Ahead of the World Mail & Express Europe (WMX Europe) Conference in Dublin, we caught up with Martijn Schneider, Chief Commercial Officer at ViaEurope. Martijn will be speaking at WMX Europe 2019 and offers his thoughts on the conference and the future of the industry.

This interview was originally published on Post & Parcel in June 2019.

P&P – Tell us a little bit about yourself and your company.

MS – ViaEurope is a tech-driven e-logistics startup using data and dedicated services to make global e-commerce to Europe easy. With smart technology, ViaEurope already processes tens of thousands of parcels per day through its automated back-end, including airport handling, customs clearance, and last mile delivery throughout Europe. ViaEurope’s e-HUB is located at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, one of the most significant cargo hubs in Europe, from where the company deals with airfreight, sea freight and train freight. ViaEurope special e-commerce permits and working agreements with Dutch Customs ensure compliant declarations and hassle-free, no risk processing.

P&P – What will you be speaking about at WMX Europe this year?

MS – I will be speaking about challenges in international cross-border e-commerce and logistics. Mainly caused by Brexit, international trade disputes and differences between EU countries. Focus will be on cross-border into the EU.

P&P – What do you hope our delegates will take away from your presentation?

MS – That Technology is crucial when cross border e-commerce involves Customs clearance. If you want to make sure parcels are seamlessly delivered to the customers, just like as when you experience with local online store, data and thus technology is essential. Having a warehouse and a Customs license will not be enough anymore, especially with the upcoming changes in the law which will require a electronic declaration, even for that blue USB stick of just €1,50.

P&P – What do you feel are the biggest challenges facing your business today?

MS – To cope with the fast pace in which ecommerce and digitalisation are progressing. Consumers see/expect less boundaries when shopping cross border, its our industry’ responsibility to make this cross border shopping as seamless as possible.

P&P – Apart from the presentations and content, what aspect of WMX Europe are you most looking forward to?

MS – I look forward to meeting other executives from the industry and to discuss trends and developments in the market, as well as potential opportunities for cooperation.

P&P – How can we advance the post and parcel industry?

MS – By using more and more technology and further integrate the different actors in the chain. And by making more use of available data, always make sure the data is ahead of the parcel. When this is achieved, we are able to create a seamless experience for the customers.

P&P – How has the post and parcel industry changed in the past 5 years?

MS – What do you predict will happen in the next 5 to 10 years? In the parcel industry there will be a shift from Postal services to commercial services. The service levels, and information levels will drastically go up as well as the complexity of cross-border shipping. Only the smartest and most flexible companies will succeed.

P&P – What impacts do you foresee from the New Silk Road for the European post and parcel market?

MS – There will be more flexibility for sellers/shippers in modes of transport. Overall this will probably reduce costs in the supply chain and lead to a more tailored service based on the requirements of the shipper’ profile. The impact it has specifically on the postal and parcel e-commerce market needs to be seen of course, since there is pressure on transit times.

P&P – With the EU pushing ahead with its clean air policies, what impacts do you see this having on the post and parcel industry, particularly in the larger European cities?

MS – As ViaEurope I can’t really judge the impact, what we do see that the larger volume of post and parcel is coming from China at the moment. They have no motivation at all to spend money on these policies. They only care about price and service. Unless these policies are enforced globally, for example through a trade agreement, I don’t think the impact will be very high.

Martijn will be speaking at the World Mail & Express Europe Conference 2019. WMX Europe is taking place at Croke Park in Dublin (17 – 19 June 2019). Visit www.wmxeurope.com for more information.