“When we speak of quality, we go beyond the perceived value of the service we offer. We concentrate on the creation and delivery of services and values that meet the long-term expectations of those who decide to make our company their transport and logistics partners,” says Franco Azzopardi, Chairman and CEO of Express Trailers.
In accounting terms, the cost of quality is defined as ‘a methodology that allows an organization to determine the extent to which its resources are used for activities that prevent poor quality, that appraise the quality of the organization’s products or services, and that result from internal and external failures.’
“At Express Trailers, the cost of quality does not only deal with the service delivered but transcends it to address the more holistic concept of the brand promise. “Our #WeAreOrange tagline is more than just a tagline. It is a seal of what we stand for and quality, in all of its elements, is one of these,” says Mr Azzopardi.
“For us quality is enshrined in the legacy, an inherited tradition, a corporate culture made of family values where people are the highest priority. Quality is reliability and timeliness. It is the passion of a tradesman and a craftsman. This is where quality starts for us in our value promise to our customers, our people and all stakeholders we affect in any way,” he added.
“We work very hard to sustain and improve the perceived value of the company by investing in our three main business enablers namely, our equipment, our space and our people. Our bright orange coloured fleet was always at the forefront of any long-term investment and whenever the company looked at growth, this was always in terms of fleet resources because an upgraded and diversified well-kept fleet enables better and more efficient logistics operations that satisfy clients’ increasing demands. We guarantee a quality service based on constant investment in new transportation vehicles and in the best drivers that help us operate in the safest and most reliable manner.”
The company’s value is also reflected in the people it attracts and retains. We have worked hard with our strong management team made up of both family and non-family members and we focus a lot on our people, and invest a lot to offer them continuous training and education to turn them into true logistics specialists and better people overall. The launch of our Express Training Academy last year and our recent huge investment in our new and modern multi-media The Link training centre reflect the importance the company gives to its people, which ultimately return more value and quality to our customers and our shareholders.”
Franco highlights the fact that over the past months, Express Trailers has been actively trying to educate and inform various stakeholders who somehow come in touch with the world of transport and logistics to help them realise what a sophisticated and specialized industry this has become.
“Express Trailers has been undergoing many internal changes in terms of operation and technology systems throughout its different business activities. The prevention costs we speak of are in terms of the substantial investment we have been undertaking not only to bring a change in our collective thinking process but also to strengthening the way people look at our company. It has been an exercise in defining the cost of Express Trailers’ quality proposition,” said Franco Azzopardi.
Speaking of investment, Franco Azzopardi draws the attention to what he describes as ‘the three principal business drivers” in the industry namely people, equipment and space.
“Investment needs to be incessant in all three areas of resourcing because ultimately, this is what guarantees the quality service that our customers demand from Express Trailers – the same quality that helps us guarantee our Excellence, Experience and Expertise proposition,” he says.
“Among the many internal changes that we have affected over these past months is a long process of implementing a new Core Transport Management System, a platform which we consider to be the heart of our system and that enables us to be at par with the highest international standards. This was like major surgery in our Operations and Methods and it is changing the way we take bookings, to the way we plan the delivery and the invoicing cycle. Our commitment to quality is also being built on an on-going exercise of optimising our processes and the space where we work to reach more efficiencies.”
Mr Azzopardi refers to Express Trailers’ large fleet of trucks and trailers on the road as probably the biggest challenge the company faces daily.
“We are constantly striving to find a balance between our operations while ensuring that our presence on the road causes the least danger or inconvenience possible. Alongside this, managing all the risks involved in the handling and delivery of any goods, whatever the circumstances, is another challenge that we face daily.”
“In the end, quality is relative and this is what determines the price. If say, a customer wants to spend very little for a car, he cannot expect leather seats and the latest navigation and safety features to be included. He can only expect the vehicle to run properly and take him from one destination to another. In this case, quality is considered to be a vehicle that functions, rather than a luxury experience.”
“We are not after offering a luxury experience but an experience that empowers our customers, their businesses and their lives. The cost that our customers pay for our services reflects an intricate set of processes and operations through which we can guarantee a service at the lowest risk possible. The key challenge will always remain that of ensuring that our operations remain relevant and competitive in a dynamic sector that is becoming more elaborate and time-sensitive. Striking the right balance between a quality service at a price that reflects it, is a win-win situation for both ourselves and our customers. Because ultimately, mitigating the risks involved not only increase the profitability of a business, but enhance the level of customer satisfaction and retention,” concluded Franco Azzopardi.
A substantial investment by the company to retain highest standards
Since the Express Trailers Training Academy was launched last year, 35 training sessions have been delivered which saw over 250 employees at Express Trailers obtaining professional certification in a variety of subjects such as Incoterms and Transport Documentation, Cyber Security, Technical Training and other subjects.
To further support the Training Academy, Express Trailers has now completed The LOGIC Learning Centre, a new state-of-the-art learning centre to offer all employees continued training for them to become professionals in their respective fields and for them to remain abreast with the latest developments in the transport and logistics market.
Located within Express Trailers’ premises, The LOGIC Learning Centre represents substantial investment in two interjoined but dividable halls, three mini-lecture rooms which will also serve as meeting rooms, all with state-of-the-art sound engineering and multi-media video and teleconference equipment.
Speaking about this investment, Franco Azzopardi, Chairman and CEO of Express Trailers explained how this new training centre will also be open to the company’s clients and other parties who are interested to learn more about the intricate world of logistics and commerce both as a future business prospect and also from a career perspective.
“Our people drive our business by optimising equipment, space, distance and time. They bring their experience to address all the logistics risks involved. To keep delivering our hallmark premium quality service, they need to keep getting the best training,” said Franco Azzopardi, Chairman and CEO of Express Trailers.
“We are investing substantially in this learning centre and in the training academy so our people will have all the opportunities where to clash the minds and become inspired and energized to be better in what they do, to serve our clients better. People will connect at The Logic. It is where Express Trailers’ ‘Excellence, Experience and Expertise’ maxim finds its tangible fruition,” added Franco Azzopardi.
“Our employees are not just employees. When they start working with us, they become experts and professionals in their work and on many occasions, they are the ones passing on their acquired knowledge and experience to newer employees. In fact, more hands-on training on the job and formal training by experienced employees is being planned from this coming September. Ongoing training, sharing of experience and a persuasive attitude towards working safely form our #WeAreOrange culture and love mark,” concluded Franco Azzopardi.
A substantial investment by the company to retain highest standards
Since the Express Trailers Training Academy was launched last year, 35 training sessions have been delivered which saw over 250 employees at Express Trailers obtaining professional certification in a variety of subjects such as Incoterms and Transport Documentation, Cyber Security, Technical Training and other subjects.
To further support the Training Academy, Express Trailers has now completed The LOGIC Learning Centre, a new state-of-the-art learning centre to offer all employees continued training for them to become professionals in their respective fields and for them to remain abreast with the latest developments in the transport and logistics market.
Located within Express Trailers’ premises, The LOGIC Learning Centre represents substantial investment in two interjoined but dividable halls, three mini-lecture rooms which will also serve as meeting rooms, all with state-of-the-art sound engineering and multi-media video and teleconference equipment.
Speaking about this investment, Franco Azzopardi, Chairman and CEO of Express Trailers explained how this new training centre will also be open to the company’s clients and other parties who are interested to learn more about the intricate world of logistics and commerce both as a future business prospect and also from a career perspective.
“Our people drive our business by optimising equipment, space, distance and time. They bring their experience to address all the logistics risks involved. To keep delivering our hallmark premium quality service, they need to keep getting the best training,” said Franco Azzopardi, Chairman and CEO of Express Trailers.
“We are investing substantially in this learning centre and in the training academy so our people will have all the opportunities where to clash the minds and become inspired and energized to be better in what they do, to serve our clients better. People will connect at The Logic. It is where Express Trailers’ ‘Excellence, Experience and Expertise’ maxim finds its tangible fruition,” added Franco Azzopardi.
“Our employees are not just employees. When they start working with us, they become experts and professionals in their work and on many occasions, they are the ones passing on their acquired knowledge and experience to newer employees. In fact, more hands-on training on the job and formal training by experienced employees is being planned from this coming September. Ongoing training, sharing of experience and a persuasive attitude towards working safely form our #WeAreOrange culture and love mark,” concluded Franco Azzopardi.
