Expedited Competition Essay

483 Words2 Pages
EXPEDITED COMPETITION: THE EXPRESS DELIVERY SERVICES INDUSTRY - UPS, FEDEX, DHL, TNT - DIFFERENTIATED OPTIONS Pauline Assenza & Alan B. Eisner, Pace University Case Objectives and Use This business policy and strategy case provides opportunity for discussion of both business and corporate level strategy in several firms, and for industry-level analysis, including issues of global competition. Although rich enough for advanced and graduate students, it also is accessible for undergraduate students because of the familiar setting. Questions such as “what are the industry segments, who are the customers, what characterizes the industry and what does that mean for the various players?” accomplish the objective of encouraging students to think outside the box of how they perceive UPS’s industry and realize that there are larger complex external environmental forces at work here, changing the entire landscape, for everyone. Case Synopsis The small package delivery industry, typified by UPS’s brown truck, had changed. Global competition, just-in-time inventory control, mass customization manufacturing, increasing technology and information needs, expanded trade opportunities, and increased customer expectations had all exerted pressure on organizations such as UPS, FedEx and DHL to make significant adjustments to their business and corporate strategies, so much so that it was difficult to categorize the industry. Other players such as TNT, CNF and Exel were emerging all over the world from previously separate niches to compete in the arena of “transportation services”, which included not only the “expedited delivery” of mail-type documents and small parcels, but air and ground medium and large package freight, less-than-full truckload (LTL) consolidation, freight forwarding and customs brokerage services, logistics and supply chain management, warehousing and
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