International Acquistions

[Shaun Grantham]

I'd be interested to hear from a US perspective (I'm based in Europe) on the need for UPS to get aggressive internationally (low market share) and buy some big companies. Wall Street needs to see UPS act with a little vigour and given the margins on international, is this not the way forward?1

 

[dannyboy]

Shaun

Welcome to the board.

I think so. I think that if UPS wants to be the leader in world transportation, the buying up of established players in other parts of the world is critical for that growth. We are seeing some of that currently going on in china and other places.

The problem that has been a hurdle to over come is the UPS one way mentality. With the out reach into Germany many years ago, that was one of the problems, and now that we are in many others, it has changed the way UPS looks at doing business. Culture shock is very real and needs to be taken seriously.

But dont look for them to buy companies just to get the foot in the door. They are looking for real value for the money, not just glitz.

d

 

[No Talent Clown]

I would like to see UPS establish themselves in countries where education is being emphasised. One country that comes to mind is India. As the population becomes more educated the economy will then grow and there we'll be ready and waiting to handle anything business owners throw our way.

 

[jetset]

Having seen many companies brought into the UPS fold over the last 15 years in the UK, The comment made by Dannyboy that the one way mentality needs to change is spot on. I recall lots of American management coming to the UK and advising that we were underdespatched, I at the time was doing 45 stops a day, this was raised to a minimum 90 and my area the size of a small country. It goes without saying whose fault it was when I had NDAs. Now it would appear we no longer strive to be UPS US but UPS Germany. I am told by my Sup that in Germany the ratio of staff to management is one for every 10 in the UK it is currently one for every 40. So the aim is to increase management to make it easier to make us work harder!!

 

[dannyboy]

Count yourself lucky. In the US it is one management for every 4 drivers.

That is the UPS way anymore. Got more stops than you can deliver in a 10 hour day, hire a new manager. If you still cant get if off, hire two IE guys to figure out a better way. Then hire a new manager to implement the system that IE figured out.

And when all that does not work, blame it on a under-motivated work force, and hire a staffer to come up with ways to improve motivation and moral.

And at this point we have added so many new ground level managers, that the current uber management is not enough, so we have to hire one of those too. After all, cant have them working too hard either, now can we?

Oh and dont forget, we need to add a bunch of OMS's to do the work that is beneath the supervisors to do anymore. And that gives them someone to blame when everything gets screwed up..

So there you have it. Feeling lucky and blessed over there across the ocean? Just wait, its coming your way. You think our social security system is in a mess with less people depending on those that do work for a living, its kinda like our system here at ups.

Funny, when I started, we had four delivery sups, one center manager, and maybe 3 other sups in our whole building. With about 60 drivers.

Now there are two center managers, 7 delivery sups, 4 or 5 other full time sups, a whole army of part time sups, 4 OMS's and 96 drivers. And that is after our center split, with the other center having a center manager, two delivery sups and a some what smaller army of part time sups.

So more people figuring out ways for the driver to get more out of his day. After all, we are just not capable of figuring out what we should do.

d