DELIVER
Opportunity: Business & Commercial
Aramex NZ CEO, Mark Little
Aramex New Zealand
www.aramex.co.nz/tools/free-freight-analysis
Contact
Mark Platt – Aramex NZ Sales Manager
sales@aramex.co.nz
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