Fedex Swot Analysis

The Express mail industry in the United States had a volume of $16-17 billion on expedited shipments in the year 1996. In the years before shipment volumes has risen 15-20% per year. However due to higher competition prices have fallen which resulted in a rise of only 10-15% in total revenues. As an example of this stands the revenue and the operating margin of the biggest player that make up 45% of the market. Federal Express’ revenue has more than quadrupled in the ten years prior 1996, however its operating margin has more than halved. (Exhibit 2) The

Federal Express established itself as a key player in the competitive airfreight industry, just three years after beginning operations, as a direct result of its unique strategic hub system and a policy of limiting package size to under 70 pounds.

a) Economies of scale—the top three carriers (Federal Express, UPS, and Airborne Express) serve slightly more than 85% of the domestic express mail market. All three carriers deliver a high volume of packages, and thus, are able to spread fixed costs over more units. Also, each carrier has integrated technological systems that improved operational efficiency. In addition, intensive training programs of employees increase service and delivery efficiency.

FedEx’s new product Courier Pak makes sense because of its’ high profit margin and potential to generate new volume. Out of the 3 services that Fed Ex provides, CP yields the highest profit margin at 66% while Priority-One is at 55% and SAS is only at 27%. In addition to this, the company believes that it will be able to boost up sale of CP from 1300 to 6000 packages per day. This shows that CP is the most profitable and huge potential for growth.

This helped US Sprint to win a major contract, handling 40 percent of the federal government’s long-distance business through a system called FTS2000. FTS2000 ensured that the government could maintain long distance communications in the even either company suffered a network failure (Marcial, 2001). The government became US Sprint largest customer. Consisting of companies such as Grumman, Calving Klein, Elizabeth Arden, Cheseborough-Pond’s, and National Starch were just a few of the major US Sprint accounts (Marcial, 2001).

The US express mail industry is highly consolidated. 85% of the market is served by 3 service providers. There are six second tier players who serve the remaining 15%. FedEx and UPS lead the industry in services and innovation. The following trends have been observed in this Industry.

FedEx has not fared as well as UPS in financial performances. FedEx¡¦s total revenue has grown 60% from 1996 to 1999 while their net income has doubled in the same period. FedEx¡¦s acquisition of RPS will challenge UPS for the ground delivery business and affect the sustainability of UPS¡¦s advantage in the ground deliver business. FedEx has been competing well in the higher-end, high-service segment of the package delivery market. Although, digitations of documents and emergence of electronic signatures is threatening the express business which FedEx has the advantage over UPS.

Fred Smith, is the founder CEO of FedEx, the first overnight express delivery company in the world, and the largest in the nation. To really grasp the concepts that he used in the formation and launch of the company, we really should examine the story in his own words. A former Marine Aviation pilot in Vietnam, Smith founded Federal Express. In 1973, the company began offering service to cities, beginning with small packages and documents. The focus was upon developing an integrated air-ground courier system something that had never been done before. What guided Smith more than anything else according to his own words were the leadership qualities that he developed as a Marine officer in Vietnam that have guided his company from the beginning. These principles, plus his days at Yale came together in FedEx. In his philosophy, he tells his managers to rely on their subordinates, delegate and to praise in public for a job

That being said, Federal Express is faced with an uphill task in growing its market share. The target segment in this case is corporates and it is very difficult to get corporates to change buying patterns. It is faced with stiff competition from incumbent Emery Air which currently has the highest recall and also seen as a reliable freight service provider. Additionally, it is trying to market a product that is fairly standardized and does not have many distinguishing features.

In the past there was no thing as overnight express delivery for packages or freight. Then the top 3 competitors in the delivery service industry that held 85% of the market were Airborne Express (AE), United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (FedEx) and, the remaining market share was among six second-tier companies. In the past few years, the express mail businesses had grown extremely fast due to the ability to provide and fulfill overnight shipping accompanied by next-morning delivery services for both individuals and businesses customers. By 1996, this segment of the expedited shipment delivery had grown to a $16-17 billion dollar industry business in the US alone.

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

Ranked 92 out of the 500 largest corporations worldwide, the United States Postal Service reaches billions of customers daily with national and international mail (CNN Money, 2010). The massive amount of business USPS operates necessitates successful implementation of the four functions of management. Two such factors (i.e. planning and organizing) of maintaining business is reaching out worldwide to deliver packages. According to the USPS web site, packages scheduled for international delivery contract with FedEx on a global scale reaching 190 countries (USPS, 2011). The service named Global Express Guaranteed or GXG offers customers options like date certain delivery and track and confirmation information. Contracting with FedEx is a prime example of globalization. An organization such as USPS which is not worldwide fills their customers’ needs by joining forces with an organization that can facilitate delivery all over the globe.

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.”

American Express began as a freight forwarding company in the 1850s, then repositioned as a travel agency, a financial and consulting services company. By recognizing that technology has changed the way people communicate and transact with one another, American Express understands the scope and role of internet technology on the travel market. The corporation turned itself into the booming sector of online services and became an interactive business player in a wide array of services. Today, American Express, known as Amex, is a multi-billion dollar corporation that has reshaped its services and operates more than 1700 travel service locations in over 130 countries across the globe.

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.