Comply with Market Demand or Be Left out-Shonde

The use of Information and Communication Technology has been described by Shonde Gideon ‘Dotun of the Courier Regulatory Department (CRD)as holding the future of courier business in Nigeria.
In his paper titled Operational Issues in Courier business presented at the just concluded 2-day workshop on Courier Service and Regulations organized by the Courier Regulatory Department of Nipost in Lagos , Shonde  said the future of the courier industry lies with  the level of computerization and information technology that is attached to courier operations and service even as he said that the foresighted courier operators  have invested in ICT in preparation  for the benefits accruable from such investments in the future.
Shonde explained that ICT allows for interface and collaboration between courier companies and government agencies and also encourages local and foreign partnership. In the fast changing world of e-commerce, Shonde said courier practice is no longer delimited by natural  boundaries and in fact said that with information and communication technology  courier  business can be transacted anywhere. He therefore said that ownership of at least ICT instruments such as telephone, fax machine, track and trace software and computer networking in any courier company should be considered a matter of minimum standard.
Further, Shonde said that some basic courier operation materials including branded courier bags and packages, courier labels, stickers, bags, documentation materials such as shipment register and particulars, waybills, manifest, proof of delivery, receipts, etc are necessary for standard courier operations. He emphasized the need for operations manual to be made available to each member of staff of a courier company containing information and instruction necessary for the staff to do his/her duty even as he reiterated that operations facilities and infrastructure are essential variables that make room for effective and efficient courier service.
Shonde also said that it was agreed during the 2nd courier summit that quality staffing be maintained in the industry saying this is the cornerstone in performance management. The courier operation/ service according to him require the employment of qualified, diligent and trustworthy staff for the handling, carriage and delivery of courier articles. 
In discussing Regulatory Trends as they relate to the Universal Postal Union (UPU), Igbo McDennis, head, media & publications, Courier Regulatory Department  gave a historical background to the evolution of  postal regulation  starting from the  monopolistic model  to national operator cum regulator model ,  and down to the evolution of independent regulator  even as he  tried to justify  the existence of  the world postal body , the Universal Postal Union  which ensures that postal services reach everyone everywhere.