Swiss Post

Swiss Post AG ( French La Poste Suisse, Italian La Posta Svizzera, Romansh: La Posta Romansch; brand POST, LA POSTE, LA POSTA, SWISS POST) is a special statute limited company owned by the federal government and the largest postal company in Switzerland. It carried in 2012, nearly 2.3 billion addressed letters, about 111 million packets transported 129 million passengers and managed by its subsidiary PostFinance AG over 100 billion Swiss francs in client assets. These objects are achieved with a workforce of approximately 61,000 employees, including about 54,000 in Switzerland, managed. This makes it one of the largest employers in Switzerland.

Group structure

Under the umbrella of the Group Swiss Post AG is home to three Group companies which handle four different markets.

• Post CH AG: communication and logistics market
• PostFinance AG: retail financial market
• Post Auto Switzerland AG: Public passenger transport market

The core business of Swiss Post, Swiss Post AG CH. It combines the areas of the Group

• Postal mail
• Post Logistics (including IT, Mobility Solutions AG)
• Swiss Post Solutions
• Post Offices & Sales ( including real estate )
• And communication, HR, Legal Services, Finance

Group Executive

Susanne Ruoff, since September 1, 2012

Previously: Jürg Bucher, 14 December 2009 - 31 August 2012 to Michel Kunz, April 1, 2009 to December 13, 2009, Ulrich Gygi, 2000-2009, Reto Braun 1998-2000

History

Former PTT

The Federal Post was created on January 1, 1849 for the transport of letters, packages, people, and money transfers. Mail was transported by rail from 1857. Beginning in 1866, own railway mail cars were put into service. After 1903 motor vehicles were used for the first time, placed the last post horses in a 1961 GR Avers their operation. In 1906, a postal service existed ( checking account, the forerunner of today PostFinance, Yellow Account ). 1920, the telephony and telegraphy was merged with the post office. The Authority now was called PTT ( postal, telephone, telegraph ). Since 1939, the feature of Swiss Post is the yellow color. Boxes and stamp machines appear in post since yellow. In 1964, the postal codes were introduced. In 1978, the PTT, the first post office machines ( ATM ) and offered the first Natels ( car phones ) (cf. Swisscom # History ).

With the establishment of the State in 1848, fundamental changes were made ​​concerning the organization of the fledgling state, including the reorganization of the postal, transport, and coinage, the army and the case law with the relevant legislation. With the establishment of the Federal Postal Administration was the replacement of the cantonal postal administrations by the federal government. Thus, the federal government was given the monopoly for further carriage of postal services ( transmission of information in written form ). By the monopolization by the federal government was able to ensure that the population has a reliable coverage and affordable service.

With technical progress came at the beginning of the 20th century to the telegraph and telephone. This meant that by the 1920s PTT's were formed. Its origin is attributed to the merger in the Federal Telegraph Administration and the main post office on August 16, 1920 that were summarized in the jurisdictional order PTT of 24 October 1930. As a result of these technological advances, the infrastructure had to be extended in order to ensure economic development. In order to build such an infrastructure can (construction of lines of any kind) it needs land. Since it is not always possible to create lines on public land, and private land is claimed. In order not to jeopardize this development was based on the introduction of the Civil Code, the restriction of private property and thus introduced the expropriation law.

Liberalization

On December 31, 1997, it was divided in connection with the 1988 liberalization initiated the PTT into two groups. Mail services consisting of letter mail, parcel post, payments and passenger transport by postal cars were transferred today's Swiss Post, while the Swisscom since been providing the telecommunications services.

Swiss Post was from 1998 an autonomous public institution and has a certain strategic flexibility. The legal basis was that came into force on 1 January 1998 Postal Organization Act (POA ).

Due to the new postal legislation, which came into force in late 2012 (PG, POG, VPG on 1 October 2012, VPOG on December 1, 2012), Swiss Post was on June 26, 2013 with retroactive effect to 1 January 2013, one in a special statutory corporation. At the same time PostFinance was spun off into a private limited company and under the supervision of the FINMA. Owner of Swiss Post AG remains 100 percent of the federal government - new to the role as a shareholder. The PostFinance AG again remains wholly owned by the Swiss Post AG.

Business activity

Communications market

Until 1 January 2004, the post enjoyed at addressed items up to 2 kg a monopoly. In return, the post office was obliged to offer a nationwide public service. On 1 April 2006, the limit was (as with most government postal companies in the EU) lowered to 100 g. Another time it was lowered on July 1, 2009, now up to 50 g A comprehensive primary care is still one but the core responsibilities of the post.

The Post provides services related to the delivery of addressed and unaddressed advertising mail and letters, provides newspapers, takes the document management for customers and is in direct marketing. SuisseID and secure e -mail service IncaMail the Post offers its customers products for online identity management, digital signature and secure electronic communication. With the Swiss Post Box and ePostSelect the Post Office also offer hybrid solutions, which also provide electronic channels for physical data.

The services of mail are increasingly less demand for some time, the volumes are declining with the advent of e - mail and text message and go back every year by around 2 %. The company is responding with new services and customized structure for this development. The post had focused logistics at three locations ( Zurich Mülligen, Härkingen and Eclépens ) with the REMA project ( Mail Processing Reengineering, restructuring of letter processing). There, in 2006 and 2009 new sorting centers were built with more powerful machines between. Along with six new regional distribution centers ( so-called sub-centers ) in Gossau (SG ), Geneva, Basel, Ticino, Bern and Lucerne, the investment volume was at about a billion Swiss francs.

The post office is in the letter post sector remains the market leader in Switzerland.

In order to provide your customers with additional services, sold the post in their outlets in addition also non-food items, from stationery goods to notebooks to their customers. In addition, The Mail on switch on, certain kiosk products such as candy and lottery tickets.

In the online shop, the Post has a wide range of different consumer and electronics products.

Logistics market

In the Package and cargo logistics Logistics Post provides a range of services for business and residential customers. The courier, express and parcel (CEP ) the post listed in the wake of the booming online retail currently a strong growth.

With new services in e-commerce, the Post wants to meet the needs of the customers and from 2014 to offer with YellowCube a total solution for mail order companies, which includes the storage, on the packaging, shipping, and returns management everything. With offerings such as the parcel machines MyPost24 and the choice of Zustellortes and time point, the end user should be able to decide when, how and where they want to give up their packets in reception or.

In recent years, the post has invested in two times millions in the further development of the logistics sector and its parcel centers.

The post office also handles customs clearance for cross-border shipments.

Despite major international competition, the post is in the package market remains the market leader in Switzerland.

Public passenger transport market

Post Auto Switzerland AG is the largest Swiss service on public roads and provides access to peripheral areas to the centers become an essential part safe. 130 million passengers travel with the Postbus AG Switzerland per year. In addition to the public transport Postbus also completed school buses.

Together with SBB and Rent- a-Bike has built up a public bike - rental network the mail. PubliBike enjoy in Switzerland through an extensive network of rental stations where either conventional or e -bikes can be rented for a fee.

The Postal Logistics attached Mobility Solutions AG operates the fleet management for the post and external customers. It is the largest independent fleet managers in Switzerland.

Retail financial market

The PostFinance AG provides financial services for payments, savings accounts and Anlagegeschäft.Seit in the June 26, 2013 has the retail financial institution, a bank authorization and under the supervision of the FINMA.

With the FINMA insinuation PostFinance AG has the ability to independently offer products for which they previously had to enter into partnerships with banks. Loans and mortgages, however, PostFinance can according to the Postal Organization Act still not forgive themselves. In this area, she continues to work with other banks.

With over 2.9 million customers and more than 100 billion Swiss francs in client assets PostFinance AG is one of the largest financial institutions in Switzerland. The payments in Switzerland it is undisputed market leader. In addition, the PostFinance AG is a leader in e-finance.

New services and electronic applications

The post constantly evolving and now offers a variety of services and products, which are mainly located at the interface between physical and electronic world.

These include:

• E -commerce solutions from the webshop, including payments, storage, shipping, and returns management
• Swiss Post Box: solution for digital reception of letters
• IncaMail: Secure e- mail receipt and dispatch
• SuisseID: officially recognized electronic identity and certified digital signature
• SwissSign: Security certificates for encryption on the Internet
• Vivates: solution for electronic health records ( eHealth )
• Document Lifecycle Management: offered in the Business Process Outsourcing at home and abroad, as an overall process or in modules such as mailroom services, scanning, processing and archiving of incoming business correspondence and preparation of outgoing mail for physical or digital delivery
• EPostOffice: Complete solution between sender and recipient customers for the optional sending of correspondence by mail or secure electronic delivery. Located in the development phase.

Sustainability

The sustainability of their business success will ensure the mail by the appropriate balance between environmental practices, social responsibility and economic success.

Three strategic thrusts:

Climate and energy have a priority field of action due to the energy-intensive activities and the associated environmental impacts and the risks of rising energy costs for the Group Post. By 2016 the post office wants to increase the CO2 efficiency compared to the year 2010 by 10 percent. Thus it is up to 2016 their performance can provide 12 percent more energy efficient.

Healthy and efficient employees are the basis for the provision of services. On the increase of employer attractiveness and competitiveness objectives numerous measures and programs.

Sustainable procurement is aimed at compliance with social and environmental ( minimum ) requirements across the entire supply chain of an organization.

Lighthouse Projects:

• Electric scooter: Already two thirds of the 7,500 post scooters are with Swiss hydropower on the road, in 2016 it will be the whole fleet.
• Energy consumption in buildings: In 900 of its buildings, the Post Office launches measures through energy optimization, pay off economically and for the environment.
• Eco-Drive: experts assist post chauffeurs in energy -efficient driving. With simple measures such as sufficiently high tire pressure, premature switching and foresighted driving, up to five percent save fuel.
• Photovoltaics on buildings Post: The Post wants to operate until 2016, on its premises in Switzerland 16 photovoltaic systems. So they will continue to feed around 7,600 MWh of solar electricity to the grid each year. The equivalent of the electricity for 2,100 average homes.
• Ecological Drives: In both freight and passenger transport, the postal continually testing alternative, energy efficient drive systems and fuels. For example, for at mail car since 2011 fuel cell buses in daily use. Further, the Post examines various forms of hybrid drives.
• Fair work produced Dresses: The post office is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation ( FWF). With membership in the global organization, the Post is committed to a strict control and sustainable implementation of social standards in their clothing suppliers.
• WWF Climate Savers: Together with companies such as Coop, Migros, Swisscom and IKEA, the Post has been involved for years in the WWF Climate Savers. The parties undertake to optimize their operation in terms of energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

Opinion of market / policy

The post office is an emotional issue in the population. The expectations of the company are high. As a company owned by the federal post of a nationwide universal postal services and payment is required. At the same time they should offer high-value, marketable and innovative services and thereby generate profitable growth and strengthen through increasing efficiency, profitability of the company in accordance with the strategic objectives of the Bundesrat. In this constellation, the post is always the focus of public and political discussions.

So the closure or conversion of post offices in more modern formats such as the post office or the home service of the public are often greeted with incredulity. After initial experience with the new formats and adapted opening times, these new post offices are, however, rated by customers largely positive. Also price adjustments for individual products lead to repeated criticism.

Finally, also ensured the necessary restructuring and cost measures with personal consequences for each negative headlines. The post is with the unions syndicom and transfair in close contact.

The criticism of the post so far resulted in two people's initiatives. The initiative " postal services for all", which would anchor a nationwide post office network and a deficit guarantee in the Federal Constitution, in September 2004 was very nearly discarded. The " Initiative for more public service " came into existence in June 2013. A referendum is not expected before 2016.

Parliamentary initiatives are launched to post topics Getting back to cantonal and federal level. With the new postal legislation, which came into force in late 2012, Swiss Post maintains a clear framework for the fulfillment of its public service mission.