For the purpose of our paper, we will be discussing FedEx Corporation. Federal Express was originally founded in 1971 by Frederick W. Smith, a Yale University undergraduate. The idea for such a company came to Smith while writing a term paper. He saw the logistical challenges that many firms faced in terms of delivering urgent shipments. Therefore, his idea started a new industry, one in which time-sensitive shipments were accommodated to be delivered in a timely fashioned. His idea came to fruition after he first handly saw the challenges of getting packages deliver in a day or two. From here, Federal Express was up and running thus revolutionizing business practices to the point of becoming synonymous with speed and reliability. The company …show more content…
Some acquisitions were Tiger International Inc. in 1989 and Evergreen International Airlines. With the former, Federal Express “became the world’s largest full-service, all-cargo airline” while the later gave it “aviation rights to the world’s most populous nation” of China. On a global scale, Federal Express serves and operates in over 220 countries and territories. However, the name FedEx was not incorporated until 1998 with the acquisition of Caliber System Inc. It was through this that we came to have FedEx Express, FedEx Ground (RPS), FedEx Global Logistics (Caliber Logistics and Caliber Technology), FedEx Freight (American Freightways and Viking Freight) etc. Many more acquisitions have also been part of FedEx’s history. However, let us now discuss the executive leadership team behind …show more content…
They are: Frederick W. Smith (Chairman, President, and CEO), Alan B. Graf Jr. (Executive Vice President and CFO), Christine P. Richards (Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary), Robert B. Carter (Executive Vice President, FedEx Information Services, and CIO), and T. Michael Glenn (Executive Vice President, Market Development and Corporate Communications. Each bring unique experience and leadership skills to FedEx thus helping to shape and guide FedEx. Smith, as CEO of a multi-billion company provides the strategic direction for all of FedEx’s subsidiaries. For instance, since the company’s inception, Smith has been active in lobbying for free trade and regulatory reform. He strived for “open skies agreement” worldwide. By engaging in such activities, Smith is guiding and shaping FedEx’s long-term goals. Furthermore, Smith has experience with different transportation services through service on the board of governors for different air transport associations. This knowledge gives FedEx first-hand knowledge of how to operate in just one segment of its business. Christine Richards, on the other hand equally guides the corporate strategy of the company. She earned her juris doctorate from Duke University. Therefore, as General Counsel and Secretary, her educational background is imperative in leading FedEx to achieve the company’s goals and objectives. She must ensure that compliance with federal, state, local, and
...to deal with inbound and outbound logistics, one that is made up mostly of the personnel from outbound logistics. These professionals deal with the second core competency of Deere, logistics, separate from the manufacturing of tractors and lawnmowers. The creation of this team helps eliminate the risk Fedex’s poor performance (managers were not pleased with Fedex’s centralized transportation management service) and need to measure performance of a 3rd part continuously. As a result, performance is self-managed. We expect as the IT system is used to optimize and plan transportation routes amongst inbound and outbound trucks, cost savings will increase more rapidly. We believe internal continuous improvement, leaner logistics operations and synergies amongst all logistics activities will lead to the $69 million goal being met by the third year after implementation.
FedEx Express’s customer segments were based on the amount of revenue FedEx obtained from the particular customer during the previous year. At the top of the pyramid were businesses with more than $10 million in annual FedEx billings. A primary responsibility of account executives assigned to these companies was to analyze the client’s shipping business to negotiate contractual agreements that would typically last from two to three years. At the bottom of the pyramid were small accounts of just $6,000 to $40,0000. In these cases, the account executive’s job was typically to look for ways to increase the use of FedEx at local offices and to report to worldwide account executives of any issues that had come about. The account executives received compensation on achieving particular revenue targets, and the process of determining Express sales goals occurred on a quarterly basis. Account Executives wanted to beat the revenue targets or reach the minimum performance to plan in order to get a sales bonus. Even though there were many sales fluctuations based on changes in customer behavior, account executives would make adjustments in order to meet their goals. In comparison to Express, FedEx Ground shared the hierarchical configuration of sales teams and the geographic reach, but had a smaller customer base. Signing new clients was somewhat more difficult for
The airline industry not only transports passengers across the country and world but it also moves cargo from location to location. The largest segment for the airlines is general commercial passengers and business travelers. In 2004, there were 15 major airlines with 12 of those being mainly passenger carriers, the remaining three being cargo carriers. In addition to the large airlines (Delta, United, American, Southwest, Northwest), there are numerous low-cost regional carriers that have tapped into the larger carriers’ customer base. These smaller companies generally fly from smaller airports and serve a smaller amount of destination cities. Calling them a no-frills air carrier would not be far from the truth. Their goal is to move customers f...
UPS is performing better than FedEx in financial performances. From 1997-1999, UPS reported average net profit margins of 6.5% while FedEx¡¦s was 2.8% and ROE of 25.2% for UPS and 10.6% for FedEx. Although UPS¡¦s net income in 1999 dropped significantly, it was result of a tax dispute, which should not affect the sustainability of the UPS financial performance. One of the factors driving this performance is the growth in the international delivery business. International operations in 1999 has accounted for 13% of the UPS¡¦s revenues and 5% of the operating profits. International package revenue grew 50% since 1994 and international...
Federal Express is the world’s largest package delivery company today. They have been successful mainly because of their technological advancements. Technology has allowed them to have superior customer service and quality that was unparalleled by any company. No company was able to offer overnight delivery of packages with the speed and precision that Federal Express did. Although Federal Express remains ahead of its competition today, their advantages over other firms in the industry are slowly diminishing.
Airborne Express ranked third place in the 2002 U.S. air express industry with nine percent (9%) of the market and it has difficulties catching up with its larger rivals, FedEx and UPS which has 26% and 53% of the market respectively.
Besides that, in this competitive society, time is important to everyone. People are increasingly using the internet as a time-saving resource. People engage in numerous activities online, such as e-mail, planning trips, online banking and online research for their good purchases, all of which are easily completed online. FedEx can satisfy the consumer requirement of convenience with its sophisticated online service.
Northwest Airlines is one of the pioneers in the airline transportation industry and is ranked at the fourth largest air carrier in the United States today. The success of the carrier depends on the quality and reliability of the service at a reasonable price. Close competitors force Northwest to innovate their services by increasing efficiency. This essay will try to examine different perspectives in the services needed to successfully complete the company’s objectives. The analysis will explain historical and financial perspectives that may give a better understanding of the current market trend of the organization.
In August of 1971, Smith started his venture by buying controlling interest in Arkansas Aviation Sales. While operating his new firm, Smith recognized the tremendous difficulty in getting packages delivered within one- to- two days. This dilemma motivated him to do the necessary research for resolving the current inefficient distribution system. Thus, the idea for Federal Express was born: a company that revolutionized global business practices and now defines speed and reliability1.
This was a sad day for everyone in both the immediate and extended “Delta family,” a day perhaps as sad in its own way as the death of Mr. Woolman almost 40 years before. The sadness mixes with fear by employees and retirees, their families, stockholders, customers, vendors, taxpayers, governments and all others among the tens of thousands impacted by the bankruptcy. Leadership decisions by Delta’s Board and CEO’s over a long period of years laid the foundation for Delta to be in a position where the factors would have a large enough impact to result in bankruptcy. By promoting Ron Allen to CEO, primarily because he had moved up the chairs in the company through Beeb’s efforts, the Board showed their lack of awareness of the need for a strategist to deal with the fundamental changes taking place in the airline industry. Then the Board brought in Leo Mullin and gave him free rein for 6 ½ years to turn a cash rich company into one in such poor shape financially that his successor had to turn to expensive sources of money to keep the company
Throughout its history, FedEx has been a leader in the transportation and information industry. In 1965, Yale University undergraduate Frederick W. Smith wrote a term paper about the passenger route systems used by most airfreight shippers, which he viewed as economically inadequate. Smith wrote of the need for shippers to have a system designed specifically for airfreight that could accommodate time-sensitive shipments such as medicines, computer parts and electronics. In August of 1971 following a stint in the military, Smith bought controlling interest in Arkansas Aviation Sales, located in Little Rock, Ark. While operating his new firm, Smith identified the tremendous difficulty in getting packages and other airfreight delivered within one to two days. This dilemma motivated him to do the necessary research for resolving the inefficient distribution system. Thus, the idea for Federal Express was born: a company that revolutionized global business practices and now defines speed and reliability. Federal Express was so-named due to the patriotic meaning associated with the word "Federal," which suggested an interest in nationwide economic activity. At that time, Smith hoped to obtain a contract with the Federal Reserve Bank and, although the proposal was denied, he believed the name was a particularly good one for attracting public attention and maintaining name recognition. The company incorporated in June 1971 and officially began operations on April 17, 1973, with the launch of 14 small aircraft from Memphis International Airport. On that night, Federal Express delivered 186 packages to 25 U.S. cities from Rochester, NY, to Miami, Fla. Company headquarters were moved to Memphis, Tenn., a city selected for its geographical center to the original target market cities for small packages. In addition, the Memphis weather was excellent and rarely caused closures at Memphis International Airport. The airport was also willing to make the necessary improvements for the operation and had additional hangar space readily available. In the mid-1970s, Federal Express took a leading role in lobbying for air cargo deregulation that finally came in 1977.
United Airlines and Continental Airlines have a very interesting, rich, and almost ironic history. Varney Airlines and air mail service was started by Walter Varney in the early 1920’s and became the United States of America’s first fully functioning airline. During the early 1930s, Varney Airlines began to operate in El Paso Texas, with only six employees made up of only two pilots. After Varney moved its headquarters several times it finally came to rest in Denver in 1937. According to the Texas State Historical Association, “Robert F. Six became president in 1938 and held the position for more than 20 years” (Odintz). This made him one of the longest serving presidents in the company’s...
Southwest Airlines has come from an underdog to being one of the best airlines in the industry. This reputation translates from its strategic management of resources. The Co-founder and former CEO, Herb Kelleher, established a unique corporate culture that leads to high customer satisfaction, employees’ morale, and one of the most profitable airlines in the industry (Jackson et al., 2012). The corporate culture concentrates on empowerment the workforce. It shows through Southwest Airlines core values that “happy employees lead to happy customers, which create happy shareholders” (Jackson et al., 2012). Since its first grand opening in 1971, Southwest Airlines has shown steady growth, and now carries more passengers than any other low-cost carrier in the world (Wharton, 2010). To expand the business operations, Southwest Airlines took over AirTran in 2010 as a strategy to gain more market share for the Southeast region and international flights. However, the acquisition of AirTran brought upcoming challenges both internally and externally for Southwest Airlines. In this case analysis, the objectives are focusing on the change process post the merger with AirTran, and evaluating alternatives to address the impacts of the merger.
Primarily working in logistics for the government, we have really shifted into inventory control by shipping items everyday to other units. This helps the government save money when another unit doesn’t need an item at that time. This method also helps us to get something to a unit faster than maybe a company can. When shipping these inventory parts we will use FedEx most of the time. FedEx offers a really easy way of creating labels and setting up accounts, making the process of tracking and shipping easier. When a unit is in need of a part that is critical to operations, FedEx is a company that can get that part there the next day at a reasonable price rather than waiting for that part to be ordered and shipped. With more companies looking to save money inventory control might be a more common thing. This could be a cause for some of the demand for FedEx and other shipping companies to be higher. People and business always need to ship products from one place to another. With more companies being in wider...
The system adopted by 7-eleven maximizes the threat for new entrants. That’s means that threat of new entrants of 7-Eleven is low. It is because 7-Eleven has already reached economies of scale through maintaining a strong customer base and brand loyalty. Over the years, 7-Eleven has increases their customer and brand loyalty. The access to latest technology and capital investments in the same ensures that the barrier for entries for new entr...