Airborne Express case study Essay Example for Free

Airborne Express case study Essay Airborne Express, an air express transportation company has succeeded to compete with a few big competitors such as Federal Express and United Parcel Service (UPS) even it does not have funding as much as its competitors. In 1996, it held third position in the industry with 9 percent of the market. Even Airborne is smaller size company compared to its main competitors, it still can survive with the competitive advantage through its resources and capabilities. With some unique resources and core competences, a company may have competitive advantage over its competitors, and this is the way small capital company able to compete with its competitors. Airborne Express is the first and only air express transportation company that owns an airport. Because of the limited control, Airborne has purchased an airline at Wilmington in 1980. Since then, the airport became the hub of the company, and all the operations of the company were conducted here. It is also the biggest privately owned airport in United States. With the ownership of the airport, Airborne is able to control the operations more easily. Besides that, Airborne does not need to pay for any landing or service fees to the airlines company like its competitors. Comparably, Federal Express and UPS own the planes but still need to lease the airport from other party. It helps Airborne to save a lot of costs. Apart from that, Wilmington airport is one of the strategic airports in United States. It means that the place is having a well weather record. For express air transportation industry, weather is a big factor that can affect the daily business operation. If the weather is bad, the shipments will not be sent to the final destination at the promised time. Time is the promise to the customers and it does affect the confidence of a companys customers. Besides airlines, Airborne also has a complete system of ground transportation. With the establishment of trucking hubs in some places, Airborne able to deliver the shipment that near to the hub using the ground transport. Almost 25 percent of the companys domestic volume is dealt with ground transport. However, the cost of service by ground transport is not transparent to the customers who assume that the packages are flown. Thus, the charge is same with the air-transported goods. Compare to air transport, ground transportation costs five times lower. From here, the profit margin  has been increased. In the other way, the company also can offer lower price for ground transportation packages. Instead of making more profit, the company can utilize the low cost benefit to compete with its competitors. In 1996, Airborne Express owned a fleet of 105 aircraft. To keep the capital expenditure down, Airborne has purchased only used planes. The planes will be modified to suit its specification for air express transportation. The cost of purchase and modification is $30million lower than purchasing a new plane. Compare to other companies, a big amount of money is being saved by Airborne. Further more, Airbornes DC-9 and YS-11 aircraft require only two person cockpit crew compared to normal three person crews required in Federal Express and UPS. Labour cost has been saved again. Airborne also have its own maintenance facility in Wilmington. It is the only all-cargo carrier to do so. It can handle most if the maintenance works except major engine repairs. It was estimate that the labour costs of $16 per hour is $49 lesser than the subcontracted labour cost. It was a major source of annual cost savings. Instead of serving all kinds of customers, Airborne decided to focus on serving the needs of high volume corporate accounts. It is because the severe competition and the cost of serving small customers. The company is able to establish scheduled pickup routes and use it as ground capacity more efficiently. Due to this factor, the unit cost structure has been reduced. According to the Airborne executives, their unit cost is $3 lower than its main competitor, Federal Express. Besides that, because of the different consumer behaviors between different groups, the focusing of the service is one of the ways to win a part of market in severe competition. By matching the needs of the groups, the company will have a better chance to win the customers than its competitors. Another aspects that Airborne get competitive advantage is the creation of the only privately certified Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) in United States at its Wilmington hub. In a FTZ, merchandise is tax-free and no customs duty is paid until it leaves. It is a big attraction to the foreign companies. The companies can keep their inventories in Wilmington hub, and the inventories  will be delivered to the destination by Airborne when needed. The local companies that implement Just-In-Time policy will prefer the service very much. It is because the inventories cost will bear by the suppliers that keep inventories in Airborne hub. For foreign companies, not only can satisfy the needs of local customers, but also can save the cost of tax and duty paid. The FTZ is a good factor that will help Airborne to set foot into the international market. However, because of the capital constraint, Airborne still unable to compete with Federal Express and UPS in the international market. Normally, large sizes A-containers are used in the air cargo business. Around $1million per plane is required to install cargo doors to take A-containers. To solve the problem, Airborne has developed C-containers that are six times smaller, and can fit through the passenger doors of the aircraft. The equipment to load the C-containers also about 80 percent less expensive than the equipment needed for A-containers. The shape of C-containers also designed to allow maximum utilisation of the plane space. To prevent other competitors copy the design, Airborne has taken out the patent on the C-containers. Therefore, C-containers seem to be the speciality of Airborne Express. It helps the company to save a lot of costs. It is a long term cost savings because it involves in daily operation. Therefore, it also a long term competitive advantage over the other competitors. Apart from that, through its subsidiary company, Advanced Logistics Services Corp., Airborne is promoting a range of third-party logistics service. It provides customers with the ability to maintain inventories in a 1 million square foot stock exchange facility located in Wilmington hub. The customers can choose to manage the inventories themselves or subcontract to Airborne. In stock exchange service, third party will involve in the instruction for movement of the inventories. It easier the process of the movement of inventories, and also help the customers to minimise inventory holding costs. Airborne is the first and only air express transportation company that provide this unique service. It actually involves a complex system. Therefore, knowledge or human resource is very important in order to develop the system. Since it is the only company, customers who interested  with the stock exchange service will come to Airborne. The unique competence gives Airborne a competitive advantage. Science and technology is developing rapidly in the world. Information system becomes more and more important in the business world. The more developed system a company has, the more competitive advantage it gets. Airborne uses three information systems to help in its daily operation. LIBRA II system is a metering device and computer software that easier the transaction between Airborne and customers. It also lowers Airbornes operating costs. FOCUS is the main system provided by Airborne and it benefits customers the most. It is a worldwide tracking system that help the customers to track the location their package through Internet link. It increases the companys reliability and service quality. With the trust on the company, customers will be more confident to give the job. The third system is the Customer Linkage electronic data interchange program. It eliminates repetitive data entry and paperwork by the customers. It also a system that created purposely to benefit its customers. The company also benefits from lowering the costs by eliminating manual data entry. From all the resources and capabilities mentioned above, we could realise that most of the competitive advantages Airborne has over its competitors is through costs reduction. According to Porters Generic Strategies Model, Airborne is actually implemented a cost-focus strategy to get the competitive advantage. Because of the lesser capital, Airborne is unable to compete with the giant of the industry, such as Federal Express and UPS. If Airborne can be the cost leader in the industry, it can give a severe competition to the competitors. Besides that, the unique resources such as C-containers and Foreign Trade Zone are also giving core competences to the company. In conclusion, facing the competition from competitors that have powerful funding, Airborne not only can survive, but also get a strong position in the air express transportation industry. A correct and suitable strategy adopted by a company can change the company position. A company, which can fully and smartly utilise its resources and capabilities, it can have  competitive advantage over the other competitors and it really benefits the company a lot.

The Code of Chivalry Essay -- The Lay of the Nibelungs

The epic poem, â€Å"The Lay of the Nibelungs† (1200’s), set to practice the major pillars in the code of chivalry that the Duke of Burgundy in the 14th century eventually condensed and ascribed to the Burgundian Knights: Faith, Charity, Justice, Sagacity, Prudence, Temperance, Resolution, Truth, Liberality, Diligence, Hope, and Valor. Though values bear merit, â€Å"The Lay of the Nibelungs† teaches that true worth and longevity comes from assessing the situation and applying intellect to the code, from submitting to God, and from not cheating the system (the laws and cultural norms of the time that be). A man only bears value based upon his actions or the potential for him to act in a certain manner. However, if an action contradicts that man’s beliefs, then no longer can he be said to possess such ideals. Sivrit embodies the code both through his actions and his beliefs, yet he is still human and thus has shortcomings. Sivrit faulted initially when he came to Burgundy and was clear as to his intentions stating to King Gunther upon his arrival: â€Å"In my father’s land I was told that alongside you here are the boldest warriors that a king ever gained— I’d gladly learn if this is true! I’ve heard a great deal about this. That is why I have come here.† (Anonymous, 14) At this lie or at the very least his hiding the truth of his interest in Kriemhild from Gunther, Sivrit broke an important declaration of the code, which states to all times speak the truth. However, from then onward Sivrit is the noble vassal, who serves his king, and who fig hts for the welfare of all those around him. â€Å"Let that be of little concern to you and rest easy. Do as I ask: let me win honor and gain for you, and ask your knights to come to you aid also. [†¦] I wou... ... Therefore, Hagen reason for killing Sivrit similar to the very modern United States currency can be viewed to have no meaning, they are both merely there as place holders, ideas never fully developed, bubble gum on the bottom of your shoe. And that notion that there might not be any meaning to the text is a troubling scenario for a literary analyst. One reason could be that the book is too short, not lengthwise for it is as long as any short novella at present, but developmentally. The characters come and go, are introduced and killed off, begin to play a crucial role and then disappear. And as for Hagen, who though he stuck around till the very end, at times acted against the Jungian archetype he was written to depict – that of a loyal warrior vassal loyal and submissive— which is problematic only because the author never gave reasons to support Hagen’s actions.

How Does Bronte Make You Feel Sympathy For Jane Eyre? Essay

This story is written in a first person narrative, so it helps us sympathize with Jane as you share her thoughts and feelings. Jane was an orphan. Her maternal uncle looked after her, but later died. She then lives with her Aunt Mrs. Reed and her three cousins. (Mrs. Reed is Jane’s uncle’s widow.) There is a lack of relationship in the family in which she now lives in. Mrs. Reed made a promise, on Jane’s’ uncles’ deathbed that she would look after Jane, but because they weren’t maternally related there was no love and warmth from them. Bronte first makes you sympathize for Jane as she is sent to the Red Room, where her maternal uncle died, as a punishment, for retaliating to John, as he hit her. Despite her injury, her aunt has no sympathy for Jane. All the blame gets put on Jane and her cousin John gets away unpunished. This shows favoritism making you sympathize with Jane as she is bullied and blamed. Jane is a young girl, terrified by the Red Room, because of the death of her uncle; † I resisted all the way.† This shows that Jane does not want to go there and will do anything not to go there, as she acts out of character, by kicking and screaming. This makes you sympathize for Jane as I seems as if she is being tortured and punished for a mild offence. She also makes you sympathize with Jane as she has to call her cousin â€Å"Master,† and she is described as † Less than a servant.† This shows that Jane has no status in the house and is not respected or loved by anyone in there making you feel sorry for her as she is only a little girl. Miss Abbott is the head servant of the house. She talks about Jane in her face, as if she is not there, â€Å"She is an underhand little thing.† This is degrading Jane, calling her sly and showing no compassion for her what so ever. This again shows Jane has no status in the house as she is being described as a â€Å"Thing† by a servant, making us sympathize for her. Bessie on the other hand, who is also a servant, tries to sympathize with Jane, and sticks up for her, but, she still treats Jane as a low status person. † If you don’t sit still, you will have to be tied down.† Although she is only warning Jane of the consequences, she is treating her like an animal, â€Å"Tied down.†

Analysis Of Hamlet s Hamlet - 1547 Words

Hamlet’s Hamartia Shakespeare s longest play is Hamlet, which takes place in the Kingdom of Denmark. Hamlet is a tragic tale about the Prince of Denmark and is a drama about revenge. Prince Hamlet is visited by his father’s ghost who demands he kill his uncle, Claudius, after Claudius killed Hamlet’s father. Yet despite being â€Å"†¦ the son of a dear father murdered, prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,† Hamlet delays enacting vengeance on Claudius (II,2,584-585). This delay ultimately leads to Ophelia’s madness and the death of several other characters, including Hamlet himself. Hamlet’s hamartia, or fatal flaw, which leads him to delay in enacting revenge, can be characterized by fate, hubris and indecision. This indecisiveness occurs because old Hamlet’s demand puts Hamlet in a difficult situation, where he has to choose between seeking revenge on behalf of his father, and knowing that this revenge will most likel y lead him to hell. He knows that he must kill his father’s murderer, but he has moral and religious issues with this since it is wrong to kill someone. This play shows Hamlet being forced into a role that is impossible for him to complete because of his conscience. Hamlet’s first fatal flaw is that of fate; Hamlet makes decisions and critical mistakes which seal his fate. This happens due to his personal character flaws because they influence his self-destructive decisions. For example, when he says, Oh cursed spite that ever I was bornShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Hamlet s Hamlet 1265 Words   |  6 PagesHow far would a man, who is a still a child at heart, go to avenge the death of his father? Hamlet, who is the son of the recently deceased King, engages in a quest to avenge his father, who was murder by the man who is now in his place, and married to the queen. Hamlet tries to develop a plan to kill King Claudius, but only time is stopping him. Time inevitabl y leads toward expiration of a human life. Hamlet shows a great concern for time and its effects, which was brought upon a death that contributedRead MoreAnalysis Of Hamlet s Hamlet 964 Words   |  4 Pages Hamlet personal response Isolation. An eerie dread, a detachment, an unwelcome independence. A feeling that everyone expects to feel at some point, yet are never prepared for. Why? Why do we accept that we’ll feel isolated if we aren’t going to be prepared when the feeling actually hits us? Maybe because despite it being a common emotion, it’s not one brought about naturally. Hamlet, for example, didn’t begin to feel isolated from those around him until the tragic death of his king. After whichRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 959 Words   |  4 Pagesnot to â€Å"x† (An analysis of Hamlet s Soliloquy To Be or Not to Be) There are many outstanding stories that have been written by the one and only William Shakespeare, in which a soliloquy of a character is very compelling. The play Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a story in which a man kills his own brother and then marries the wife of his brother and takes the throne while he is at it. There are many secrets and no one knows that the original king was killed by his brother. Hamlet is then told byRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 1061 Words   |  5 PagesKylie Kwiatt Jaime Jordan Reading Shakespeare October 29, 2014 Hamlet through Feminist Lens In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the character of Ophelia may be looked at and analyzed through a Feminist perspective. By using a Feminist lens, readers may observe the impact of patriarchal society and misogyny on the mind of a young lady doing her best to fit into the role of a Shakespearian-era woman. Women were expected to be virginal, yet sexual, subservient and inferior to men, and possessionsRead MoreAnalysis Of William Shakespeare s The Of Hamlet 953 Words   |  4 Pagesspeculation on the cause(s) of Hamlet’s delay. The majority of those advancing their disparate theories should nonetheless be able to agree on one common conclusion: whatever the cause or causes may be for delaying the justice that is Denmark’s due, the results of that delay lead to a disastrous failure by Hamlet. He finds himself banished and bewildered on the cold sea shore. (THESIS) This essay will support a proposal by Harley Granville Barker in his â€Å"Preface To Hamlet,à ¢â‚¬  that suggests this momentRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 1021 Words   |  5 Pages Ochoa1 Daniela Ochoa English Mrs. Levine 19 April 2016 Women’s Roles in Hamlet â€Å"There’s a remarkable amount of sexism on TV. When male characters are flawed, they’re interesting, deep and complex, but when women characters are flawed, they’re just a mess.† Ellen Pompeo. In â€Å"Hamlet† Ophelia and Gertrude are the only females mentioned throughout the Shakespeare’s tragic play. The two women are unappreciated and are consideredRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 886 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"The play’s the thing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hamlet 2.2 .581) The meta-theatrical play The Mousetrap is central to Hamlet. The play-within-a play is a catalyst to the plot and works to illuminate character. This essay will argue that the scene places Hamlet into the role of a playwright who employs theatrical conventions in order to manipulate his audience rather than entertain. Hamlet transforms The Mousetrap play into an accusatory analogy of King Claudius. This scene also largely contrasts the playwright ShakespeareRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 1650 Words   |  7 Pages Duplication and repetition in Hamlet create an effect in which the core foundations of the play are reiterated and given greater attention as to resonate with the audience. Each of these duplications are binary oppositions that showcase a similar situation with opposite processes or results-- ultimately the majority of these duplications are reverberations of death in scenes that show Hamlet trying to be a hero but ending up being a villain. There are two acti ons in the play that are duplicatedRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 1510 Words   |  7 Pagesthey would respond to such an event. Shakespeare s play Hamlet focuses on the concept of grief and the incredible power it has to change the way a person acts. After the death of his father, Hamlet’s character is often thought to have entered a state of madness; however, many fail to see that Hamlet has feigned this madness to seek revenge on those who have wronged his father and as a way to cope with his overwhelming sadness. The actions Hamlet takes and the persona that he presents adds an additionalRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 1282 Words   |  6 PagesDuring this part of Hamlet, the King has just witnessed Hamlet’s play and concluded that his murderous actions are no longer a secret. Now that there are possible consequences, King Claudius feels regret for his actions and wants to be forgiven. However, he still wants to keep his prizes of being ki ng and marrying the queen, therefore he tries to pray to be forgiven and later on devises a plan to get rid of Hamlet. James Burgh wrote the elocution manual The Art of Speaking to inform the youth of