This document summarizes the key barriers to aligning logistics services with the customer experience in e-commerce across Europe. It identifies 8 main barriers: 1) lack of a global playing field for service providers, 2) lack of standardized data exchange interfaces, 3) lack of information on service differences, 4) lack of track and trace in some cases, 5) lengthy delivery times, 6) complex customs and VAT rules, 7) high costs for small volume reverse logistics, and 8) lack of pricing transparency. For each barrier, it outlines the current market situation and demands, as well as tools that could be used to help achieve the goal of overcoming the barriers. The overall aim is to shift from an international B

1. Hacía una logística
de Datos
César Tello
Chairman, e-logistics WG

2. eLogistics Working
Group
Cambio de
Estrategia
De identificar los retos o
una involucración activa
en desarrollar el
mercado
Ecommerce Europe la
única asociación de
ecommerce activa en
CEN / ETSI / UPU.

3. Barreras: alinear el servicio con la
experiencia de cliente
1. Lack of global playing field for
service providers
2. Lack of standardized interface
specification to exchange data
and to harmonize labelling
3. Lack of information on
differences in service and
standards
4. [In some cases] Lack of track
and trace services
5. Lengthy delivery times
throughout Europe
6. Customs and VAT
administration
7. Reverse logistics [for small
volumes]
8. Lack of transparency in pricing

4. Herramientas para
supercar
Barreras

5. Lack of global playing field for service
providers
The market supplies:
▪ DOs (Designated Postal Operators) have exclusive access to
the Global Postal Network and IT applications operated by
the Universal Postal Union (UPU).
▪ DOs operate under an unfair remuneration system of
terminal dues and termination fees that lead to unnecessary
over-mobility of goods globally, creating inefficiencies and
environmental damage.
The market demands:
▪ A global delivery chain network, with comparable
options to choose the most efficient for each case.

6. Lack of global playing field for service
providers – Tools to achieve our goal
Changing the fundamentals:
▪ (Only) member of a UPU body representing Ecommerce
retailers / Senders / Customers of DOs
▪ Exclusive overview of termination fees
▪ Advising UPU members on new products and services for
ecommerce
▪ Shaping access to UPU’s IT network for the “wider postal
stakeholder
The market demands:
▪ A global delivery chain network, with comparable
options to choose the most efficient for each case.

7. Lack of standardized interface specification to
exchange data and to harmonize labelling
The market supplies:
▪ DOs and Private Delivery
Networks (Courier, express and
parcel) operating in parallel
systems.
The market demands:
▪ A harmonized system that
allows merchants to provide
timely information to consumers
locally and cross-border, from
first to last mile of delivery

8. Lack of standardized interface specification to
exchange data & to harmonize labelling - Tools
Changing the fundamentals:
▪ Lead (CEN) in harmonizing parcel
and package label standardization
▪ Lead (CEN & UPU) in specifying
interfaces for data exchange
The market demands:
▪ A harmonized system that
allows merchants to provide
timely information to consumers
locally and cross-border, from
first to last mile of delivery

9. Lack of information on differences in
service and standards
The market supplies:
▪ An obsolete postal classification based
on a former world of physical letter
communications.
▪ An obsolete classification of courier,
express and parcel services that
customers don’t understand.
The market demands:
▪ The delivery of goods at the customer’s
most convenient location, quickly and
inexpensively. No matter if delivered by
a DO, a courier, a drone, or a P2P
delivery network.

10. Lack of information on differences in service
and standards – Tools to change
Changing the fundamentals:
▪ Elimination of product and weight silos,
by creating a seamless 0 – 31.5 kg
weight range
▪ Elimination of obsolete classifications
of courier, express and parcel services,
in line with electronic advanced data,
enabling interoperability.
The market demands:
▪ The delivery of goods at the customer’s
most convenient location, quickly and
inexpensively. No matter if delivered by
a DO, a courier, a drone, or a P2P
delivery network.

11. [In some cases] Lack of track and trace
services
The market supplies:
▪ A high end type of services within the DOs system or within
Global Operators, affordable only at large volumes.
▪ Basic services efficient at the local level, but untraceable in
cross-border deliveries.
The market demands:
▪ The merchant can provide information on the status of
the purchased good to the customer directly and in all
cases in order to maintain the level of customer service
expected.

12. [In some cases] Lack of track and trace
services – Tools to change
Changing the fundamentals:
▪ Harmonized methods for transit time measurement for cross
border items (documents and goods)
▪ Standardized tools for measuring and handling complaints
concerning demanded, delayed of lost shipments
The market demands:
▪ The merchant can provide information on the status of
the purchased good to the customer directly and in all
cases in order to maintain the level of customer service
expected.

13. Lengthy delivery times throughout Europe
The market supplies:
▪ A delivery network incapable of the
interconnectivity required to deploy multi-
operator delivery.
The market demands:
▪ End to end supply chain services,
including a seamless multi-
operator delivery chain network
across Europe.

14. Lengthy delivery times throughout Europe
– Tools to achieve our goal
Changing the fundamentals:
▪ Requirements to connect, access, participate and
further develop open global networks and
systems, for postal operators and the wider
postal sector.
The market demands:
▪ End to end supply chain services,
including a seamless multi-
operator delivery chain network
across Europe.

15. Customs and VAT administration
The market supplies:
▪ A single market for goods and services with different tax
treatment for every EU market.
The market demands:
▪ A real single market
with an easy-to-
comply-with set of
rules that boost
consumer confidence
on cross-border e-
commerce.

16. Customs and VAT administration -
Tools to achieve our goal
Changing the fundamentals:
▪ A single market for goods and services with different tax
treatment for every EU market.
▪ Open requirements for electronic advanced data (EDA) in
postal operations, including the wider postal stakeholders, in
particular compliant to security and customs requirements
The market demands:
▪ A real single market
with an easy-to-
comply-with set of
rules that boost
consumer confidence
on cross-border e-
commerce.

17. Reverse logistics [for small volumes]
The market supplies:
▪ An even more complex network for cross border returns, only
affordable for big volume merchants.
The market demands:
▪ Consolidation capabilities to provide a key customer
service element on ecommerce: affordable returns also to
international customers.

18. Reverse logistics [for small volumes] -
Tools to achieve our goal
Changing the fundamentals:
▪ Labeling and exchange of data between e-merchant and
logistic operators for cross border parcels and returns, not
only in Europe but globally.
The market demands:
▪ Consolidation capabilities to provide a key customer
service element on ecommerce: affordable returns also to
international customers.

19. Lack of transparency in pricing
The market supplies:
▪ Delivery prices for commercial post
items set by DOs by a system of
multilateral agreements set at the
UPU.
▪ Over-payment of DOs network
capabilities up to 4 times the
national tariff for cross border
delivery for small volume merchants.
▪ Sophisticated tender system for
SMEs to understand all parallel
services offered by non DOs.
The market demands:
▪ Transparent costs and comparable
systems for better evaluation of using
the different networks operating locally
and internationally.

20. Lack of transparency in pricing - Tools to
achieve our goal
Changing the fundamentals:
▪ Transparency into termination fees,
including bi- and multilateral
agreements between market
dominant players in B2C delivery
▪ Extending the market oversight of
domestic regulatory and European
regulatory authorities to achieve
price transparency and comparability
The market demands:
▪ Transparent costs and comparable
systems for better evaluation of using
the different networks operating locally
and internationally.

21. Superar barreras:
Dificultades

22. Todo el mundo debería
componer sobre la misma
partitura.

23. Alinear oferta y demanda significa
Pasar de una red internacional
centrada en B2B…
…a una red B2B2C centrada en el
consumidor

24. Source: www.communication-logistics.com

28. …pick-up locations

29. … urban delivery

30. …new delivery services

31. César Tello
ctello@adigital.org
608 176 610