The Cambodia Post Operational Processes Upgrade – a new project funded by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) through the UN’s Universal Postal Union (UPU) and Japan Post – is expected to transform Cambodia Post from a conventional postal service provider to a significant global player in the e-commerce industry.
According to Cambodia Post director-general Then Samvisoth, the project will involve upgrading digital systems to enable customers to find relevant information, order products online, and track their delivery from the time of dispatch to the final destination.
“The service will also install drug control machines and other prohibited substance detectors to ensure the safety and security of mail and parcels,” he told The Post.
“Cambodia Post will also participate in the implementation of the Import Control System (ICS2), which has been in effect in Europe since March,” he added.
The modernisation of the deposit registration system, improvement of the office exchange, and the upgrading of the separation and delivery of deposits will also be carried out in accordance with international standards S58 & S59, he explained.
“The project will also focus on improving the working environment for employees, ensuring their welfare and safety,” he said.
Cambodia Post currently provides delivery and courier services for documents and goods throughout the nation, including express and VIP services. It also offers overseas delivery and courier services in over 90 countries, with plans to expand to more countries in the future.
Samvisoth said additional services include leaflet distribution, car and tour bus rental, postal bus services, and the sale of salt stamps and stamp technology.
“The growth of e-commerce has marked a significant shift in the industrial landscape towards digitalisation, which has necessitated the need for changes to the transportation and delivery of goods,” said Haruko Takachi, executive manager at the International Postal Business Division of Japan Post Co Ltd.
“This is also true in Cambodia. As Cambodia Post becomes a major provider of goods delivery and logistics, its modernisation has become even more important,” she told The Post.
She explained that Japan Post’s role in the project is to act as a supporting unit for implementing the improvements. It will clarify postal operational issues and offer proposals and guidance on improving them.
“Japan Post was instrumental in enhancing the transportation network, mail delivery and collection operations, as well as optimising the workroom layout for mail handling at the Phnom Penh Central Post Office,” she said.
“Additionally, they introduced advanced equipment and techniques to improve the efficiency and quality of mail handling services,” he added.
Samvisoth admitted that postal service operations remain limited and do not yet have sufficient capacity to support e-commerce, while operational efficiency is also limited.
He said the first phase of an office exchange programme has just been completed, and has enhanced the efficiency of rapid mail separation.
“Phase I began in September 2021 and ended in January this year. We are working towards modernising so we can comply with international standards and provide more convenient services for our customers,” he added.
“In order to modernise, it is necessary to move from one stage to another in order to meet the needs of customers and keep up with the rapid evolution of technology and information systems,” he added.
While the Post’s officers used to call customers to pick up their goods, there are now many private services that provide doorstep delivery.
“We are engaged in highly competitive business with both international and local companies. We have taken great care to continuously improve our service quality to win the love and loyalty of our customers,” said Samvisoth.
“We are committed to offering new products and service options to make it easier for our customers to access our services. We strive to get closer to our customers and make their experience more seamless,” he added.
Takachi said that many countries still conduct postal operations using traditional methods, but Cambodia Post is not particularly traditional in this regard.
“We believe that there are still many improvements that can be made to Cambodia Post’s operations and services based on market changes and user needs,” she added.
“However, we feel that the enthusiasm and commitment to improvement of the members of Cambodia Post is stronger than that of postal entities in other countries,” said Takachi, adding “we believe that the day will come in the near future when the people in Cambodia will be able to feel the improvement.”
After modernisation, Cambodia Post has updated facilities and efficient, quality-oriented operational methods that utilise appropriate equipment.
These changes have significantly improved the processing capacity and quality of Cambodia Post’s postal operations. As a result of these improvements, the service awareness of the entire Cambodia Post staff has also increased.
“We hope that this improvement will make Cambodia Post’s services more widely known and used by a greater number of people,” said Takachi.
Samvisoth explained that employee capacity building will be conducted on a regular basis to enable them to adapt to rapidly evolving technology.
“In addition, we are upgrading our website to make it easier for customers to use our postal services. We are also developing a mobile app that will allow customers to track postal orders through their mobile devices,” he said.
He also pointed out that Cambodia Post has joined a project initiated by the Ministry of Commerce and is upgrading its IT system to integrate with e-commerce platforms.
“We invite all customers who have not yet experienced our postal services or were dissatisfied with our service in the past to join or return to Cambodia Post,” he said.
“We guarantee that you will have a new experience with our quality of service, especially with the special offers we have for our customers,” he concluded.
