the.world.is.flat-第37节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


is　the　key　to　the　math。〃　The　sixty…person　UPS　team　in　Timonium　is　made　up　largely　
of　people　with　engineering　and　math　degrees；　including　several　Ph。D。's。　
UPS　also　employs　its　own　meteorologists　and　strategic　threat　analysts　to　track　which　
atmospheric　or　geopolitical　thunderstorms　it　will　have　to　work　around　on　any　given　
day。　To　further　grease　its　supply　chains；　UPS　is　the　largest　private　user　of　wireless　
technology　in　the　world；　as　its　drivers　alone　make　over　1　million　phone　calls　a　day　
in　the　process　ofpicking　up　and　delivering　packages　through　its　eighty…eight　thousand　
package　cars；　vans；　tractors；　and　motorcycles。　On　any　given　day；　according　to　UPS；　
2　percent　of　the　world's　GDP　can　be　found　in　UPS　delivery　trucks　or　package　cars。　
Oh；　and　did　I　mention　that　UPS　also　has　a　financing　

arm…UPS　Capital…that　will　put　up　the　money　for　the　transformation　of　your　supply　chain；　
particularly　if　you　are　a　small　business　and　don't　have　the　capital。　
For　example；　notes　Eskew；　UPS　was　doing　business　with　a　small　biotech　company　in　Canada　
that　sold　blood　adhesives；　a　highly　perishable　alternative　to　stitches。　The　company　
had　a　growing　market　among　the　major　hospital　chains；　but　it　had　a　problem　keeping　
up　with　demand　and　could　not　get　financing。　It　had　distribution　centers　on　the　East　
and　West　coasts。　UPS　redesigned　the　company's　system　based　around　a　refrigerator　hub　
in　Dallas　and　extended　it　financing　through　UPS　Capital。　The　result；　said　Eskew；　was　
less　inventory；　better　cash　flow；　better　customer　service…and　an　embedded　customer　
for　UPS。　A　maker　of　bridal　headpieces　and　veils　in　Montreal　wanted　to　improve　its　
flow　of　business　with　the　U。S。　Eskew　recalled；　〃We　designed　a　system　for　consolidated　
＇customs＇　clearances；　so　their　veils　and　headpieces　would　not　have　to　come　over　＇the　
border＇　one　by　one。　And　then　we　put　＇the　merchandise＇　in　a　warehouse　in　＇upstate＇　
New　York。　We　took　the　orders　by　Internet；　we　put　the　labels　on；　we　delivered　the　
packages　and　collected　the　money；　and　we　put　that　money　through　UPS　Capital　into　their　
banks　electronically　so　they　had　the　cash　back。　That　allows　them　to　enter　new　markets　


and　minimize　their　inventory。〃　
Eskew　explained；　〃When　our　grandfathers　owned　shops；　inventory　was　what　was　in　the　
back　room。　Now　it　is　a　box　two　hours　away　on　a　package　car；　or　it　might　be　hundreds　
more　crossing　the　country　by　rail　or　jet；　and　you　have　thousands　more　crossing　the　
ocean。　And　because　we　all　have　visibility　into　that　supply　chain；　we　can　coordinate　
all　those　modes　of　transportation。〃　
Indeed；　as　consumers　have　become　more　empowered　to　pull　their　own　products　via　the　
Internet　and　customize　them　for　themselves；　UPS　has　found　itself　in　the　interesting　
position　of　being　not　only　the　company　actually　taking　the　orders　but　also；　as　the　
delivery　service；　the　one　handingthe　goodsto　the　buyer　at　the　front　door。　As　a　result；　
companies　said；　〃Let's　try　to　push　as　many　differentiating　things　to　the　end　of　the　
supply　chain；　rather　than　the　beginning。〃　And　because　UPS　was　the　last　link　in　the　
supply　chain　before　these　goods　were　loaded　onto　planes；　trains；　and　

trucks；　it　took　over　many　of　these　functions；　creating　a　whole　new　business　called　
End　of　Runway　Services。　The　day　I　visited　Louisville；　two　young　UPS　women　were　putting　
together　Nikon　cameras；　with　special　memory　cards　and　leather　cases；　which　some　store　
had　offered　as　a　weekend　special。　They　were　even　putting　them　in　special　boxes　just　
for　that　store。　By　taking　over　this　function；　UPS　gives　companies　more　options　to　
customize　products　at　the　last　minute。　
UPS　has　also　taken　full　advantage　of　the　Netscape　and　work　flow　flat…teners。　Before　
1995；　all　tracking　and　tracing　of　UPS　packages　for　customers　was　done　through　a　call　
center。　You　called　a　UPS　800　number　and　asked　an　operator　where　your　package　was。　
During　the　week　before　Christmas；　UPS　operators　were　fielding　six　hundred　thousand　
calls　on　the　peak　days。　Each　one　of　those　calls　cost　UPS　2。10　to　handle。　Then；　through　
the　1990s；　as　more　and　more　UPS　customers　became　empowered　and　comfortable　with　the　
Internet；　and　as　its　own　tracking　and　tracing　system　improved　with　advances　in　
wireless　technology；　UPS　invited　its　customers　to　track　packages　themselves　over　the　
Internet；　at　a　cost　to　UPS　of　between　5（2　and　100　a　query。　
〃So　we　dramatically　reduced　our　service　costs　and　increased　service；〃　said　UPS　vice　
president　Ken　Sternad；　especially　since　UPS　now　pulls　in　7　million　tracking　requests　
on　an　average　day　and　a　staggering　12　million　on　peak　days。　At　the　same　time；　its　
drivers　also　became　more　empowered　with　their　DIADs　…driver　delivery　information　
acquisition　devices。　These　are　the　brown　electronic　clipboards　that　you　always　see　
the　UPS　drivers　carrying　around。　The　latest　generation　of　them　tells　each　driver　where　
in　his　truck　to　load　each　package…exactly　what　position　on　the　shelf。　It　also　tells　
him　where　his　next　stop　is；　and　if　he　goes　to　the　wrong　address；　the　GPS　system　built　
into　the　DIAD　won't　allow　him　to　deliver　the　package。　It　also　allows　Mom　to　go　online　
and　find　out　when　the　driver　will　be　in　her　neighborhood　dropping　off　her　package。　
Insourcing　is　distinct　from　supply…chaining　because　it　goes　well　beyond　supply…chain　
management。　Because　it　is　third…party…managed　logistics；　it　requires　a　much　more　
intimate　and　extensive　kind　of　collaboration　among　UPS　and　its　clients　and　its　
clients'　clients。　In　many　cases　today；　UPS　and　its　employees　are　so　deep　inside　their　
clients'　infrastruc


150　
ture　that　it　is　almost　impossible　to　determine　where　one　stops　and　the　other　starts。　
The　UPS　people　are　not　just　synchronizing　your　packages…they　are　synchronizing　your　
whole　company　and　its　interaction　with　both　customers　and　suppliers。　
〃This　is　no　longer　a　vendor…customer　relationship；〃　said　Eskew。　〃We　answer　your　phones；　
we　talk　to　your　customers；　we　house　your　inventory；　and　we　tell　you　what　sells　and　
doesn't　sell。　We　have　access　to　your　information　and　you　have　to　trust　us。　We　manage　
competitors；　and　the　only　way　for　this　to　work；　as　our　founders　told　Gimbel's　and　
Macy's；　is　'trust　us。'　I　won't　violate　that。　Because　we　are　asking　people　to　let　go　
of　part　of　their　business；　and　that　really　requires　trust。〃　
UPS　is　creating　enabling　platforms　for　anyone　to　take　his　or　her　business　global　or　
to　vastly　improve　the　efficiency　of　his　or　her　global　supply　chain。　It　is　a　totally　
new　business；　but　UPS　is　convinced　it　has　an　almost　limitless　upside。　Time　will　tell。　
Though　margins　are　still　thin　in　this　kind　of　work；　in　2003　alone　insourcing　pulled　
in　2。4　billion　in　revenues　for　UPS。　My　gut　tells　me　the　folks　in　the　funny　brown　
shorts　and　funny　brown　trucks　are　on　to　something　big…something　made　possible　only　
by　the　flattening　of　the　world　and　something　that　is　going　to　flatten　it　a　lot　more。　
Flattener　#9　In…forming　
Google；　Yahoo！；　MSN　Web　Search　
My　friend　and　I　met　a　guy　at　a　restaurant。　My　friend　was　very　taken　with　him；　but　
I　was　suspiciously　curious　about　this　guy。　After　a　few　minutes　of　Googling；　I　found　
out　that　he　was　arrested　for　felony　assault。　Although　I　was　once　again　disappointed　
with　the　quality　of　the　dating　pool；　I　was　at　least　able　to　warn　my　friend　about　this　
guy's　violent　past。　…Testimonial　from　Google　user　
151　
I　am　completely　delighted　with　the　translation　service。　My　partner　arranged　for　two　
laborers　to　come　and　help　with　some　demolition。　There　was　a　miscommunication：　she　
asked　for　the　workers　to　come　at　11　am；　and　the　labor　service　sent　them　at　8：30。　They　
speak　only　Spanish；　and　I　speak　English　and　some　French。　Our　Hispanic　neighbors　were　
out。　With　the　help　of　the　translation　service；　I　was　able　to　communicate　with　the　
workers；　to　apologize　for　the　miscommunication；　establish　the　expectation；　and　ask　
them　to　come　back　at　11。　Thank　you　for　providing　this　connection　。　。　。　Thank　you　Google。　
…Testimonial　from　Google　user　
I　just　want　to　thank　Google　for　teaching　me　how　to　find　love。　While　looking　for　my　
estranged　brother；　I　stumbled　across　a　Mexican　Web　site　for　male　strippers…and　I　was　
shocked。　My　brother　was　working　as　a　male　prostitute！　The　first　chance　I　got；　I　flew　
to　the　city　he　was　working　in　to　liberate　him　from　this　degrading　profession。　I　went　
to　the　club　he　was　working　at　and　found　my　brother。　But　more　than　that；　I　met　one　
of　his　co…workers　。　。　。　We　got　married　last　weekend　＇in　Mexico＇；　and　I　am　positive　
without　Google's　services；　I　never　would　have　found　my　brother；　my　husband；　or　the　
surprisingly　lucrative　nature　of　the　male　stripping　industry　in　Mexico！！　Thank　you；　
Google！　
…Testimonial　from　Google　user　
Google　headquarters　in　Mountain　View；　California；　has　a　certain　Epcot　Cen　


ter　feel　to　it…so　many　fun　space　age　toys　to　play　with；　so　little　time。　In　one　corner　
is　a　spinning　globe　that　emits　light　beams　based　on　the　volume　of　people　searching　
on　Google。　As　you　would　expect；　most　of　the　shafts　of　light　are　shooting　up　from　North　
America；　Europe；　Korea；　Japan；　and　coastal　China。　The　Middle　East　and　Africa　remain　
pretty　dark。　In　another　corner　is　a　screen　that　shows　a　sample　of　what　thin