Case 1.1 : FedEx 1) List the business processes displayed in the video.
The first step is to pick up the package at the customer’s and to scan it. Therefore, the employee ) inform FedEx than the package is under FedEx’s responsibility.
The second step is the transport of the package by truck for instance to a hub (or sorting center).
In the third step, the package will process in the sorting center. The package is going to progress in a long and complex net of conveyer belts. This is called the FedEx Ground Automatic Sortation System. Several scans meet packages ways in the sorting center. They check some basic information. One type of scanners checks the size of the box so as to know how much to charge the customer for shipping
…show more content…
Thus, FedEx can coordinate its daily activities and improve its efficiency just using its data. Moreover, the data collected by FedEx can be used at anytime to obtain metrics and evaluate decisions and costs. The Enterprise System allows data to interact together, giving so valuable information for improving management decision making.
4) How important is technology to FedEx’s business processes ?
Technology stands for a huge part of FedEx’s success. Without it FedEx would not be able to be efficient in shipping packages at the right time. It enables to have the minimum of employees with a maximum of efficiency.
In the video, the FedEx employee compares the sorting center as a “gigantic video game”. This picture points out the fact the company relies for a great part on technology. It disposes of multi-directional scanners, an information computerized system, containers customized so as to adapt their form to the aircraft… It enables the company to maximize the process and to deliver daily millions of packages. The system set up by FedEx gives it a great efficiency. It has succeeded in using technology and setting up an appropriate system of information adapted to its needs.
Even in the transportation of packages, FedEx has developed a good process based on technological tools : managers and employees in airport are aware of delays and know how many must be delivered.
We have already seen the critical place that the information
FedEx created overnight delivery service and second-day delivery service in order to satisfy customers’ need in a way that its competitors cannot. Both services guaranteed delivery time to every customer, they willing to pay the premium price. In this case, customers self-select the option based on their preferences, depending on the relative values of prices or their situational needs. If there is an urgent package, the customer can select overnight service. However, a second-day delivery is a cheaper choice for customers if they do not need to send the package right away. However, these services are still not much different from its rival such as UPS or DHL. FedEx has to add capacity control strategy, which allows it to maintain its revenue.
Market dominance, growing market, technology, and globalization are enabling factors for both companies. In a more specific approach, FedEx’s enabling factors are their adaptation to modernization, being able to really take an advantage of technology. Also, their more
FedEx’s internal environment also consists of their distribution and delivery of packages. This environment contains FedEx’s trucks and planes that it uses to transport their packages for their customers. If their trucks or planes break down FedEx needs to find an alternative or get these vehicle’s fixed immediately. Appropriate maintenance and regulatory inspections are done to these vehicle to keep them up and running for FedEx.
In addition to that, FedEx came up with new services such as Saturday deliveries, delivery by 10:30 A.M., customer interfaces (drop boxes, drive through stations and express delivery stores) and same day pickup of order. This is to distinguish its services. More on that, FedEx's philosophy of "People-Service-Profit" was successful in insuring a union free workforce devoted to customer focus. In 1978, deregulation in transportation helped FedEx to acquire larger planes therefore achieve lower cost. Trade deregulation in Asia-Pacific enabled FedEx to expand further. The acquisition of Gelco express, Tiger International, and establishment of Airport Hub in Brussels expanded FedEx internationally. Inflation and rising global competitiveness generated the need for "just-in-time" supply model, which was the advantage supported by FedEx advanced technologies.
The evolution of the express mail industry had become a quick on-time shipping and delivery of packages. The service had become effective, reliable, and prompt, which most of the top companies could deliver on these guaranteed promises 96-99% of the time. But, delivery services were only a portion of the services being offered to their customers. Carriers had mastered information management that they shared with their customers. Customers were now able to fill out labels, track the route of their package, and assisted in billing using both via carrier provided software or the Internet.
By capitalizing on this strategy, FedEx was able to boost its average delivery volume in 1976 to 20,726 packages per day via its three services, Priority-One, Standard Air, and Courier Pack, compared with an average of 10,521 delivered daily the prior year. Clearly the company’s calculated use of strategically-located hubs, nighttime flight routes, and limited package size allowed the company to carve out a niche by reliably delivering packages on an immediate, overnight basis.
The functionality of FedEx is based on a model that encourages a high level of interconnectedness. The company routes shipments from all over the world through regional hubs. There are only a handful of such hubs around the world. Around five cities in the US form hubs the main hub in Memphis, the west coast hub in Oakland, customs clearance in Anchorage, east coast hub in Newark and Latin America hub in Miami. The use of so many hubs indicates that North America remains a key market, which also accounts for some of the
United Parcel Service (UPS), is the world’s largest express package delivery firm that handled more than 4.7 billion packages and documents in 2015. This global transportation and logistics service provider operates in more than 220 countries, and offers an array of supply chain management solutions (UPS Fact Sheet, n.d.). The firm has diversified its products and/or services to include freight forwarding and logistics services via air, ground, rail, and sea. U.S. Domestic Package operations, International Package operations, and Supply Chain and Freight operations are the three operating segments UPS. Through technology advancements UPS delivers online package tracking, e-commerce services, and specialized
A FedEx employee picks up the customer’s box and scans it so FedEx recognizes it. Now the product is registered and traceable. The product is then taken to a sorting center where it is classified according to its destination. The package is put on a belt where it is measured and a price tag is determined. In the next step, the packages are put into containers. These containers are loaded in aircrafts directed by a control
FedEx was first established in 1973 as a logistic company with the name Federal Express that be created by founder and first CEO Frederick W Smith. The Headquarters is in Memphis, Tennessee in the US. The company became well known for its fast and reliable delivery service around the world. On its first night of operation FedEx delivered 186 bundles to 25 urban locations in the US with only 389 employees and a 15 Dassault Falcon aircraft. In 1980 FedEx purchased a system for live updates on the packages. In this system, FedEx drivers share the current locations from the trucks to provide updates of the packages to the customers. This information was sent to a central computer of FedEx then the company improved the update system by introducing FedEx.com webpage. This webpage allowed the tracking data to be easily accessible. However, recently, FedEx uses Savvy bundle for packing and tracking the products across couriers. (Baldwin, 2016)
Trends and opportunities of the parcel service industry include globalization, e-commerce, and supply-chain management. Internet logistics was FedEx and UPS’s fastest growing business. The internet enabled customers to link directly to retailers and their manufacturers. In 2001, parcel carriers served almost all of the online market. They were able to provide information on packages to customers through tracking systems on the web. This allowed customers to plan ahead and decrease delays in deliveries. It also allowed for faster transactions and lower communication costs. Parcel companies created partnerships with large Internet retailers. These partnerships allowed parcel service companies to expand its overall delivery volume. Parcel companies improved tracking by implementing several technological innovations. These included “laser scanners and bar codes, state of the art software programs, satellite and cell phone communication equipment, electronic information interchanges, and the Internet.”
* Before the package is even picked up, the data from the scannable bar coded label is transmitted to one of UPS’s computer centers in Mahwah, New Jersey, or Alpharetta, Georgia and sent to the distribution center nearest its final destination. Dispatchers at this center
These are their daily volumes for those services. FedEx has many service areas. They service over 220 countries, territories and every single address in the U.S. FedEx tends to make more than 6 million package tracking requests daily. This is an outstanding number for a company dealing with packaging and locator with tracking numbers. Their express facility has 1,057 stations, and 10 air hubs. While their ground services has 32 hubs and over 500 pickup/delivery terminals. Freight has approximately 355 service centers and nearly 2,000 office locations. Despite all their services FedEx has a mission. Their mission is to produce outstanding financial returns for their shareowners. However, all customer requirements will be met while providing high value logistics, transportation and related business through operating companies. According to FedEx website, “FedEx will strive to develop mutually rewarding relationships with its employees, partners and suppliers” (About FedEx). Safety is their number one concerns and first considerations in all operations. However, all their corporate activities will be conducted according to the highest ethical and professional standards. FedEx values their people, service, innovation, integrity, responsibility, and most of all loyalty. This company strategy consists of three levels; compete collectively, operate independently, and manage collectively. These strategies will help the company accomplish their goals. Standing, as
When it comes to strategy, FedEx has done a great job of staying on top in the market place after all these years. FedEx has built a very powerful empire over the last decade, insuring customers with different global delivery services. Different companies have different strategies that work with their company to reach a specific goal, at FedEx the main strategy for success would be customer service. Customer service would have to be the number one strategy FedEx is mostly concerned with and constantly researching new ways to make it easier and more convenient for customers to deliver packages across the world. To help accommodate customers, FedEx has established online databases to ensure customers of package delivery; customers are able to track packages from the convenience of their homes or offices. Something else that FedEx has established are flights, and freights for those international customers, they have also improved services to and from all over Europe as well as Asia, in
FedEx Corporation, situated in US, is one of the leading supply chain management solution providers in the world. With annual revenues as high as USD33 billion, the company offers incorporated business