FedEx and Access
Expanding Access Through Our Networks
While the benefits and mechanisms of Access are too vast and complex to attribute to any one creator, FedEx is proud to have been the driving force behind many milestones and advances, beginning with overnight express delivery in 1973 from our hub in Memphis. At first connecting 25 U.S. cities — and today, 220 countries — express delivery was a historic breakthrough in Access, collapsing the time and distance between places and connecting people everywhere. Through our expanding networks, anyone shipping a package can now tap into unprecedented speed and worldwide reach.
Shaping the Way the World Connects
FedEx delivers systems and solutions, not just packages. In recent years, we’ve increased Access by moving information in the form of bits as close to its destination as possible before converting it into atoms. For example, when one customer planned to host a leadership seminar in New Delhi, FedEx Kinko’s transferred tons of materials digitally to China, printed them in one day, and shipped them to India the next. With FedEx Office Print Online capability, any individual can do the same — printing documents remotely and having them delivered locally. It’s one major new way FedEx is contributing to greater Access.
Today, thanks in part to the Access provided by the internet and FedEx, it’s possible for a leading electronics company to synchronize its microchip factories in China to the pulse of global demand, flying the finished chips as needed to manufacturing lines in Shanghai, Seoul or Singapore. The chips are bound for laptops and phones that create personal connections in their own right, while the corresponding transformation of China into the world’s factory is expected to lift half a billion people out of poverty by 2020. New FedEx hubs in Guangzhou and Hangzhou will increase the global Access of homegrown Chinese companies and contribute to greater quality of life, while helping companies outside this market to navigate and grow their business here.
Changing What's Possible
For 35 years, FedEx has been dedicated to changing what’s possible and improving life for people everywhere by promoting greater Access. Every day around the world, we see first-hand how Access empowers people to improve their lives, their businesses and their communities. Because we see this power, we have a unique perspective on Access.
We are sharing our insights on this important topic to help others realize the opportunities and benefits associated with Access. One of our first steps was to commission the independent research firm SRI International to undertake the concept of Access. We also publish an annual magazine, Access Review, which focuses on expanding the global dialogue on Access.
How has Access changed what’s possible in your life or your business? We welcome your thoughts: access@fedex.com.
