This article is excerpted from E-Volve-or-Die.com: Thriving in the Internet Age Through E-Commerce Management, by Mitchell Levy (New Riders Publishing, 2000, ISBN 0-7357-1028-7). www.ups.com
History of Transformation
UPS has been in the package delivery business for 95 years, providing services to businesses and consumers worldwide in more than 200 countries. In 1994, UPS began to investigate the potential of e-commerce and started an internal group focused on enabling e-commerce. UPS redefined its core business and found ways to change its structure and processes, forming new businesses to take advantage of new opportunities.
Products and Services
UPS is in the transportation industry. They move goods, information, and funds between individuals and companies. Their operations provide delivery by land and by air, and they offer services at customer shipping centers, as well as online through UPS.com. They operate in more than 200 countries worldwide, do business in 15 different languages and dialects, and deliver an average of 13.2 million packages per day.
Catalyst for Change
UPS was interested in finding ways to leverage their extensive infrastructure and expertise in basic transportation of goods, services, and information. They wanted to enter new markets and continue to grow. They also wanted to undergo a more fundamental change—to transform their company into an enabler of global commerce.
Vision and Strategy
In 1991, the company 's vision was to be "the leading package delivery company." They were able to grow significantly toward that goal, but they weren 't satisfied with just that. They wanted a larger challenge for the company. In 1999, they changed their vision statement to "the enablers of global e-commerce." It was at this time that their company purpose (vision), mission, and strategies were redefined as follows: • Purpose (why they are in business): To enable