Airborne Express Harvard Business case Essay

Air Canada has been in the business of air transport for an extended period of time. Due to the experience and the exposure of the carrier in the field, it has made a commendable progress through many strategies as well as customer proximity. One of the approaches taken by the airline involves the identification as well as an implementation of cost reduction initiatives in a bid to increase revenue from its operations (Air Canada, 2016). It is also attempting to connect with the existing carriers across the world to connect the current customers to the international world. This approach has been adopted to increase its competitive advantage over other existing airlines.

Although Airborne does not get the publicity that FedEx and UPS get, they have managed to remain the third largest player in the express mail industry. One unique aspect that has helped Airborne maintain a leading position in the industry is their ownership of an airport, which serves as their major hub. This is a huge advantage because they have complete control over the timing of each shipment and what comes in and out of the airport. Airborne also purchases and modifies used

r market by entering into strategic code-sharing agreements with international carriers, such as Cathay Pacific , and American Airlines

Airborne’s customers were concentrated in major metropolitan areas. 80% to 85% of its volume was shipped among the top 50 metropolitan areas, while it was below 60% for FedEx and UPS. It could also use trucks (one-third of transportation cost of aircraft) more often than its competitors as a greater portion of Airborne’s volume consisted of afternoon and second-day deliveries.

One of the key decisions of Airborne Express was to target regularly shipping business customers and purposely passing over residential deliveries and infrequent shippers. Ray Berry, vice president of Field Services Administration, commented this selection of customers: “ Since we can’t be all things to all people, we pick our kind of customer deliberately.” And it

Air transportation is, increasingly, becoming the preferred mode for the shipment of high-value, lightweight and perishable goods due to lower shipping costs and more frequent service. In the air cargo industry, UPS competes with many different carriers on a local, regional, national and international basis. Their primary competitors include the United States Postal Service (USPS), other national postal services, and various motor carriers, express companies, freight forwarders, and air couriers such as Federal Express (FedEx), DHL, Emirates SkyCargo, Korean Air Cargo, Cathay Pacific Cargo, and Lufthansa Cargo. Other areas of competition include the use of mail substitutes (e.g.,

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.

This analysis investigates the management policies of the two primary competitors of the Air Delivery & Freight Services industry. I use ratio analysis to peek under the covers of profitability to understand how management, investment and financial management activities impact the overall performance of FedEx and UPS and study how the ratios change over time for FedEx.

In a highly competitive industry the structure of a firm is very important to its success. Today firms are moving away from the centralized structure of the past, and adopting a more decentralized structure (Management Challenges in the 21st Century p 315). The air express industry is no exception. FedEx, the leader in the air express industry since the late eighties, is also leading U.P.S. in the race to become decentralized. Airborne Express is not even in the race. In order to compete in today's changing environment, Airborne Express needs to move away from its old fashioned centralized structure and form a more decentralized structure. The old fashioned structure is not the only variable that makes Airborne the follower in the

How have the changes affected small competitors? How has Airborne survived, and recently prospered, in its industry? Quantify Airborne’s sources of advantage. As the note on “Creating Competitive Advantage” (HBS 798-062) discusses, it is often useful to analyze a company’s cost position relative to its rivals and to examine the willingness of customers to pay for the company’s products relative to competitors’. The case allows you to analyze the relative costs of Airborne Express in detail. Specifically, compare the costs of an overnight letter shipped by Airborne Express to one shipped by Federal Express. The case does not allow you to compare willingness to pay across companies more than qualitatively, but it does permit you to examine relative prices. To examine relative costs, start with the cost structure of a Federal Express overnight letter, given in Exhibit 3. Using information in the case and your understanding of what influences each cost item, estimate each of the items for Airborne Express. 4. What must Robert Brazier, Airborne’s President and COO, do in order to strengthen the company's position? 3

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.

Fourthly, The Airborne maintained low prices, provided tailored services and achieved higher efficiencies and lower cost in order to long run and remain competitive in the market. So, Airborne targeted business customers who shipped frequently and was able to better serve them through repetition and experience including using customization codes to provide tailored service to specific large business accounts. Moreover, Airborne had a high concentration of customers in metropolitan area and a high percentage of afternoon and second day deliveries, permitting it to use ground shipping more often than its competitors and save up to two-thirds the cost of air shipping (Exhibit 8). Finally, Airborne had total control of its airport hub, which is design as per the needs and expand to enclose warehouse space for its business customers. Furthermore, Airborne achieved greater efficiency in its shipping by utilizing 80% of shipping space therefore; Airborne lowered cost not having retail service centers, using independent contractor van services and it was more efficient by picking up and delivering more parcels per stop than FedEx. Hence, Airborne becomes a stronger competitor in the market due to low prices and provided excellent service to the customers.

In this case, a good model of business ethics would include the plus model of decision-making. According to the model, it is

What was Airborne’s long term strategy to address low willingness to pay among its target customers?

United Parcel Service, a logistics company has established itself through its strong corporate culture, continuous ability to innovate, and its far-reaching global network. The company has maintained a competitive advantage over the years by implementing continuous growth strategies—the first was geographic expansion, next the early adaptation of electronic tracking technologies, and then came a series of acquisitions. Although UPS is financially strong and is able to maintain its role in the courier and delivery industry—it is vital that UPS continue to act strategically as to strive for long-term success. UPS is heavily dependent on the U.S. economy and it is important that it find greater and more profitable ventures