Norway Post plans to modernise its post offices by reducing their size to save costs and improveoperational efficiency due to changed customer needs.
Norway Post said the transition to electronic mail and banking services is the main reasonfor the change in the way customers use post offices. Since 2003, the number of customers usingpost offices has fallen by around 20% while the number of over-the-counter banking transactions hasbeen halved during the same period.
As a result of the decline in the number of customers, Norway Post has calculated there is aneed for around 300 fewer man-years in Norway’s post offices. This means an average reduction ofone to two man-years at each post office. However, the employees will be taken care of throughinternal reorganisation measures and schemes, the Norwegian postal operator stressed.
Norway Post’s reorganisation agreement with the trade unions forms the basis for thereorganisation. “We regret that these changes also involve downsizing but, together with theemployee representatives, we will focus on implementing them in a way which affects the individualas little as possible,” said Norway Post CEO Dag Mejdell.
As part of the reorganisation to be implemented over a three-year period, more post officeswill be moved to new, smaller premises. All operations of the post offices and their product rangewill be adapted to the current customer demands. Through more efficient shop solutions, Norway Postexpects to reduce the total floor space it rents by 35,000 sqm.
The modernisation work is planned to include 179 post offices. Through a pilot project,Norway Post modernised nine post offices in 2009. In 2010, 65 post offices will be modernised withthe work to be completed in 2012.
“Norway Post is changing due to the changes in customer usage patterns. Now we are taking animportant new step to ensure that Norway Post’s sales and service network is adapted to meet ourcustomers’ needs,” Mejdell concluded.
