MIS
Assignment #1 :Case on FedEx
FedEx provides a convenient way for customers to monitor shipments directly from their own computers .
FedEx
Industry
Shipping Services
Challenges
• Improve access to information
• Enhance user experiences
• Increase customer satisfaction
Solution
• Desktop tracking tool
FedEx is using the Adobe Flash Platform, including Adobe Flex 3 and Adobe AIR, to deliver a persistent desktop presence to help customers better manage daily activities by tracking packages at a glance.
Results
• Delivered same customer experience online and offline
• Enabled easy-to-use, always-on, branded tracking method
• Shared 45% of web tracking code for Adobe AIR application
• Increased development productivity by nearly 50%
Systems At A Glance
• Adobe Flex 2 and Adobe Flex 3
• Adobe AIR
• Platform back end: Java™ Weblogic Server connected to Oracle database
Always-on tracking
FedEx has been an innovation trailblazer since it began operations in 1973 and launched one of the first true corporate web services, fedex.com, in 1994. With a continuous stream of innovations, including online package status tracking, online shipping, mobile services, and other customer-focused conveniences and strategic relationships, fedex.com now hosts more than 15 million unique visitors monthly and handles more than 5 million package-tracking requests daily.
For FedEx innovators, it’s all about access and visibility. Specifically, the fedex.com visibility team is charged with finding new solutions that will help customers better manage day-to-day activities, improve access to information, and deliver fast and easy user experiences. This team is focused on continuously improving the customer experience through new and improved digital channels.
Based on the findings of a commissioned research study that assessed customer satisfaction regarding the access and level of tracking information detail, the visibility team set out to enable FedEx customers to be persistently connected to the brand and interact with information where and when they want, without having to be connected to the web. The development team utilized the Adobe Flash® Platform, including Adobe Flex® and Adobe AIR, to create a rich Internet application (RIA) and shipment visibility channel named FedEx Desktop. This application supports the FedEx goal of moving from a destination to more of a connection.
“When we first saw Adobe AIR, we were confident that it could bring new possibilities to the FedEx customer experience,” says Matt Maher, lead developer of FedEx Desktop. “As a developer, it’s exciting to see such a sophisticated tool on the market. One can see how Adobe AIR could forge a new arrival for Internet collaboration and communication.”
Destination connection at a glance
FedEx can now give customers timely and accurate information regarding the status of FedEx® shipments right from the desktop. Previously, a customer might have spent time looking for information, whether on the web, sifting through e-mails, or calling customer service. With Adobe AIR, the online tracking system is extended beyond the web, pushing information directly to customers via a RIA on their own computers. Users can literally track packages at a glance.
“We expect that individual shippers, consignees, and small businesses will benefit most from the new, easy-to-use Adobe AIR application because they will have immediate access to critical information about their shipping and supply chain activities,” says Aitza Anderson, FedEx product manager.
Because FedEx Desktop is entirely proactive, it can notify customers whenever there is a change to a shipment’s status. The desktop application will continuously monitor the progress of a shipment hands-free until the goods arrive on site. “This will be a great channel for our small business customers,” adds Anderson.
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Integrated development environment
According to Maher, an integrated framework for rapid development of multiplatform applications has finally arrived. “The confluence of Adobe Flex 3 and Adobe AIR enables our customers to live in an online and offline world with equal access,” he says. The reality is that Maher sees an increase in productivity working with Adobe Flex, enforcing the efficacy of a well-constructed, object-oriented development environment.
Maher notes that coding in Adobe Flex 3 moves the development focus from browser-only to a true, multi-windowed environment. “The Adobe Flex 3 capabilities such as a caching mechanism display list and the ability to save memory are just a few of the reasons this application is so attractive.”
Additionally, Maher notes that Flex 3 further improves creating applications for the Adobe Flash Player. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s one of the most important advantages of Adobe Flex 3. Code once and Flex easily lets you run your work in the Flash Player.” He adds that Adobe Flash Player also offers enormous performance leaps, capable of seamlessly accessing huge data sets.
With Adobe solutions underlying increasingly sophisticated, yet simple-to-use channels, FedEx customers will be able to access information faster and more easily in integrated online, offline, and mobile environments.
It’s the FedEx commitment to innovation that propels the development of new products and services that enhance the customer experience. By using the latest technologies, FedEx is delivering on its vision of access: to connect customers with services and information that allow them to fully participate in the local, national, and global marketplace.
Putting customer service first
Headquartered in Kingston, Ontario, Swyrich Corporation is an industryleader in lapel pins, surname histories and Coats of Arms. Customers trustthe company to deliver quality family histories, memorabilia and lapel pinsof all shapes and sizes in good time and good standing. With over 30 yearsexperience, Swyrich prides itself on its professionalism and strives to obtain
and maintain customer loyalty.
Since 1997 the company has evolved intoa Web-based sales company through houseofnames.com and KingPins.net.Dave Richardson, President of Swyrich, decided that the company’s customerservice commitment should evolve right along with the business. That’s
why he chose FedEx Ship Manager API to handle Swyrich’s online shippingneeds. It was the smart solution for the company – and its customers.
One-stop shipping solution
Before FedEx Ship Manager API, Swyrich’s online ordering was error-prone
and billing was irreconcilable. Employees had to manually check all “Ship To”
addresses to ensure they matched the “Sold To” addresses, slowing down
the shipping process. What Swyrich needed was a way to link the customerfacing
order interface to its internal shipping system. Because Dave had
relied on FedEx Ship® for Swyrich’s non-Internet based sales since 1995, the
transition to FedEx Ship Manager API was a natural progression. FedEx Ship
Manager API offered a seamless integration with the company database
and gave both Swyrich and its customers an easy way to order, ship, track
and receive packages so Swyrich could continue to expand its commitment
to reliable customer service.
Dave and his company now have the flexibility of a customizable application,
the reliability of a secure ordering system with built-in error checking, and the
innovation of an integrated solution with a personalized front-end interface.
Dave’s customers get fast, secure service every time. When customers log in,
purchase a product, and choose FedEx as their mode of shipping, Swyrich’s
personalized FedEx Ship Manager API interface opens within the KingPins.net
or houseofnames.com Web sites. Easy-to-use interfaces guide customers
through a series of basic shipping questions – type of delivery, address
to be shipped to, etc. Once the information has been submitted, both the
customer and Swyrich receive an email confirmation with a tracking number
while a FedEx courier is automatically dispatched for pickup and delivery.
FedEx API automatically generates and prints a shipping label. Swyrich staff
then prepare packages and ship customer orders – all in a matter of minutes.
The convenience of handling data electronically has multiple benefits.
The whole shipping process is more efficient because the right information
gets to the right people in real-time. The courier gets pick-up details,
Customs gets the commercial invoice and the package tracking number
is sent to the shipper and receiver. Swyrich and its customers can actually
monitor a shipment’s progress at every point –from ordering to delivery–
through API’s data stream. Swyrich can guarantee customer satisfaction
and give its customers peace of mind.
Convenient invoice history means that reconciling billing has never been
easier: “It used to take hours to reconcile the billings,” recalls Dave.“Now
because all the tracking numbers are in one central spot, it just takes a few
minutes.” Cutting down administrative time to focus more on great service
means that whether Dave sends out 10 or 40 shipments each day, he can
guarantee that his customers will get what they want, when they want
it, every single time.
Control over Web-based business
FedEx Ship Manager API gives companies complete control over the shipping
process from start to finish and makes online ordering and shipping easier than
ever before. For Dave, finding one solution to meet all his online challenges
has helped Swyrich prove its steadfast commitment to customer satisfaction
and gives the company a greater edge over the competition. Swyrich not
only builds a superior product, but has also built customer loyalty.
Shipping Process
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