DHL, the world's leading express and logistics company, announced today the inauguration of its industry-leading Taiwan Country Quality Control Centre, or QCC. The new facility, located in DHL Express Taiwan's Taipei headquarters, is the second such facility in Taiwan after DHL opened its Taipei Gateway QCC located at the Taoyuan Airport in 2005. It is also the first country QCC in the express and logistics industry in Taiwan.

“DHL's new Taiwan Country QCC plays the important role of a command centre in Taiwan for proactive trouble detection and crisis management, employing the latest technology to track shipments in and out of Taiwan,” Stuart Whiting, General Manager of DHL Express Taiwan, said. He added that the new system installed, the Visual Tracking Management System, or VTMS, was developed locally by DHL Express Taiwan, and is the only system in the industry that offers speedy real-time visual tracking capability.

VTMS combines the existing video surveillance system and the internet network. At every shipment check point, the system records the real time working process by setting up a camera around the courier's work station, and saves the footage into DHL's database. If needed, the footage can be retrieved by simply keying in the air waybill number desired.

In instances where customers have questions about their shipments, often about size, external damage or theft, DHL personnel can retrieve the visual recording from the database within a short period of time and report the actual events. The VTMS system is not meant to prevent any mishaps, but to provide the actual facts in order to reduce controversies. The VTMS symbolizes DHL's commitment to innovation and to offer the most secure delivery process to its customers.

In addition, safe and secure delivery of shipments has been a growing issue as Taiwan's high-tech industry blossoms. To reassure customers, DHL Express Taiwan has not only obtained nine TAPA (Technology Asset Protection Association) certificates, but has also installed anti-theft GPS systems in vehicles that transport high-value shipments. The GPS system is engaged whenever the vehicle is stolen, damaged, or moved by an outside force such as a tow truck. An alarm signal is sent to the DHL Country QCC, where staffs follow emergency procedures to track down the vehicle and its shipments.

The QCCs have played a crucial role in DHL's daily operations. When the earthquake off the shore of Pintung on 26 December 2006 severed eight undersea cables causing delays in export and import shipments, DHL Express Taiwan QCC, with assistance from the Asia Pacific QCC based in Singapore, coordinated with the various DHL business units and departments to ensure that disruptions to operations were kept to a minimum, resulting in the successful transportation of exports shipments out of Taiwan.

DHL staffs in the Country QCC also monitor international news very closely. In the event of natural disasters, the QCC can utilize its tracking system to locate the whereabouts of each shipment. Similarly, the QCC can set up pre-emptive strategies ahead of severe weather conditions to guarantee the continued provision of reliable services.