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Rice. 4. Graphs of theoretical and experimental values ​​of C2: - theoretical values ​​of C2; - experimental values ​​of C 2 for the rail model; - experimental values ​​of C2 for the cylinder model

Conclusion

The discrepancy between the experimental and theoretical results was less than 5%, which indicates the high accuracy of the proposed method of stress separation when solving spatial problems using the three-exposure method of holographic photoelasticity.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL LIST

1. Galanin M.P. Methods of numerical analysis of mathematical models // M.: MSTU im. N.E. Bauman, 2012. 591 p.

2. Ansys 12.1 Help / Legal Notice / Community Software License Agreement. Ansys Inc. 2009.

3. Razumovsky I.A. Interference-optical methods of mechanics of a deformable solid // M.: Publishing house of MSTU im. N.E. Bauman, 2007. 341 p.

4. Frokht M. Photoelasticity. M.: State. Publishing house of technical theory lit., 1950. 560 p.

5. West Ch. Holographic interferometry. M.: Mir, 1982. 382 p.

6. Bryukhovetskaya E.V., Konischeva O.V., Kudryavtsev I.V. Holographic Interferometer of Universal Type. Proceedings of the 1st International Sciences Congress "Fundamental and Applied Studies in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans countries". International Agency for the Development of Culture, Education and Science. Japan, Tokyo, 2014. Vol.2. R. 295-297.

7. Strength calculations in mechanical engineering / S.D. Ponomarev, V.L. Biderman et al. // M.: MASHGIZ, 1956. T. 2. 768 p.

UDC 338.47: 656.2 Surkov Leonid Petrovich,

k.e. Sc., Professor of the Department of Economics and Management in Railway Transport,

Irkutsk State Transport University, tel. 638-336, e-mail: [email protected]

FORMATION OF A CORPORATE CUSTOMER FOCUS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF THE RUSSIAN RAILWAYS HOLDING

"RUSSIAN RAILWAYS" HOLDING CLIENT FOCUS CORPORATE GOVERNANCE SYSTEM FORMATION

Annotation. The article discusses the problems of developing the concept of comprehensive customer service. It is shown that the vagueness of today's concept of integrated service is reflected in the variety of ways in which different companies describe their tasks in this field of activity. It is noted that comprehensive customer service is the basis of the new management concept of JSC Russian Railways - a customer-centric management system, which is becoming a trend and priority for the company’s development in the coming years. Problematic tasks, a number of fundamental approaches and principles with the help of which it is possible to resolve these problems and form a corporate system for managing the customer focus of the Russian Railways holding company have been identified.

Key words: comprehensive service system, quality of service, client and customer focus of the Russian Railways holding, transport market and shipper, business structure.

Abstract. The article discusses problems of the full customer service concept formation. It is shown that the vagueness of the concept of today's complex service is reflected in the variety of ways in which different companies describe their problems in this field. It is noted that a comprehensive customer service is the foundation of the new JSC "Russian Railways" management concept - "customer-oriented" management system, which is becoming a trend and the company's development priorities for the coming years. The article defines problems, a number offundamental approaches and principles by which the possible solution of these problems and formation of the “Russian Railways” clientfocus govemance system.

Keywords: full-service system, quality of service, Russian Railways holding client and client focus, transport market and shipper, business structure.

Currently, railway transport is increasingly adopting the concept of comprehensive services for consumers of transport services.

If in the 70s of the last century the main issues among business structures were production issues, and in the 80s quality issues became the main ones, then in the 90s comprehensive customer service came first.

However, the very concept of “comprehensive service” is very vague. This is a multifaceted idea that means much more than simply organizing the efficient operation of the system that used to be the hallmark of “customer service.”

The vagueness of today's concept of integrated service is reflected in the variety of ways in which different companies describe their mission in this area of ​​activity. Some define this concept as “full satisfaction of customer requirements” and “comprehensive control” or “partnership with the customer”, others - as “technological service” or “full customer support”.

Just as often, this concept implies a more responsible and thoughtful approach to organizing specific types of activities. Thus, often “comprehensive services” means the involvement of the customer in the process of development by the supplier of new types of products or services.

In all cases considered, the concept of “comprehensive service” includes the establishment of closer relationships with customers of products and services.

Ensuring high quality is the first step towards providing comprehensive customer service. But, on the one hand, the concept of quality includes clear standards and absolute measurable indicators. On the other hand, measuring or assessing the level of service is only possible using concepts in which the specific requirements of customers are expressed.

Thus, the activities of a business structure are fundamentally different from those that are necessary to ensure measurable indicators of the quality standard.

The manufacturer is obliged to evaluate its activities with the expectations and wishes of the customer, and this, not to mention their complete satisfaction, is an extremely difficult matter. Moreover, these expectations and claims increase with every new

significant improvement in service levels. The ideal approach is to view the customer as a partner. However, the problem in such partnerships is usually the difficulty of establishing rapport. In these relationships, partners must fully understand the capabilities of each party.

In some companies, the ideology of comprehensive service has existed for many years. For others, this is a completely new idea that they are just beginning to put into practice. The development of an effective comprehensive service program and its successful implementation is a strategically important activity.

Since the beginning of the economic recession in the 90s, the market has finally turned into a “buyer's market” (with a predominance of demand over supply), and since that time the attitude of all manufacturers towards service issues has changed radically. In the new conditions, the usual tools stopped working. The laws of the market, oversaturated with goods and services, have led to the fact that the quality and even the price of the product fade into the background, giving way to service. Those who do not ensure the implementation of values ​​that are attractive to consumers recede into the background.

When assessing the relationship between railroad workers and shippers, a new criterion for relationships has emerged. The railway company began to pay special attention to the study and use of new approaches that lie beyond traditional approaches in the provision of transport services to maintain its competitive position. If necessary, they began to use a number of ways to satisfy the needs of shippers that are not related to the price of the service. For example, one of them is fast and timely delivery of products.

Only by meeting the wishes of the client, railway workers are able to bind them to themselves. But let the customer down by depriving him of the opportunity to get into a free “niche” in the market, and the customer will no longer turn to this service provider.

In modern conditions, establishing close cooperation with shippers forms the basis of the concept of comprehensive customer service. But whatever name is used, we are talking about a new management concept that will save railway workers from many problems.

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In the current crisis conditions, JSC Russian Railways has prepared an action plan to increase income, increase the efficiency of production and technological processes based on a customer-centric strategy. Customer focus, in fact, is one of the elements of the concept of comprehensive customer service. It gives the holding additional opportunities, especially in conditions of a decline in transportation volumes, when it is necessary to fight for the client in the transport market.

Issues of developing customer focus have been studied at JSC Russian Railways for several years. In 2010, the concept of “customer focus” was enshrined in the Corporate Competence Model of JSC Russian Railways “5K+L” as one of the main values ​​of the company’s brand.

The holding's development strategy until 2030 also determines that one of the company's key values ​​is customer focus, mutually beneficial long-term partnerships with customers, and the constant development of a portfolio of products and services in the interests of consumers.

Customer focus in the broadest sense means the ability to be ahead of others in achieving set goals in the struggle to strengthen positions in domestic and foreign markets.

Having analyzed in detail various approaches to customer focus, the industry determined the interpretation of this concept that is closest to the operating conditions of the Russian Railways holding company as “the company’s ability to create an additional flow of customers and additional profit through a deep understanding and satisfaction of their needs.”

For a holding company that has more than 30 types of business in its portfolio - from freight and passenger transportation to logistics, construction services, design, IT and even healthcare, a radical turn of all resources and processes towards the client is a unique task, covering all processes from planning to immediate implementation of transportation and its resource support.

In the course of developing the practice of customer focus in the railway industry, it is necessary to identify problematic problems, formulate a number of approaches and principles with the help of which it is possible to resolve these problems. Among the priority areas of this work are a number of serious and complex tasks:

1. In modern conditions, the possibility of tariff growth is limited, since tariffs for

The vast majority of services of JSC Russian Railways are regulated by the state, with the imposition of obligations to carry out not always commercially effective, but socially significant transportation. It is difficult for a carrier to form an investment program at the expense of a client.

At the same time, to form non-price competitive advantages of the company, develop and implement a strategy in the field of improving the quality of services provided and the level of customer service, one tool remains - working with the client.

The results of the Russian Railways holding directly depend on the willingness of clients to use its services in the future. Today, many clients are willing to pay for high quality transportation and additional services. At the same time, another part of clients is ready to use railway transport only on the basis of low basic tariffs with a standard set of services.

Therefore, it is in the interests of both JSC Russian Railways and clients to diversify the portfolio of services provided so that it best meets the needs of the market and is closer to the individual needs of the client.

Thus, meeting customer needs in terms of quality and availability of services is a trend and priority for the company’s development in the coming years.

2. The concept of “client” is not limited to the end consumers of a product or service. If a company's client is placed at the forefront of its life, then its entire coordinate system changes. And for the system to work, the adopted standard must apply to all employees without exception.

Customer focus includes not only this component, but also the equally important interests of internal clients - effective interaction between business blocks and divisions of the company. It is achieved through the internal circulation of services, the organization of end-to-end processes from the moment planning begins to the end of service provision.

To implement the principles of customer focus, it is necessary to present a united front, and not only protect your own interests. Connections between departments at the horizontal level should be closer. When a client arrives, he needs to be helped, if necessary directed to the next door, and not told that he has come to the wrong address.

In practice, in such situations, the cargo owner, without receiving practical advice, goes to motor transport. Often it is a gap in internal communications that provokes a potential client to leave for competitors.

In this regard, the introduction of a customer-oriented approach is a comprehensive and large-scale task for all “internal” divisions of the company, covering all processes: from planning to the direct implementation of transportation and its resource support.

3. The development strategy of the Russian Railways holding until 2030 defines a new business model, which provides for the transformation of the company from a transportation company to a transport and logistics company, providing a full range of services, expanding their range and forming end-to-end delivery goals.

Today, as is known, Russian railway workers have rather modest indicators for the provision of services with high added value. In the coming years, the segment of such services will increase, which will lead to more complex logistics chains and an increase in the share of logistics services. It is integrated products that allow you to effectively manage supplies and orders, determine the optimal route and storage conditions, organize forwarding and a range of related services. The need to develop new transport and logistics solutions, including those based on individual customer requests, is coming to the fore.

Similar work is being carried out experimentally at the regional level. Thus, the first Unified Client Center on the Russian railway network was opened on the East Siberian Railway.

The center will concentrate technologies and services provided not only by the East Siberian Center for Corporate Transport Services, but also by TransContainer, RZD-Logistics, and the Directorate for Terminal and Warehouse Complex Management.

In modern conditions, service is perceived by the client as an integral property of the service. The client evaluates not a separate service, but a single “service - service” complex. It is clear that there is a close relationship between the level of service a company provides and the demand for its services in the future. Because of this, the implementation of measures to improve service has become a necessary part of the strategy to increase the company's competitiveness.

4. Creation of an effective corporate system of internal and external customer focus, the formation of comprehensive service based on an integrated approach to both sales and operations is possible with the widespread application of the “one-stop-shop” principle at the industry level with the participation of all levels of management and divisions of the company. The position of workers who still perform only their highly specialized tasks in isolation from other areas of functioning is not effective.

To do this, the principles of the production system must be built into the corporate competency model, where each employee of the company finds a place for their participation in improving the company's activities.

Customer focus serves as a guideline for the selection and implementation of modern methods of organizing production processes, especially when it is necessary to reorient in a short time in accordance with the target business objectives. The modern management system, aimed at satisfying customer preferences, the quality of services, has culminated in a new model of business organization - a process approach. A “process” is defined as any activity that uses enterprise resources to create a service of value to the consumer or that adds customer value to the final service. At the same time, when building a production system, emphasis will have to be placed on organizational mechanisms of transformation and improvement of the production system.

5. According to the leaders of Russian Railways, the main principle of customer focus is that only the client himself, but not the owner of the service, can assess its level.

Currently, the mechanism of customer loyalty and their willingness to use the recommended services of JSC Russian Railways is being developed. Based on world practice, a number of railways are already working to adapt generally accepted methods to the characteristics of the holding company in terms of key loyalty factors (quality of wagons supplied for loading, ensuring cargo removal, quality of customer service, complexity of transport services and safety of transported cargo).

The collection of respondents' opinions is carried out by surveying about 100 client companies. The newspaper "Gudok" and the magazine "RZD-Partner" conduct monthly research to assess

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consumers of the quality of products and services, pricing policy, additional services and special offers in the rail freight market using our own methodology.

At the same time, the company is at the very beginning of its journey, and a lot of work remains to be done to develop and implement tools for assessing the quality of services provided by the holding and the level of customer satisfaction and loyalty in both freight and passenger transportation.

6. The experience of many foreign companies shows that successful activity in the conditions of openness of the world economy and tougher competition is sometimes impossible while maintaining the stereotypes of corporate strategy and tactics. Sometimes the key to success is breaking traditions.

When creating a competitive service system, developing an idea for a new service is the starting point of the work and largely determines the future fate of the service at all subsequent stages of the transport process.

A transport service must find a client who can organize its effective use. This will require the manufacturer to radically revise the catalog of services, a new approach to choosing partners, and fundamentally change the organizational structures for managing this process.

The company is working to create a catalog of services; there are also a number of regulatory documents and quality standards. At the same time, today there is a need to create a Unified catalog of services of the Russian Railways holding, which forms and systematizes all types of services of the holding and determines the criteria for their quality.

To solve the problem of developing the customer focus of the Russian Railways holding, of course, it is necessary to

Measures of a strategic nature are needed, and today they are seen in the formation of a corporate system of internal and external customer focus for Russian Railways, which is proposed to be carried out in several stages.

At the same time, taking into account the decisive role of the Russian Railways holding company in the country's economy, the public status of the company, the instruments of state regulation applied to it and the enormous social responsibility, in order to apply these principles formulated for classical business systems, they require serious adaptation to the conditions of the railway operation. transport.

Customer focus, in fact, is one of the elements of crisis management; it gives the Holding additional opportunities, especially in conditions of a decline in transportation volumes, when it is necessary to fight for the client in the transport market.

Issues of developing customer focus have been studied at JSC Russian Railways for several years.

In 2010, the concept of “Customer Focus” was enshrined in the Corporate Competence Model of JSC Russian Railways “5K+L” as one of the main values ​​of the Company’s brand.

The Holding's development strategy until 2030 also determines that one of the Company's key values ​​is customer focus, mutually beneficial long-term partnerships with customers, and the constant development of a portfolio of products and services in the interests of consumers.

For the Holding, which has more than 30 types of business in its portfolio - from freight and passenger transportation, from logistics, construction services, design, IT and even healthcare, a radical turn of all resources and processes towards the client is a unique task, covering all processes, from planning before the actual implementation of transportation and its resource support.

What makes it even more unique are the regulatory conditions, social responsibility and special role in the country’s economy, determined for us by our shareholder - the state.

The existing model of JSC Russian Railways, where 90% of the business depends on the basic rail transportation service, with tariffs regulated by the state, cannot generate the financial flow to implement the required level of investment.

The new business model, defined by the Development Strategy of the Russian Railways holding for the period until 2030, provides for the transformation of the company from a transportation company into a transport and logistics company, providing, in addition to the basic transportation service, a full range of services with an expansion of the range of 3PL, 4PL services and the formation of end-to-end supply chains in freight segment and multimodality – in passenger transportation.

Having analyzed in detail various approaches to customer focus, we have identified the interpretation of this concept that is closest to the operating conditions of the Russian Railways holding company as the company’s ability to create an additional flow of customers and additional profit through a deep understanding and satisfaction of their needs.

Customer focus:several definitions

1. ability attract additional streams clients Andarrived hbut by understanding and meeting their needs

2. grade , which receives company from your client as a result of interaction with him

3. initiation positive emotions among clients, which leads to their choice of company services and repeat purchases

4. process, directed on increase life cycle interactions with the client

The global experience of successful companies shows that a full-scale transition to the principles of customer focus is one of the main competitive advantages that ensures in the medium and long term an increase in revenue from existing and new clients.

A single stage in the development of customer focus in large Russian and foreign holdings can be traced.

CUSTOMER FOCUS: stages implementation

UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMER FOCUS

The company must come to a common, agreed understanding of what it means to be a customer-oriented company

UPBRINGING CUSTOMER FOCUS

The company must begin to change the mindset of its employees in a certain way.

CUSTOMER FOCUS TRAINING

Customer focus must be taught - every day and in the workplace. Training must be conducted by the immediate supervisor.

REWARD CUSTOMER FOCUS

Until you pay your employees for customer-oriented behavior, you have no right to count on it.

At the same time, 5 key components of customer focus are identified, the development of which together brings the necessary result:

Product (service);

Staff;

Service and processes;

Rules and standards;

System of relations with the client.

The need for methodical work to develop customer focus determined the need to study the principles and fundamentals of organizing work with external and internal clients, as well as their adaptation to the activities and scale of the Russian Railways holding company.

For this purpose, the experience of large Russian and foreign holdings was studied and analyzed, the key principles for the development of customer focus were analyzed in detail and the necessary measures were developed for their implementation.

One of the key principles of customer centricity is:

“Only the client can decide how customer-oriented a company is—and never the company’s management.”

The implementation of this principle is possible only if there are well-functioning feedback channels through which we receive from the client an objective and relevant assessment of the quality of our services.

For this purpose, an Internet reception room has begun to operate on the website of Russian Railways, where the Company’s clients can online ask questions to the President of the Company, leave suggestions and wishes regarding the quality of the services provided by the company.

The Internet reception will also make it possible to bring up for public discussion the most popular topics relating to the work of both the Holding’s passenger and cargo complexes, and to initiate surveys in order to improve the quality of customer service.

In addition, the Company is actively working to create a customer-oriented service sales system based on:

development of an institute of account managers;

provision of services on the “one window” principle, creation of a single call center;

ensuring constant “feedback” with consumers of transport services;

formation of centers for marketing and promotion of services;

development of industry standards for interaction with clients;

developing approaches to the formation of a competitive tariff setting system for services unregulated by the state;

active promotion of Russian Railways holding services on the Internet.

CUSTOMER FOCUS:

Who evaluates?

How customer-oriented a company can beOnly the client can decide - and never management companies

Lack of feedback and comprehensiveapproach to assessing the level of customer satisfaction

Creation of customer feedback mechanisms:

Questionnaire and survey system

Reconfiguring the organizational structure

IT technologies, Internet resources

Training

CUSTOMER FOCUS:

2. Unity of understanding and regulation

There should be only one idea of ​​customer centricity in a company

Rules for interaction with clients should be regulated

Lack of a common understanding of customer focus and relevant regulations in the Holding

Formation of a vertical for customer-centricity management in business blocks and business units

Formation of a Unified Policy of Internal and External Customer Focus of the Holding and Concepts by Type of Business

Development of a system of regulations for interaction with clients

Development of the Institute of Client Managers

Development of a Unified Catalog of Services

CUSTOMER FOCUS:

3. Select a key client

A customer-oriented company must be demand-oriented key clients

Key clients are those to whose requirements the company is better adapted technically and technologically, while they bring profit

Russian Railways does not have the right to choose a key client

Building a customer segmentation system for each type of business, identifying and implementing the needs for each segment

Development of infrastructure for a larger number of client groups – identifying them as key ones

Separation of infrastructure for passenger and freight traffic

Development of transport corridors, Classification of railway lines

CUSTOMER FOCUS:

4. Invest and make a profit

Customer focus must have the effect of increasing profits

Customer focus requires some investment - in customer service, employees, setting up business processes

Lack of tools for assessing the financial results from the introduction of customer focus and the role of departments

Formation of methods for assessing the financial result from increasing customer focus

Creation of a system of key performance indicators for departments and for assessing the level of customer focus

CUSTOMER FOCUS:

5. The internal client is no less important

The concept of “customer” is not limited to the end consumers of a product or service. The company must take into account the interests of internal customers

Divisions must interact effectively with each other to achieve a single result - satisfying the end customer. Lack of a common understanding of internal customer focus

Coordination of interaction between business blocks and business units of the Holding based on improving the system of work orders, regulations and agreements

Formation of a corporate culture of interaction between departments

CUSTOMER FOCUS:

6. Reliance on staff

There is no such thing as a customer-oriented company without customer-oriented staff

Each employee must understand that his work affects the client’s perception of the quality of service and services - no matter how far he is from the “line of direct communication with the client.” Lack of special training programs and staff motivation systems

Redesign of curricula at all levels

Formation of a training system for the principles of customer focus

Formation of a client-oriented system staff motivation

CUSTOMER FOCUS:

7. Relevance for monopoly

If the monopolist does not take into account the expectations of customers, then they are forced to put up withwith existing conditions, but are constantly waiting,when will the company have competitor . When he appears - the client leaves. Inattention to competition, mass exodus of customers to other modes of transport, unequal conditions of competition

implementation of active marketing - “go to the client yourself”

monitoring of competitive segments of the transport market

expansion of the portfolio of end-to-end integrated services

development of logistics technologies (door-to-door delivery, just-in-time, last mile)

Improving the regulatory framework

CUSTOMER FOCUS:

8. Assess your capabilities

Anticipating client expectations is dangerous. From now on, the client will demand to reach new heights every time

The main risk for a business is to fail the client’s expectations.

It is necessary to evaluate the company's resources and capabilities to ensure quality of services on a regular basis. Imperfection of resource assessment mechanisms to constantly maintain the quality of services

coordination of interaction between sales and production verticals

improvement of the planning system and economic assessment of resource provision of services

development of quality standards for services in all types of business and a system for monitoring their compliance

The main criterion for assessing the level of customer focus of the Company in this coordinate system is meeting the needs of customers not only in the quality, but also in the availability of the services offered in all types of activities. And this becomes the main priority for the development of the Russian Railways holding in the coming years, which is confirmed in terms of freight transportation - inattracting additional cargo to the railway from other modes of transport (road, aviation, water), in the formation of new logistics products.

To achieve this, shippers need ease of interaction with Russian Railways in terms of submitting applications and placing orders, the ability to obtain information about the location of cargo online, delivery of cargo on time and on schedule, and much more. Customer focus for us also means interaction with potential clients - product manufacturers who depend on the supply of raw materials and components, and on the transportation of their final product to sales markets. Here we must strive to organize the entire range of logistics services.

In the field of passenger transportation, this includes differentiated ticket prices and a system of discounts that allow passengers to save from 10% to 50% of the base fare. This includes the development of the existing passenger loyalty program in the long-distance transportation segment and the expansion of the possibility of purchasing railway tickets electronically via the Internet. This includes increasing comfort and speed of travel, and offering passengers other modern services in all types of transport - long-distance, suburban, high-speed, multimodal.

Development strategy of the Russian Railways holding for the period until 2030 Russian Railways

Holding values: Customer focus, mutually beneficial long-term partnerships with clients, constant development of a portfolio of products and services in the interests of consumers

To solve the problem of developing the customer focus of the Russian Railways holding, strategic measures are certainly necessary - and today we see them in the formation of a corporate system of internal and external customer focus of the Russian Railways holding, which is expected to be carried out in several stages.

The first stage should be the development of a Unified Customer Focus Policy for the Russian Railways Holding, which should be focused on the implementation of development strategies for the railway industry and the Russian Railways Holding, as well as long-term development programs for the Holding, creating the basis for meeting the needs and expectations of internal and external customers.

It will establish the unity of principles, approaches, methods and system solutions within the entire Holding, including branches and subsidiaries of JSC Russian Railways at all levels of management.

The implementation of this stage should be based on a clear understanding that the quality of services and products is inextricably linked with the quality of production processes, which is ensured by the coordinated activities of all divisions, business blocks and business units of the Holding, including at the regional level.

At the second stage, it is planned to develop a Concept for the implementation of the Unified Policy, which will determine: the organizational structure for managing the implementation of the Unified Policy, tools and methods of implementation, as well as methods for assessing performance results and performance indicators.

Based on the Concept, a Medium-term program of activities for its implementation in the Holding will be developed.

The third stage in the formation of a Corporate system of internal and external customer focus should be the development of a package of Concepts for the development of customer focus by type of business, designed to reflect the vector of development of the principles of internal and external customer focus, the use of tools for assessing the level of customer satisfaction, as well as prospects for the development of specific types of business aimed at client needs. Development of each Concept with the formation of an action plan for its implementation and targeted personnel training programs, which will be the logical conclusion of this stage.

A separate issue that requires elaboration within the framework of the formation of a corporate system for the development of external and internal customer-centricity of the Russian Railways holding should be the development of a Unified catalog of external and internal services of the Russian Railways holding.

Based on the principles of customer focus, every service in all types of business of the holding should be standardized and cataloged

"RUSSIAN RAILWAYS".

For each type of business, it is planned to develop service quality standards and assess the level of customer satisfaction, defining the main unified requirements for the range, quality and consumer characteristics of services, reflecting the specifics and distinctive features of each individual service provided under the Russian Railways holding brand.

Customer focus in all areas of the Russian Railways holding company’s activities today is a key factor in the Company’s success in the market and increasing its competitiveness in the long term.

Transferring the Company to a customer-centric approach will achieve the following effects:

increasing the profitability and efficiency of production activities, competitiveness in the transport market and ensuring high quality of services provided by the Russian Railways holding in accordance with the strategic objectives and brand values;

increasing the volume of sales of services, as well as entering new market segments by strengthening the company’s brand and providing attractive services with quality parameters that are uniform for all divisions, branches and subsidiaries of JSC Russian Railways;

expansion of the Holding’s product line and optimization “portfolio” of services provided to best meet market demands and individual customer needs;

reducing losses from inadequate quality of services provided by unifying requirements for quality and consumer characteristics, as well as developing and applying tools for quality control and the level of customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Annotation. The article reveals the author's understanding of the customer-oriented approach to railway transport as a logistics activity of a transport enterprise, in particular, it shows current systems for improving logistics activities while increasing the level of customer focus.

Keywords: railway transport, transport complex, logistics, transportation process, consignor, consignee, customer focus.

The JSC Russian Railways company is the main link in the transport system of the country's economy. The total volume of cargo transportation is constantly growing, so the company is constantly improving its activities and developing the geography of its main transportation areas.

The main tasks facing the company today in the development of the transport and logistics business are to ensure an additional influx of cargo and increase the holding’s income by both improving the quality and efficiency of the basic transportation service and by developing new transport and logistics services, including individual the requests of each client. The main focus is on meeting customer needs and improving the quality of services provided.

Work with clients is carried out through the Corporate Transport Service Center (CFTS). CFTO operates as a “one window”, providing a full cycle of interaction with clients when forming and executing orders for the transportation of goods, and also carries out contractual work with forwarding organizations, owners of railway rolling stock and other participants in the transport market, presented in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Interaction of divisions with transport market participants

CFTO not only participates in the organization of railway transportation, but is also the division that serves as a single window for clients and recommends to them, depending on the specifics of their needs, the services of other business units of the holding. Each of them provides its own list of services related to rail transportation on more attractive terms than competitive modes of transport, collecting all the necessary information with the help of regional TCFTO.

An effective way to expand sales volumes and gain additional income from promoting complex services is to thoroughly study and assess customer needs. Especially for this purpose, the Institute of Personal Managers was introduced into the CFTS. Today they play a key role in building interaction with cargo owners on the one-stop-shop principle.

The main task of the AFTO is to serve users of the services of JSC Russian Railways in terms of the provision of services for the transportation of goods, information and other additional services within the boundaries of the service area, registration of services related to the transportation of goods, in accordance with the unified price list of services of JSC Russian Railways and the formation of orders for their execution, Figure 2.

Figure 2. AFTO structure

LAFTO employees serve numerous organizations and enterprises, fill out applications for the transportation of goods for each shipper, draw up cargo transportation documents, provide settlements with shippers for transportation, inform consignees about the arrival of cargo, keep records and reports according to established forms and perform other work.

Considering the new direction of development of the transport and logistics business block of JSC Russian Railways, one can see the improvement of the system on higher management systems, where the work of divisions is aimed at streamlined receipt of final information, however, considering in detail the internal structure of each division, especially regarding work with the main direction, namely with the client, then many problems arise:

1. A huge number of structures for working with a client, which causes a constant loss of information;
2. Increased processing of customer data and fulfillment of urgent orders;
3. The search for answers that arise among clients in various structures, which leads to negative emotions for the wait and the duration of the search;
4. Lack of a unified information system, etc.

Thus, in order to receive a service, the client needs to spend the main resource - time!

Maximum focus on customer needs and increasing the degree of customer satisfaction from the services provided by the holding are the most important aspects of the company’s work.

In order to develop and offer transport and logistics solutions to the client, it is necessary to understand the real needs of clients and take into account the peculiarities of their processes - in accordance with these, the further work of the CFTO with clients will be built.

The issue of effective management of interaction with clients is one of the key ones in implementing the strategy of a client-oriented approach. Customer focus, in fact, is one of the elements of crisis management; it provides additional opportunities, especially in conditions of a decline in transportation volumes, when it is necessary to fight for the client in the transport market. To do this, it is necessary to change the existing chaotic system of interaction between clients and other participants in the corporate transport service center, namely to create a “Customer Service Center”, which will be a single window in all necessary issues of cargo transportation, paperwork, search for wagons and answers to all questions of interest, which will allow the client to save time and money on all operations related to cargo delivery, is presented in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Changed structure of client interaction with transport market participants

The main task of the “Customer Service Center” is to organize work with clients for the sale of transport and logistics services of the company based on the interaction of divisions, obtaining the effect of the rapid activity of all structures subordinate to the CFTO and providing high quality service, creating conditions for attracting additional clients and income for railway transport. By creating a consistent system for handling incoming requests from clients, shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Request processing model

If the client has applied for the first time, a specialist from the Central Distribution Center informs him about the procedure for interaction when organizing settlements and payment by the client of freight charges, as well as fees and charges due for related services, explains the procedure for opening an ELS, providing related services related to the transportation of goods, and issues a list of necessary documents to conclude an Agreement on the organization of settlements and a comprehensive transport service agreement.

Based on an analysis of the parameters of the client’s request, the CRsK specialist makes a decision on involving the involved departments of the CFTO, as well as structural divisions and branches, in servicing it. If the parameters of the requested service correspond to the register of services related to the provision of introductory information on the operation of railway transportation or information that includes the provision of extracts from an existing database, then the CRSC specialist independently prepares a response to the request and sends it to the client within 3 to 5 days.

If the client agrees with the terms of service, the CRsK specialist, on the same working day, transmits information about the possibility of concluding an agreement for comprehensive transport services for the cargo owner to the transport service department of TCFTO (AFTO). At the same time, the structural unit of the CFTO acts as an agent of the corresponding regional unit of the branch, without acquiring authority for its specialized services when performing services.

Based on the data of analytical materials, as well as the results of processing incoming requests (through call centers, websites and direct requests from clients), a specialist from the Central Distribution Center draws up an action plan for organizing marketing of sales of services to specific potential clients for the coming period.

The best time frame for drawing up a plan for working with potential clients is a quarter or 6 months, which indicates the time frame for preparing commercial proposals, holding meetings and communication events, which are carried out in accordance with interaction with the heads of TCFTO (AFTO) and approved by the first deputy head of the railway or the deputy head of the railway for territorial administration.

Thus, the process of providing transport and logistics services, in which interaction with each current and potential client through a single “Customer Service Center” helps to create a solid basis for retaining and attracting shippers to railway transport. A single contract for the provision of a comprehensive service allows the client to provide the minimum required set of documents just once to the manager of the Central Distribution Center, who is engaged in further processing of transportation and provision of additional services, using a “sales funnel” to retain and increase the volume of transported cargo.

The developed concept will allow shippers to easily interact with JSC Russian Railways in terms of submitting applications and placing orders, the ability to obtain information about the location of cargo online, delivering cargo on time and on schedule, and much more. Customer focus means for a company interaction with potential clients - product manufacturers who depend on the supply of raw materials and components, and on the transportation of their final product to sales markets. The implementation of the presented changes in working with clients is based on a clear understanding that the quality of services is inextricably linked with the quality of production processes, which ensures the coordinated activities of all divisions, business blocks and business units of the Holding, including at the regional level.

Transferring the company to a customer-centric track will achieve the following effects:

1. Increasing profitability and efficiency of production activities, competitiveness in the transport market and ensuring high quality of services provided by JSC Russian Railways in accordance with the strategic objectives and brand values;
2. Increasing the volume of sales of services, as well as entering new market segments by strengthening the company’s brand and providing attractive services with quality parameters that are uniform for all divisions, branches and subsidiaries of JSC Russian Railways;
3. Expanding the Holding’s product line and optimizing the “portfolio” of services provided to best meet market demands and individual customer needs;
4. Reducing losses from inadequate quality of services provided by unifying requirements for quality and consumer characteristics, as well as developing and using tools for quality control and the level of customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The company receives feedback, which provides a system of monitoring and information control of the quality of services provided. Monitoring the quality of services helps to obtain an answer to the performance results of both the structure and the company as a whole, the reasons for dissatisfaction, if they arise, including helping to find the company’s weaknesses not only in customer service, but also in the process of work and transportation itself, thereby influencing on the company as a whole, and not on a separate structure. The client, like no one else, is able to point out unfinished processes in the company, helping specialists quickly and efficiently change their work to improve the company’s activities and make customers want to return.

Customer focus, in fact, is one of the elements of crisis management; it gives the Holding additional opportunities, especially in conditions of a decline in transportation volumes, when it is necessary to fight for the client in the transport market.

Bibliography:

1. Logistics: integration and optimization of logistics business processes for supply purposes / V. V. Dybskaya [et al.]. – Moscow: Eksmo, 2014. – 939 p.
2. Logistics and supply chain management: a practical guide / D. V. Kurochkin. – Minsk: Alpha Book, 2016. – 783 p.
3. Transport logistics: educational and methodological manual: [for universities] / R. B. Ivut, T. R. Kisel. – Minsk: BNTU, 2014. – 377 p.
4. http://mzd.rzd.ru/static/public/ru?STRUCTURE_ID=3[Electronic resource] -2017.URL: Access mode is free.
5. http://www.aup.ru/docs/di/232.htm[Electronic resource] -2017.URL: Access mode - free.

Today, all transport companies, including JSC Russian Railways, strive to be customer-oriented. At one time, we had a substantive discussion with members of the Management Board about the best way to assess the efficiency and quality of a company’s work. Naturally, for this kind of assessment there is a whole set of financial, technological and other indicators, but since Russian Railways is essentially a service company, we considered that the main criterion that is fair for us is meeting customer requirements. And these are not just words, but the current trend and priority of the company’s development for the coming years. What does this mean? In terms of freight transportation - in attracting additional cargo to the railway from other modes of transport (road, aviation, water). To do this, shippers need ease of interaction with Russian Railways in terms of submitting applications and placing orders, the ability to obtain information about the location of goods online, delivery of goods strictly on schedule, the formation of route transportation, etc. I have provided a far from complete list of what we are currently implementing, but these are exactly the things on which the main emphasis is placed. Customer focus for us also means interaction with potential clients - product manufacturers who depend on the supply of raw materials and components, and subsequently on the transportation of the final product to sales markets. This means offering them special tariff conditions when it comes to opening new enterprises that create for Russian Railways an additional freight base and highly profitable cargo for transportation.

Customer focus in terms of passenger transportation is, first of all, the availability of railway transport for citizens. What is being done in this direction? We offered differentiated ticket prices and a system of discounts allowing passengers to save from 10% to 50% of the base fare. A full-scale passenger loyalty program has been introduced and is operating in the long-distance transportation segment. The possibility of purchasing railway tickets electronically is expanding - last year a quarter of all purchased tickets were ordered via the Internet. We plan to further develop this technology, as well as offer passengers other modern services, increase the comfort and speed of passenger trains. As recent examples, I can name the launch of Lastochka on the route St. Petersburg - Petrozavodsk, the Moscow - Yaroslavl day train, modern electric trains that began running in the Moscow region and a number of other regions. Yesterday we launched double-decker night trains between Moscow and St. Petersburg. This means not only an increased level of comfort, but also a reduction in the cost of a compartment ticket by 30%. As for the speed of trains (on average it is 90 km/h), the situation here is somewhat more complicated - we can increase it only if there are appropriate investments in infrastructure. I believe that the improvements that are currently being made to the infrastructure between Moscow and St. Petersburg as part of the current investment program of Russian Railways will gradually reduce travel time between the two capitals to 3.5 hours. The design of the VSD, which has already begun in our country, will increase the mobility of the population by an order of magnitude.

In this context, it is appropriate to talk about the current pricing policy of Russian Railways, which is formed taking into account the interests of customers. Against the backdrop of a general rise in prices for goods and services, we plan to increase ticket prices in the unregulated segment of railway transportation (compartment and SV) by no more than 5%. In the regulated segment, the increase will be 10% (this is the figure by which the state has indexed our tariff for the current year), which is even lower than the inflation rate, which in 2014 was 11.4%. As for international passenger transportation, Western countries present us with tariffs for using the infrastructure in Swiss francs, and this can significantly affect the increase in the ruble price of tickets. However, we are working to optimize tariffs with foreign partner companies interested in developing tourism cooperation with Russian Railways. The other day we solemnly celebrated the anniversary of the launch of the Moscow – Nice train, which turned out to be a very popular service, including for citizens of the European Union. Over 5 years, this train has transported more than 40 thousand passengers. For the anniversary, we have completely updated the train running between Moscow and Nice with new RIC size carriages jointly produced by the Tver Carriage Works and Siemens. This is also customer-oriented, and we understand perfectly well that without this kind of events, which are sometimes very costly, we cannot win in the competition for passengers.

For a company engaged in passenger transportation, there is only one way to sustainably develop its business - to increase its customer focus. We need to know our client well and choose a development path based on the requirements and preferences of our passengers. For a modern passenger, the time spent on the road, the comfort of the trip, and the quality of service are important, so we invest in rolling stock, new technologies, and our staff.

Today, the main share of investments of JSC FPC (more than 87%) is directed to the renewal and modernization of rolling stock. This allows us to introduce new rolling stock to the market with improved speed and comfortable characteristics - double-decker trains, Lastochka trains, and the Strizh high-speed train.

We are also investing in technologies that provide additional convenience for passengers. One such example - the project to create a mobile application for purchasing tickets - will be fully implemented in the very near future.

The implementation of innovative projects requires new knowledge, skills and abilities from JSC FPC employees. No equipment alone without qualified personnel will be able to increase productivity and ensure high quality of service. Therefore, all categories of company employees are important to us. Some need to improve their engineering knowledge and develop technical skills, others need to study issues of interpersonal interaction and develop service skills, and others need to improve the efficiency of the internal environment and the interaction of services and departments of the company.

Today, the company’s team consists of 65.5 thousand professionals, more than 40% of whom are workers in the first line of interaction with clients. It is important for us that all personnel, every employee of the company is ready to work in modern market conditions, and for this they need not only to be prepared, but also to be involved in the process of continuous improvement. A key role in this process is played by the Corporate Personnel Training and Methodological Center, which is a powerful tool for training personnel in mass professions and developing the professional and corporate competencies of our employees. The center implements training programs based on the development strategy of JSC FPC, taking into account the mission and values ​​of the company.

Every year, more than 20 thousand people, or every third employee, undergo specialized advanced training courses, seminars and trainings. In general, the company’s personnel development costs annually amount to 90 million rubles. Work is continuously being carried out to update existing training programs and develop new ones, external providers are attracted, and a transition is being made from the traditional training system (lectures, seminars) to interactive forms.

A significant role in the development of a company's human capital is assigned to the personality of the manager. He must be able to attract people taking into account their motivation and qualifications, distribute responsibilities and delegate authority, build effective interaction with team members, inspire and maintain team spirit.

In market conditions, the requirements for service culture are objectively becoming more stringent. In this regard, we place special hope on the younger generation, who are looking for opportunities to realize themselves, who can easily master modern technology and follow new standards of working with clients. By introducing new services, we try to attract young, educated and interested people to our work.

Promising young workers are also selected and trained for the reserve of young managers. Their internships abroad are regularly organized. In 2016, the “Express Youth” project was launched, which will increase the share of young managers among the heads of passenger trains.

We pay special attention to the front line personnel. When selecting candidates to work as passenger carriage conductors and ticket cashiers, we place emphasis on developing the service mentality of employees - on a set of those internal human qualities that allow them to be respectful, friendly and attentive to customers. For this purpose, the company's psychologists assess corporate competencies using tools such as interviews (competency interviews) and testing.

For the purposeful development of personnel, the company has developed a series of trainings aimed at developing skills in customer-oriented behavior. Without fail, we monitor the effectiveness of training using special techniques. As a result, our employees know not only how to create comfortable conditions for passengers, but also demonstrate this in practice in their daily work. In 2016, the company will launch a project to train internal trainers and mentors to work with train crews.

Today we are forming a fundamentally new image of the conductor, which requires a revision of his job responsibilities. Now the main task of the conductor is to provide quality service to passengers. As for the operation of rolling stock (cleaning, heating, cleaning running gears, etc.), this functionality is transferred to other employees.

All these measures taken together will allow us to form a new image of the company, strengthen its customer focus and achieve the indicators planned as part of the “Year of the Passenger” program.