DACHSER offers its employees the opportunity to shape the future of the company

At the end of the 1960s, Thomas Simon, son-in-law of Thomas Dachser, founder of Dachser, had the idea of creating a standardized shipping container for groupage logistics, inspired by a shipping container: the swap box, also known as a swap. body”. Initially met with skepticism, this flexible innovation in road transport ended up revolutionizing the entire industry and, today, it is impossible to imagine logistics without this Dachser invention. Currently, innovation and creativity continue to be one of the main pillars of the logistics provider, launching the Idea2net program in the company in this regard.

“The Idea2net project aims to promote a culture of innovation in line with Dachser's values. By establishing the Idea2net community throughout the company, the way is paved for a collaborative innovation process”, explains Stefan Hohm, CDO of Dachser and promoter of the project together with the company's CEO, Burkhard Eling.

This strategic program is specifically aligned with new technologies and megatrends, which form the basis for specific fields of exploration. In this way, the innovation process has defined principles and a clear focus. In Idea2net Space, the collaborative digital platform, employees can send suggestions and comments, from small improvements in local processes to innovative ideas for the development of new business models. It also allows them to follow the idea process in real time and have different participants contribute and join the discussion and exchange of ideas.

In some of the facilities where the project is being implemented, there is a mobile screen for staff who do not have access to a computer at their workplace. This allows all company employees to access ideas that are currently circulating and allows them to add their own, creating a bridge between the digital and analog worlds. Idea2net thus promotes Dachser's core values such as entrepreneurship and the will to innovate.

Idea2net has already helped Dachser advance numerous innovation topics. For example, the company's new telematics solutions are based on a lot of constructive ideas from employees. This contribution was also instrumental in developing and improving the concept of urban distribution, as well as Dachser's systems for short-distance transport, renewable energy or energy-saving lighting.

Step by step to success

Until implementation, ideas go through a multi-step certification process. First, the local ideas committee of each delegation reviews the proposals and, in the best of cases, implements them directly. If the ideas have the potential to work not only in the center itself, but in the global network, they are sent to the central address of the Idea2net program. Promising ideas are integrated into the innovation process, where they are grouped by theme and profiled by experts. This, in turn, leads to preliminary projects and, subsequently, concrete innovation projects with a clear timetable and budget.
Currently, there is an international Idea2net community that includes 149 local contacts in at least 23 countries, bringing together operations managers, human resources, billing specialists, sales managers, among others, each with their own set of skills and experiences. In the offices, your responsibilities include leading the local think tank, informing your peers about ongoing innovation projects, and running brainstorming workshops.

Idea2net has reached the Iberian Peninsula

In October last year, Dachser also implemented the Idea2net Space on the Iberian Peninsula. Isabel Padilla, project manager of Dachser Iberia and responsible for the execution of the project, affirms that "Idea2net is a very interesting program that facilitates the exchange of ideas for innovations, without having to go through a hierarchical superior or a series of obstacles". She adds: “In the first three months alone, we received around 300 ideas. For those who, at some point, may not have considered sharing their ideas, it is now much easier to get involved. Our employees are full of ideas and eager to share their creativity.”