IS used in FDX

What is information systems:

Information system is defined by different ways but they are all in the same field. Information system is a collection of hardware, software, data, people and procedures that are designed to generate information that supports the day-to-day, short-range, and long-range activities of users in an organization.

Information system is a very wide field that is divided in different types, to fulfill business’s variety of requirements for information, which are: Executive Support Systems, Management Information Systems, Decision Support Systems, Knowledge Management Systems, Transaction Processing Systems, and Office Automation Systems.

· Firstly, the Executive Support Systems ("ESS") is designed to help senior management make strategic decisions. It gathers analyses and summarizes the key internal and external information used in the business.

· Secondly, Management Information Systems ("MIS") is mainly concerned with internal sources of information. MIS usually take data from the transaction processing systems and summarize it into a series of management reports.

· Thirdly, Decision Support Systems ("DSS") are specifically designed to help management make decisions in situations where there is uncertainty about the possible outcomes of those decisions. DSS comprise tools and techniques to help gather relevant information and analyze the options and alternatives. DSS often involves use of complex spreadsheet and databases to create "what-if" models.

· Fourthly, Knowledge Management Systems ("KMS") exist to help businesses create and share information. These are typically used in a business where employees create new knowledge and expertise - which can then be shared by other people in the organization to create further commercial opportunities.

· Fifthly, Transaction Processing Systems ("TPS") are designed to process routine transactions efficiently and accurately.

· Finally Office Automation Systems are systems that try to improve the productivity of employees who need to process data and information.

Information systems used in FedEx

FedEx conducted a very good level of information systems that are helping the company to do its job in an effective way which helps the company in gaining more profits and make the customers more comfortable with their services. Systems, which are used in FedEx, are professional in many ways and levels.

FedEx applying in there company an (ERP) system Enterprise Recourse Planning which is an integrated computer-based application that is used in managing internal and external resources. The main purpose of this system is to control the flow of information between all the business functions inside the organization and manage a stable connection with the outside stakeholders. ERP is built on a centralized database and normally make use of a common computing platform. ERP systems combine all business operations into a standardized and enterprise-wide system environment.

FedEx implemented a tracking service with which the costumers can locate the position of their document at their own convenience. They established the FedEx website in 1994 and then include on it all the means of technologies that help the company to grow more and more. FedEx became the first transportation company with Web site features that allowed customers to generate their own unique bar-coded shipping labels and request couriers to pick up shipments.

One of the information systems that FedEx use in their website’s tools for shipment is FedEx Ship Manager™ Lite. it’s an easy-to-use, simplified online shipping tool which helps you prepare a shipment, get rates and transit times and schedule a pick-up without having to login. All you need is your FedEx account number to get started and you can start shipping right away!

Similarly, FedEx Ship Manager® at fedex.com is another mean of information system for shipment which is the web-based shipping application that allows you to prepare your shipments, find your shipment’s rates and transit times and schedule a pick-up for your shipment through a single online gateway. No need to download software - simply log on to www.fedex.com and select prepare shipment from the Ship tab. That was a simple difference between it and FedEx Ship Manager™ Lite.

Also, FedEx® Ship Manager Software is a free of charge, self-installable software suitable for all shippers. Shippers requiring an integrated system will need support from a FedEx Field Engineer. The unique features of this software are: customization which provides a customized option for customers’ shipping changes, ship alters which notify the customers that the order on its way, and other features. FedEx can also offer hardware to high volume shippers who wish to use FedEx® Ship Manager Software.

Moreover, FedEx’s information systems not only focus in how to make shipments easier for customers, but also they build some technologies and information systems to help the company in being more effective in doing their processes. FedEx start using wireless network technologies which have been the key of their success because of the service that keep customers informed about package whereabouts and employees up to date on information they need to speed package pickup and delivery. FedEx has been exploiting wireless technology since long before most of the customers had ever heard of cell phones or PDAs in the late 1970s and early 1980s. First they used the voice-dispatched networks, later on; they converted those to digital networks. The application that used in running the network is www.fedex.com, which saves costs in dealing with customers and generates new business.

FedEx also provides information system to deal with other businesses which is FedEx Ground Package System, Inc… It provides business-to-business package shipping and ground delivery services. The company was formerly known as Roadway Package System, Inc. and changed its name to FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. in 2000.

In addition, FedEx was successfully started on using the Domestic Customer Invoicing (DCI) System in 1995 which is one of the world's largest client servers imaging and work flow system. The DCI system is designed to scan, recognize, and store images of nearly 1,000,000 air bills each day at FedEx's Memphis headquarters before sent them out to several remote data entry service providers. The data entry providers then convert the images into keyed data used for customer demanding.