PAKISTAN POST

Introduction The courier service that we chose is Pakistan Post. We visited its premises in Melody Islamabad on 16th March 2012 and there we were able to study its operations. Pakistan Post Office is one of the oldest government departments in the Sub-Continent. In 1947, it began functioning as the Department of Post & Telegraph. In 1962 it was separated from the Telegraph & Telephone and started working as an independent attached department. Pakistan Post offers a variety of services to its customers. It offers services domestically as well as internationally. There are two types of services it offers the urgent mail service and the regular mail service. Through the urgent service, the parcel/ mail reaches within 3 days and through the regular service the parcel takes an average of about 15 days.

OPERATIONS: Sending a parcel/ mail: Whenever a parcel is delivered by the customer to the Melody office for sending, if it is a domestic parcel it is sent directly to the destination but if it is an international parcel, it is first sent to the international mail office where the contents are scanned and then it is sent to Karachi or Lahore, from where the parcel is sent to the final destination. In case of international mail, it is received at the delivery office and then sent to the receivers address. Domestically, each area is assigned a unique postal code which makes this sorting easy and sending more reliable. Domestic parcel charges are PKR 58 per Kg and in case of international parcels the charges differ depending upon the country the parcel is being sent to. Receiving a parcel / mail: Whenever a parcel arrives at the melody post office, it is first cleared by the customs office. They first check the item and see whether the item is to be taxed or not and then deliver the item to the recipient. In case of mail, the letter is received first at the delivery branch located at the Melody post office, and from there it is sorted according to areas to be sent within Islamabad by the postman and then delivered by the designated post men for the specific area. All the sorting is done manually by hand by the post men themselves. The urgent delivery is catered first and then the regular ones.

Moreover, a training center is also located at the Pakistan post, where training is provided to grade 18 employees. Pakistan post also provides a P.O Box service to its customers. Apart from these Pakistan Post also offers the following services: 1. Collection of taxes: income and withholding (on NSS profit payment) 2. Collection of Customs Duty and Sales Tax (on foreign postal articles) 3. Delivery of National Identify Cards 4. Disbursement of welfare/financial assistance 5. Food Support Program 6. Issuing and renewal of TV license 7. Payment to Pakistan Armed Forces Pensioners 8. Sale of National Registration Form 9. Sale of Highway and Motorway Safety books The operations done at Pakistan post are all manual. Apart from the tracking system that has been introduced for the ease of its customers. The letters are packed in a bag n then sent to their destinations. For parcels, a packing box is introduced. When compared with a company like UPS Pakistan post is way behind in its operations despite the large number of deliveries that it has to make domestically. Marketing of Pakistan Post: The Director Generals office runs the marketing campaigns. Our analysis shows that Pakistan post is currently doing no electronic marketing however, some marketing is being done in the form of posters, brochures and billboards. Competitive advantage: The main competitive advantage that Pakistan post has is its pricing. The other courier services such as OCS, TCS and Leopards are comparatively higher price especially in case of international parcel sending. Moreover, Pakistan Post has its distribution all over Pakistan since it was established since the birth of the country.

SWOT Strengths Strong distribution network Affordable sending rates Package tracking system

Weaknesses Low marketing Barely any technological advancement manual work may lead to delays. Packaging of the letters and parcels in comparison to competitors. At times delayed deliveries due to clearance issues.

Opportunities Technological advancement may lead to faster package deliveries.

Threats Faster delivery services of competitors due to technical advancements Stronger marketing of competitors such as TCS.

Recommendations: Pakistan Post needs to develop a corporate identity, based on displaying the three value concepts of operational excellence by displaying new, product leadership by offering quality n easily accessible services and customer intimacy by offering customers the most reliable solution for sending its parcels both domestically and internationally.

The Hiearchy Pakistan Post

Cheif Post Master

Deputy Controller (EMS)

Deputy Controller (Main counter)

Deputy Controller (Postal Life Insurance )

Deputy Controller (Delivery Branch)

Assistant Director

Assistant Director

Assistant Director

Assistant Director

Clerks

Clerks

Clerks

Clerks