Global logistics: A study of restructuring in the international air express sector and its role in the distribution strategies of firms.

摘要

This thesis examines the changes that have occurred amongst a small group of global courier companies that dominate the air express sector. The focus of the paper is on their increasing logistics capability, and its implications for how firms sustain and organize their production and distribution systems. The research traces the growth of multinational corporations such as DHL Worldwide Express, Federal Express, TNT Express Worldwide and United Parcel Service from their introduction of air express services in the 1970s to their achievement of 'integrated carrier' status in the 1980s through substantial investments in flexible networks of facilities, aircraft/vehicles, information systems and distribution technology.;On the strength of evidence obtained from interviews with numerous managers as well as corporate, industry reports and publications, the paper shows that heavy/bulk freight transportation, third party warehousing, and dedicated contract fulfillment services now coincide with core document and small parcel delivery offerings in the air express sector. A number of shippers of high-value, low weight products claim that these services have offered significant reductions in delivery and distribution costs. By drawing on examples from the semiconductor, personal computer and retail industries, the conclusion is drawn that the integrated carrier's increasing share of the world air cargo and transportation industry is as much a function of changes in the management of logistics as it is of the competitive environment of the air express sector itself. Moreover, the trend in the operation of manufacturers' and retailers' customized logistics systems by integrated air express carriers is likely to increase in coming years, affecting the locational structure of a number of industries. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).