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Changing How the World Does Business
Book

Changing How the World Does Business

FedEx's Incredible Journey to Success - The Inside Story

Roger Frock
Berrett-Koehler, 2006

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Background
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

FedEx is more than a household word; it is a household verb replacing the word "delivery" as in, "No worries, we'll FedEx this so they'll have it tomorrow." The story of this colorful company's history and the personalities that brought it to fruition is captivating – filled as it is with cliffhangers, dodged disasters and near failure. In the early days of Federal Express, nothing was a sure thing. Founder Fred Smith and his management team had to elude financial ruin while inventing an entirely new industry. Author and former FedEx general manager Roger Frock fondly recounts the tumultuous early days of the company, although you may wish he had shared more of his insight into the personality of Smith, who remains an elusive unknown. getAbstract recommends this book to those who enjoy rags-to-riches corporate stories or to anyone who relies on FedEx to deliver goods that "absolutely, positively have to be there overnight."

Take-Aways

  • Fred Smith set out to establish an air courier service for transporting federal bonds.
  • When he first introduced the concept of Federal Express in the early '70s, few people believed it could succeed.
  • When the original bond courier plan failed, he started FedEx as a reliable small-package delivery service.

About the Author

Roger Frock joined Federal Express in 1972 as general manager and head of operations, and held many management roles. He is now president and CEO of a consulting company with expertise in supply chain management.

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