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Acconting Information Systems

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Submitted By darksapper
Words 1197
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Accounting Information Systems
ACC 210
August 30, 2012
Michael Wells

FedEx Corporation is one of the leading logistics service companies in the world. As its global presence increases and technology becomes more accessible and powerful, FedEx must stay ahead of the curve to keep customers satisfied, and competitors on their toes. In the past 10 years FedEx has made much progress in automating many of their information systems such as invoicing and accounts receivable. They also led the industry in providing online services to their customers, and high-speed mobile devices to their couriers. One of their most notable technological advances was their development of DirectLink. FedEx created DirectLink, a powerful electronic data interchange (EDI) enabling software, to allow customers to download invoices, create reports, export data, and remit payments. Customers can still pay their bills online, over the phone or the traditional way by mailing in payments; however, FedEx encourages customers to sign up for DirectLink because of many advantages it offers (FedEx, n.d.a). DirectLink allows customers to download bills, remit payments online and manage their own account, which is extremely efficient for the customers and the company. For one, electronic invoicing allows FedEx to save money on printing and postage costs. Electronic payments also save time and create less manual work for the company. The AIS validates records and processes payments. With the AIS processing payments, it eliminates the chance of human input error; it also prevents returned check fees. Allowing customers to manage their own account also saves money on call center costs. When customers have questions about their account they can go online and look at their account instead of calling customer service.

FedEx uses software called WebFOCUS. WebFOCUS is a web enabled version of the FOCUS decision-making database from Information Builders. WebFOCUS is a system that allows FedEx intranet and a self-service data warehouse to help company executives make up-to-the minute decisions about where they should locate the service centers and drop boxes that customers use every day. WebFOCUS help the executives plan for better customer services and lower operating costs (FedEx, n.d.b). WebFOCUS is effective because it allows analyst to have direct access to information. WebFOCUS was chosen as the main software for this function because most of the programmers had experience with FOCUS which is programming computer language. Thus they created WebFOCUS to give analysts direct access allowing them to get reports in a matter of seconds rather than in weeks. This allows the analyst to actively manage the location of service centers and drop points as the customer’s population shift and habits change (FedEx, n.d.b). For the business customer, FedEx offers FedEx Ship Manager Software. This software is designed to make a company’s business shipping easier and more efficient. FedEx Ship Manager Software helps businesses effectively track the status of packages and notify their customers of package arrivals. This software also allows a company to monitor its shipping usage with easy to read reports. With this software, FedEx enables a business to integrate shipping data into the company’s ordering database which allows the company to save time, increase productivity, avoid errors and simplify daily tasks. FedEx even offers support through on-screen guides as well as technical assistance (FedEx, n.d.b). FedEx also offers shipping hardware to its customers. FedEx Ship Manager Hardware provides companies with the ability to prepare, ship, and track packages onsite. FedEx Ship Manager Hardware comes with pre-installed FedEx Ship Manager software for domestic and international shipping, the ability to run management reports, export data, save shipping information in an address book, and track packages in real-time. This new hardware will assist companies to improve efficiency, reduce errors, and eliminate paperwork within their shipping departments or mailrooms (FedEx, n.d.b). In 2002 FedEx implemented the use of new wireless handheld devices for their over 40,000 couriers. PowerPad handhelds, manufactured by Motorola, helps to eliminate paperwork done by couriers and save the company an estimated $20 million per year for an initial investment of $150 million. Of the 3.5 million packages delivered by FedEx per day, the PowerPad saves couriers 10 seconds at each stop. It is able to exchange data with FedEx’s back-end systems and their web-based package tracking application (Brewin, 2002). As a leader in global transportation and e-commerce, FedEx has remained on the cutting edge of innovation and technology for preparing, shipping, and tracking packages. As the business has grown so has their need for more bandwidth and processing power. Recently FedEx teamed with Intel to develop Virtual Machine Device Queues and VMware NetQueue. These virtual machines help FedEx to better utilize 10GbE bandwidth, allowing the company to meet its requirements to support demanding data replication and distribution at their data centers (Intel Corporation, 2009). Fedex is famous for its ability to ship and track packages worldwide as they move from one place to another, through their system. However for FedEx, even more important than being able to track shipments, is the ability to track their customers and their personal needs. With the help of their own company laboratory, the FedEx Institute of Technology, they created a system that will enable them to do just that. FedEx is one of the few companies worldwide that counts on support internally and is constantly evaluating their progress and performance to predict where the needs for advancement are, and what actions are needed to be able to implement new technology and make the company more efficient. They recently set a new standard for “going green”, by being more eco-centric and deploying emission friendly hybrid trucks. Beyond that, FedEx is constantly searching for ways to improve their performance and give back to their communities. However, being able to give back to the community is a never ending process. One way FedEx can improve their community service initiative is by creating a program that will enable non-employees to have access to programs that will give back to the community without company representatives having to search for where the need exists. Giving the public access to this information might help bring the economy up as a whole and provide support where it is more needed. FedEx is a leader amongst not only logistics companies but an entire sector of commerce. They consistently develop custom solutions for accounting information systems, hardware and software in general, which has earned FedEx a reputation for being innovative and lucrative in today’s ever changing global economy. For that reason it has become a model for other companies in technological advancement, customer service, and effective accounting solutions.

References

Brewin, B. (2002). FedEx Readies Rollout of Wireless Handheld - Computerworld. ComputerWorld. Retrieved from http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/76299/FedEx_Readies_Rollout_of_Wireless_Handheld
FedEx. (n.d.a). DirectLink - EDI Electronic Data Interchange - DirectLink Technologies. Retrieved from http://fedex.com/us/solutions/directlink.html
FedEx. (n.d.b). Tracking System Information - Tracking Information - FedEx Shipping Tracking. Retrieved from http://fedex.com/us/solutions/shipmanagerhighvol.html
Intel Corporation. (2009). FedEx Moves Data at Full Speed with Virtual Machine Device Queues. Retrieved from http://download.intel.com/support/network/sb/fedexcasestudy1.pdf

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