Anja Kappus is Chief Operating Officer of the international digital freight platform Saloodo! Some 50 Saloodo! experts from 23 nations are constantly driving innovation – often together with their customers. Learn more here:
For which target groups is the digital freight platform Saloodo! particularly interesting?
Because our portfolio is very broad, many target groups benefit from Saloodo! We cover a variety of freight forwarding products, from general cargo, to individual pallets or boxes, to complete truckloads. We also serve the regions Europe, Middle East, Africa and soon will add Latin America. Our purpose is to process online transport orders as easily as booking a vacation: You search among a large number of providers on a single platform and deal with only one contractual partner. You simply register and get started. It minimizes the administrative effort for all parties involved. This automated and efficient procedure pays off, especially for smaller customers. But Saloodo! is more than just a digital marketplace. Behind the platform are experts who are personally committed to finding the right solution for their clients. Customers appreciate that.
For example?
An online tire dealer – whom we have supported in his logistics needs from the very beginning – has certain price expectations for which he can’t easily find an offer on the market. With the Onboarding Call, which we offer to our new customers, we identify such special requirements. Our Carrier Managers then apply their know-how and personal communication channels with appropriate transport companies to bring a client and recipient together. In this way, shippers receive tailor-made solutions. We build a relationship of trust. The online tire dealer is so convinced of our model that he in turn promotes it.
Anja Kappus, Chief Operations Officer, Saloodo!
Saloodo! is more than a digital marketplace. Our logistics experts build a relationship of trust with customers through personal commitment.
Do major customers also need Saloodo!?
Of course key accounts also use Saloodo!. For example, they can easily organize large, regularly scheduled loads from A to B via Saloodo! But even loads that are not permanently assigned or plannable can be handled digitally without much effort. In the past, you had to call one carrier after the other.
What is the customer feedback?
We collect it proactively. First, we ask customers for their evaluation after an order has been processed. This happens constantly; a random generator determines who we interview. Secondly, we observe how the customers interact on the platform. If, for example, we discover that the payment process is interrupted because it is not intuitively understandable, we improve it. Third, when we introduce new features, we do so in close consultation with customers about their needs. Even if an innovation is not used as expected, we intervene immediately in the interest of the users.
How do you involve Saloodo! users in further developments?
Recently we had a really big relaunch. We conducted extensive interviews with 30 important customers. Ten of them actively supported the development process. Before the go-live there was a test phase with the customers. The relaunch itself then rolled out smoothly, with all functions running great. Despite corona, we celebrated with a zoom-after-work party!
Anja Kappus, Chief Operations Officer, Saloodo!
How is Saloodo! doing now, in the corona crisis?
After only three weeks, we have again reached the same level of traffic as before the corona crisis. During this time, a new shopping behavior has been established, a digital one that will remain. It is not management decisions that have pushed digitalization, but corona. Online trade and online processes are gaining a strong impetus in this way. We want to take that with us. We have long been ready for it.
What future projects are now in store for Saloodo!?
We cover the whole of Europe, but in individual countries we would like to establish contacts with specific carriers and shippers. We also want to expand on the Iberian Peninsula. The USA and Latin America are in addition important target markets for us. On top of that, we want to serve countries that require customs clearance, such as Switzerland, Norway and Turkey.
Anja Kappus, Chief Operations Officer, Saloodo
This means that despite the crisis you are focusing on internationalization and cross-border logistics ...
Firstly, I am an optimist, and secondly, I can see how the huge benefits convince our customers. What I like about Saloodo! is that we develop solutions with a small group of experts at a high international level. Look, we are about 50 people from 23 countries. This way, very assorted know-how, cultural knowledge, different ways of working and ideas come together. It is incredibly productive and I am totally impressed. That´ s how we created the platform for Middle East/Africa in a very short time. It has to fulfill completely different requirements than the European platform. To meet these needs with a dedicated team and to be able to enjoy it together is really cool.
Personal Details
Anja Kappus is Chief Operating Officer at the DHL start-up Saloodo!. She began there in 2018 as Head of Business Development and Process Optimization – a step that the long-standing DHL executive “never regretted for a minuteˮ. “The adventure appealed to me,ˮ says the 54-year-old manager. The well-connected and actively networking freight specialist is happy to contribute her expertise and contacts to Saloodo! and its customers. As a former German Bundesliga soccer player and team player, she appreciates the agile, refreshing cooperation of the international Saloodo! experts.
