As a courier service that will be 51 years old, PT Citra Van Titipan Kilat (TIKI) faces challenges in every era. However, TIKI can still exist and become one of the reliable logistics companies until today. And for 5 decades, TIKI has been through several eras of development and consumers’ attitude changes.

Currently, TIKI has operational networks covering 66 branches in big cities in Indonesia, being supported by more than 500 representative offices, more than 4,000 stalls, and more than 6,000 staff, and more than 5,000 transportation fleets across Indonesia.

One of the toughest challenges that all business players are facing right now is to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic that causes almost all company’s operational strategies to change and should adapt with the New Normal life by carrying out Health Protocol (now the 5 M).

How TIKI gives solutions to face the condition, Yuliana Hastuti, CEO of PT Citra Van Titipan Kilat (TIKI) gave an explanation to Cargo Times (CT) about the corporate activities during the pandemic, including CSR activity, and support to SMEs (UMKM) to advance the national economy.

CT: What has the company done to prevent the pandemic spread - a) internally (back office, field operational, and riders/drivers)? b) externally (consignees or consignors who come down to the booth)?

Yulina: To prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the operational surroundings, TIKI has implemented several preventive steps to protect the staff and couriers as well as to protect the customers. TIKI also urges the customers to use JEMPOL (Jemput Online) service to avoid the queue in the booth. Special for DKI Jakarta, TIKI has a Drive-Thru service as an alternative.

Several preventive steps that TIKI has applied in the operation surroundings cover:

Doing disinfectant spray regularly both in booths and operation warehouses. TIKI also does disinfectant spray on the received and delivered packages.

Providing hand sanitizers in all stalls and operation warehouses to be used by the staff and customers who come to the booths.

Obligating all TIKI staff and couriers to keep clean and sterilized to use hand sanitizer or wash hands when entering the work environment and wear mask and latex hand gloves when receiving and delivering packages.

Assuring the health of TIKI staff and couriers by measuring body temperature and sending the staff or couriers with abnormal body temperature to rest. TIKI also donates eggs, vitamins, and milk for all staff to maintain the body temperature. TIKI also routinely gives eggs, vitamins, and milk for all staff to maintain their body temperature.

Keeping the distance between TIKI staff or couriers from the customers when making the delivery transaction.

Urging all customers to use JEMPOL service that can be accessed on TIKI’s application.

CT: Can you mention the products TIKI offers to consumers?

Yulina: TIKI has 7 (seven) main products, they are Same Day Service (SDS), Over Night Service (ONS), Two Days Service (TDS), Regular Service (REG), Economy Service (ECO), Trucking Service, and International Service.

For the services, TIKI has TIKI Application, Online Pickup (JEMPOL), 24 hours stalls, Real-Time Tracking, 24 hours Drive-Thru in some areas in DKI Jakarta, TIKI Online Booking, E-Signature, SMS Notifikasi, Cash On Delivery, Insurance, Packaging, and Repackaging.

CT: Does TIKI have services that people are interested in?

Yulina: The products that people were interested in 2020 were Regular (REG), Over Night Service (ONS), and Economy (ECO).

In the first semester in 2020, TIKI launched 2 (two) new innovative products and services to accommodate the market needs, they were:

TIKI PUTAR (Jemput Antar) – (Only in Jakarta) - TIKI’s new products give choices of deliveries with only 3 hours estimation, same day, and faster than Same Day Service. Couriers will pick up the package at the pick-up point that a customer sets, and deliver it to the destination.

TIKI SERLOK (Seller Online Booking) – (Only in Jakarta) - A new service for online sellers who offer several conveniences to make delivery transactions using TIKI, such as free pick-up packages, an 18 percent discount on delivery cost, easy pay from Cash On Delivery to H+2 full payment after the transaction. The new service is only for customers who haven’t an account in TIKI.

In April 2021, TIKI launched a Same Day Service promo on Nusantara Culinary (SDS KITA) that will ease culinary lovers to enjoy various Indonesian culinarians with more economical costs. Using the SDS KITA product, the delivery of culinary will arrive on the same day that is applied for the deliveries from other big cities in Indonesia to Jabodetabek.

CT: How is the development of digitalization in TIKI?

Yulina: In TIKI, we have long developed technology-based innovative services and made sure that each meeting point with customers from drop off and order for a service, goods movement to the destination can be accessed easily and transparently from anywhere and at any time. Some technology-based services that TIKI has are TIKI applications, JEMPOL, COD, TOB, SMS Notification, Real-time Tracking, which work together with digital pocket for payment with cashless systems.

TIKI has also developed Smart Control Tower, an operational backbone system that allows us to do mapping on the numbers of workers and fleets available in each stall with the numbers of deliveries that come so then we can make precise allocation related to the numbers of couriers and fleet to support the delivery needs to arrive on time. This will improve the productivity of operational teams. All the technology is developed by the TIKI Internal team.

In the future, we are going to continue developing and optimizing technology that we are having to accommodate the customers’ expectations that are increasingly savvy digital covering:

1. Focus on the technology development and innovation of either the operational backbone technology and interface technology with the customers. As an information, the technology that the company has is developed by our internal IT team.

2. Strengthen all staff digital competence regularly from the couriers, customer service, operational staff, and office staff by various training and competency evaluation.

CT: Are there any reward programs for loyal customers who use TIKI services?

Yulina: There are. In March 2021, TIKI launched a loyalty program named SOBATIKI in digital format that offered more benefits and facilities special for TIKI’s loyal customers. One of them, SOBATIKI ecard owners will get points for each transaction that can be exchanged with discount vouchers from several interesting merchants and get various exclusive promotions. SOBATIKI can be accessed on TIKI Application - one app for all delivery needs.

To register in SOBATIKI, a customer can fill the registration form on the TIKI app by downloading it on Google Play. Then, enter your email address and contact number. A customer can exchange the points with a delivery free voucher and a merchant voucher.

CT: In this pandemic situation, TIKI targets people or community trends that have some hobbies (plants, decorative fish, cats, others). How far can TIKI employees handle the deliveries?

Yulina: TIKI services are from special packaging, quarantine document handling, land/sea/air delivery options that are customized with the customers’ needs.

For the deliveries of decorative fish and plants, TIKI provides several choices of services. For the delivery that needs fast delivery, TIKI has Over Night Service (ONS) and Two Days Service (TDS). And for economical cost delivery, TIKI has Regular (REG) and Economy (ECO).

TIKI also initiated to educate all decorative fish and plants business players all important aspects that should become their concern to deliver the decorative fish and plants, and with the implemented policies for the delivery by air, such as things that relate to surcharge costs, minimum weight of the delivery, and quarantine documents.

CT: Since the pandemic entered Indonesia (March 2020), how much is the total volume of package deliveries in 2020 when compared to 2019? How much is the target of package delivery volume in 2021?

Yulina: During the pandemic in 2020, TIKI had adapted fast focusing on 3 areas: operational resilience through technology use; fast adaptation ability towards the situation and consumers’ needs that switch fast; products and services excellence that oriented to the solutions for the customers as well as aggressive promotion programs.

TIKI successfully recorded the growth in 2020 that reached 15% (fifteen percent). In 2021, TIKI will focus to develop several digital services for transaction facilities, and work on community based-markets yet is still consistent to improve TIKI’s leadership in distribution reliability and product innovation.

Nationally, TIKI targets business growth to reach 20-25 percent by the end of 2021, and the addition of TIKI outlets by 15-20 percent.

CT: As a national company that applies for Corporate Social Responsibility programs, what has the company done to lighten the public’s burden during the pandemic?

Yulina: TIKI believes that its business existence is inseparable from the support and trust of people. Thus, TIKI has a commitment to carry out the company’s responsibility that focuses on two areas, education and social fields. In doing its commitment, TIKI works together with its partners, Yayasan Pengembang Perpustakaan Indonesia, Komunitas 1001 Buku, and regular donations for orphanages, blinds, and widows.

TIKI also helps develop the business players' capability especially SMEs with various experiences related to distribution system management. TIKI collaborates with several partners to give education for related SMEs related to important aspects in the delivery and open dialogue to understand barriers that they often experience and how logistics companies can help give any solutions.

In April, last year, TIKI distributed 150 donation packages such as PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and snacks to several Provincial Public Hospital (RSUD) in DKI Jakarta as a part of the company’s efforts to help DKI Jakarta Province Government to protect health workers who are working to handle the Covid-19 pandemic that keeps raising. The donation was handed over directly to the Public Relation representatives in each Provincial Public Hospital. Besides DKI Jakarta, TIKI also distributes its PPE to other regions via its franchise partners like Padang, Pontianak, and Banjarmasin.

In 2021, TIKI held CSR activities such as reading books raising for children nationally in TIKI stalls all over Indonesia and compensation for orphanages, blinds, and widowers.

CT: How far TIKI supports SMEs?

Yulina: As one of the trustworthy logistics companies in Indonesia, TIKI does not only serve people via the networks across Indonesia but also plays an important role to move the economy wheels, both big and SMEs.

Not only does it become a logistics partner for SMEs, TIKI also opens an opportunity for SMEs to become TIKI”s franchise. TIKI gives opportunities to all its franchisees to grow together and push the economic growth in their own regions. TIKI’s partnership program opens the franchise opportunity with a professional work system and minimum budget.

Besides the business aspects, TIKI will continually commit to carrying out corporate responsibility. TIKI believes that the business's existence is inseparable from the support and trust of consumers/business players and the public. Thus, TIKI also develops business player's capability especially SMEs by sharing experiences related to distribution system management. TIKI collaborates with several partners to give knowledge to SMEs about important aspects in terms of delivery and open dialogues to understand the obstacles that often happen and how logistics services give solutions.

From the service side, TIKI keeps carrying out innovations that aim to support the needs of SMEs on the delivery transaction. In July 2020, TIKI launched the newest service TIKI Seller Online Booking (SERLOK) that gives more simplicity and benefits for online sellers when doing delivery using TIKI products. By registering to become a member of TIKI SERLOK, online sellers will get a discount of 18 percent, payment flexibility H+2 using a virtual account, free pick-up service, bonus, and rewarding sellers. Online sellers will also get some information and opportunities to join some educative activities and marketing promotions held by TIKI. For online sellers who have a website, TIKI SERLOK can also be integrated so that the delivery transaction process can be done completely on the website - streamline the process and improve customers’ experiences when doing transactions on online shops.

CT: What are the corporate strategies to make them loyal customers use TIKI services, increase high competition between express logistics companies?

Yulina: In doing the business, TIKI always focuses on 3 areas: 1). Operational excellences (fast, safety, and real-time tracking), 2) Customer intimacy. (easy transaction from the booking process, picking up packages to choosing the payment), and, 3) Product leadership. (technology-based services innovation)

1). Operational excellences – The best service quality with a reliable operational capability. Our operational team is facilitated with loT based technology that may help the team to monitor operations and couriers at each stall all over Indonesia in real-time thus enabling comprehensive analysis and right decision making. The operation team can see which stalls and couriers that are packed, which stalls and couriers still can accommodate the quota of consignments thus we can allocate delivery more effectively and efficiently. This helps the operation team to keep the delivery commitment to customers.

2). Customer intimacy – The transaction convenience from booking, pick-up service to payment options.

In this pandemic situation where every interaction between individuals are limited, TIKI has had several service facilities that can become solutions, such as:

JEMPOL and TIKI Online Booking (TOB) services can be accessed on the TIKI app where customers may book the delivery through the TIKI app and website TIKI.id (without going to the stalls). TIKI’s couriers will pick up the goods at the location that has been set by the customers.

Drive-Thru service – Pelanggan may drop the goods/packages at the stall with drive-thru services without getting out from the vehicles.

3). Product Leadership – Product innovation is also our main focus to see the situation progress in the market. Last year, TIKI just launched a new product named PUTAR (Pick Up) that is specialized for the deliveries from and to areas in DKI Jakarta, where the packages will be picked up and delivered straight away by the courier using flat rate without counting the kilometer; it’s Rp. 15.000,- for the first 3kgs. This is to accommodate the needs of our customers in DKI Jakarta for instant delivery with more efficient tariffs.

Regarding Human Resources strategy, it is basically reflected in the Corporate Culture, namely Trustworthiness (Amanah) - Reliable in carrying out tasks honestly and responsibly, Communication - Delivering and receiving information in order to uniform perception, Commitment - Sincerity in carrying out agreements, Cooperation - Giving mutual respect to achieve company goals, and Open Mind – Accept differences for improvement. Each employee can convey his aspirations and ideas; they will be discussed in each management meeting so as to be implemented. In addition, TIKI also continues to conduct special training so that their abilities and creativity can be improved. Employees are also required to take a competency test every year.

In 2021, TIKI will be even more focused on developing various digital services to ease transactions and work on community-based markets while consistently improving TIKI’s leadership in distribution reliability and product innovation.