By melvin g. calimag
Apart from giving customers up-to-the-minute status of their packages, the cutting-edge technology being employed by US-based UPS in its delivery process is also being used to prevent contraband goods or terrorist items from reaching their destinations.
Top UPS executives revealed this during a recent press briefing at the Clark Special Economic Zone where its intra-Asia hub is located. The transshipment hub marked its third anniversary by announcing a $1.4-million expansion, with Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo leading the celebration rites.
David Abney, UPS International president, said the company has invested at least $1 billion every year for the last 15 years on technology enhancements to provide better service and faster transit times for customers.
Among these technology improvements include UPS Tracking, which provide information to customers on the current status of their packages, and UPS Signature Tracking, a feature that facilitates valuable "proof of delivery" information including a digitized signature and delivery address.
These technology enhancements, the UPS official said, do not only serve to facilitate the delivery process but were also employed for security purposes. Abney said issues involving terrorism and security have made the technology trail more useful than ever.
But even before the packages are transported, UPS Philippines country manager Gilliam Sim said the items go through x-ray machines to make sure they are free from security risks.
At its intra-Asia hub in Clark Field, the largest in the Asia Pacific region, the company has installed state-of-the-art equipment, including an automatic conveyor belt, a built-in ULD (unit load device) weighing system, and automated EDI system which rapidly transmits customs information to expedite the clearance of shipments.
The $1.4-million expansion has also allowed the hub to increase its sorting capacity from 2,500 to 7,500 packages per hour. In the fourth quarter of 2004, UPS’s export volume from the Philippines grew by nearly 30 percent as compared to the same quarter in 2003.
The strategic location of the Philippine hub provides a central sorting point within four hours by air from all major Asian cities. The hub is now home 90 flights per week, a 50-percent increase since it opened in 2002.
