“Today, it is no longer sufficient to merely provide a service, it is much more important to listen to customers’ expectations and tailor our services accordingly,” says Andrius Ladauskas, the new CEO of the international parcel company Venipak. Having previously worked for such companies as Lietuvos geležinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways) and Vilniaus prekyba, and having managed the e-shop Barbora, today the CEO has a new goal – to turn Venipak into not only a market leader throughout the Baltic states but also a desirable employer and valued business partner.
It’s all about keeping the promise
The world is currently changing very swiftly. Therefore, to retain its appeal in the market, a company must be able to meet the market’s expectations right here and right now. Ladauskas, who has experience in both the private and public sectors, says that private equity companies tend to have an advantage over public sector entities because they have more freedom to take action.
In Ladauskas’ opinion, opportunities for both cooperation and work in such companies open up completely different perspectives, as they are able to rapidly react to market changes, make decisions in a flexible way and swiftly adapt to customers’ needs, thus creating and growing a successful business.
“A wide range of products, fair prices and fast delivery are the basic expectations of an e-commerce customer. Of course, we, as logistics partners, play a key role in this. This was very clearly seen during the pandemic years when we observed a huge boom in express e-commerce, specifically when the expectation of receiving a product within 15 minutes took hold in Western Europe. However, today, with the return to the normal rhythm of life, people want to know when they will receive their item, and this is sometimes even more important than speed, and other expectations are emerging as well. In responding to this, businesses must also change to ensure continuous growth and, most importantly, to deliver on their promises to their customers,” says Ladauskas.
Although in the context of the entire e-commerce chain a parcel company is involved as an intermediary that helps to transport an item from one place to another, in reality, according to Ladauskas, this is not just about logistics: “it is a complex process that requires not only promises to be fulfilled and expectations to be met in terms of speed and quality but also to go above and beyond to improve more rapidly than the market”.
Simply being a service provider is not enough
When it comes to the market and its competitive environment, Venipak’s CEO notes that the temperature has increased considerably.
“The pandemic was a very important catalyst for the growth of the entire e-commerce industry. This has been followed by stabilisation and streamlining, but there is also continuing growth. Our market is also very active, and its key players are clearly established, so it would not be easy for a new or niche player to enter the market. Of course, we see some attempts, but today it is not enough to have a few parcel terminals or to offer just one service”, emphasises Ladauskas.
Sensing the pulse of the market and the needs of its customers, Venipak continues to actively expand. The total number of parcel lockers in Lithuania alone has already increased by 70 per cent, due to both the expansion of existing parcel terminals and the installation of new ones. Venipak plans to continue its expansion until the end of the year to achieve a total number of 800 parcel terminals in the Baltic region.
The company is also making additional investments to improve the quality of its services, streamline processes and develop new solutions.
“We have been a player in this market for 20 years, and today we feel that a business customer who is eager to grow and expand needs a business partner rather than a service provider. This is the approach that we follow and is what underlies our ability to offer a wide range of services and solutions tailored for e-commerce. These range from door-to-door parcel delivery and a network of parcel terminals connecting the Baltic markets, to heavier, oversized parcel deliveries, to a comprehensive fulfilment service, with the customer no longer having to worry about delivery, storage, stock management, packaging, etc. Furthermore, when providing services on behalf of corporate clients, we always think about the final recipient of a parcel – the private customer, for whom we are currently focusing on and investing in a variety of carefully tailored technological solutions”, says Ladauskas.
Both a CEO and a leader
Today, the international parcel company Venipak has a team of more than 1,000 employees, operates in many countries and cities and gathers together specialists from a variety of fields. Ladauskas believes that the company’s success depends largely on the ability of the entire organisation to work together and the team’s willingness to continuously move forward. At the same time, according to him, one of the most important features of a successful modern CEO is the ability to empower people.
“I believe in teamwork because I have never seen an organisation built by just one person. That is why I have emphasised from the very first days that we have to communicate ‘without borders’, because any kind of hierarchy is, in my view, very outdated. A CEO must be the leader who sets the direction for the team to move forward, and each employee must be able to carry her or his own strengths into effect, to grow and to feel the value he or she creates. Finally, the division of responsibilities into very clear and specific areas, the freedom given to employees to act within the boundaries of rationality, determines how far the entire organisation will go. When I first came to Venipak, I saw bright-eyed and bushy-tailed people who want to create and contribute to the development of the business, who care about the success of our customers and strive to ensure a good experience, and this has inspired me greatly”, concludes Ladauskas.
