Effizienzsteigerung durch Offshoring: Eine empirische Untersuchung der internen Verlagerung von operativen Unternehmensprozessen am Beispiel der DHL Global Forwarding (Austria) GmbH

Abstract

The globalized business world requires companies to constantly search for cost efficiency and improved business processes. To meet this challenge, one approach has proven to be promising: offshoring. This strategy has become increasingly important in a wide range of industries. In logistics in particular, where competitive pressure and the demand for cost efficiency are high, offshoring is becoming increasingly common. Companies such as DHL Global Forwarding (Austria) GmbH, part of the globally active DHL Group, have decided to pursue this strategy in order to optimize their operational processes and thus achieve competitive advantages. Despite the popularity of offshoring, there are still various uncertainties and challenges. These include the procedure and the direct effects of offshoring at the local company. The strategy is associated with a certain economic risk for the company, as new dependencies arise and a high level of coordination is required. To minimize these risks, optimal planning for process assessment and implementation of offshore projects is essential. In addition, the success of the project in the local company must be evaluated. The focus of this thesis is the impact on profitability, quality of work and employee satisfaction. A change in these factors provides significant information about the progress of an offshoring project. To process and solve this task, scientific sources were evaluated and empirical surveys in the form of calculations and surveys with employees from the company were carried out. In the first main part of the thesis, the term offshoring was first defined and differentiated from the outsourcing approach. In addition, the various subcategories of offshoring were developed, with a particular focus on the captive offshoring approach. The given conditions and potential risks of offshoring were highlighted, with the loss of quality and control being the main risks. Subsequently, three different methods for process identification and three methods for process implementation were presented, whereby these were additionally characterized by practical examples from the company. The last chapter deals with the effects of offshoring at DHL, with a particular focus on profitability, quality of work and employee satisfaction. Calculations and analyses of surveys and data were used to draw conclusions regarding the change in company efficiency. It was found that potential cost savings of 41.16% per work case are possible. Regarding employee satisfaction, the evaluation of surveys revealed a slight irritation towards change. The quality of work also fell marginally at the start of the project, although an increase can be expected in the future. Overall and in the longer term, the results show that offshoring can increase efficiency in the company and that this strategy will play an important role in the future, particularly in logistics.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Hans-Christian Graf (Supervisor)