To maximise opportunities for high performance in its mission, Vasp applies the following guidelines to its business organisation and resource management:
- Centralised information management versus operation decentralisation;
- Efficiency generated by shared resources versus flexibility to meet each project?s specific features;
- Matrix resource management to maximise functional and geographic efficiency.
In physical terms, the main services and operation management are headquartered and centralised at the Media Logistics Park, at Venda Seca, Sintra (about 10 km from Lisbon, the Portuguese capital), whereas operation activities and some support services (such as assistance and promotion at points of sale) are located closer to their targets in order to maximise their effectiveness and/or efficiency.
Vasp's distribution logistics infrastructure consists of two main centres (MLP and Maia, in the north, next to Portugal's second-largest city, Porto), two logistics support platforms (Coimbra, in the centre of the country, and Guia, in the Algarve), in addition to a number of platforms for cross-docking activities throughout the country. Vasp's press distribution on the islands is performed through a partnership with Liderpress - distributor in the Azores for all press products from the mainland and all foreign publications - and SDIM, Distribuidora da Madeira, held by Vasp (through a 40% shareholding) and by Diário de Notícias do Funchal, Madeira's largest regional newspaper. This infrastructure may be described as follows:
Returns management, that is, newspapers, magazines or associated products returned by points of sale, is centralised at the facilities of the MLP.
Distribution consists of delivering publications and collecting returns at points of sale through a subcontracted fleet of over 500 distribution vans, in addition to various trucks for inter-platform transport and to collect products at printers. The entities subcontracted for delivery and returns collection comply with the procedures covered by Vasp's quality system and are subject to ongoing performance evaluation to ensure the required service level.