‫بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم‬

Sudan International University

MBA

Management information systems

Assignment
“UPS Competes Globally with Information Technology”

Name:
Mohammed Hassballa Omer Alameen

Index:
MBA-B21-20-018
CASE STUDY QUESTIONS:

1. What are the inputs, processing, and outputs of UPS’s

package tracking system?

Inputs: The inputs include package information, customer signature, pickup,

delivery, time-card data, weather conditions, traffic information, and current
stop location for best route consideration, delivery trucks speed billing and
customer clearance documentation.
Processing: The data are transmitted to a central computer and stored for
retrieval. Data are also reorganized so that they can be tracked by customer
account, date, driver, and other criteria.
Outputs: The outputs include pickup and delivery times, location while on
route, and package recipient. The outputs also include multiple reports such
as all packages for a specific account or a specific driver, a driver’s route,
shipping information, rate calculations and package tracking

2. What technologies are used by UPS? How are these

technologies related to UPS’s business strategy?

The technologies used by UPS are DIAD, Barcode Scanner, Wireless

Communication, ERP, Web service and GPS tracking device.
These technologies are related to UPS’s business strategy because they
improve efficiency and make parcel service’s cheaper. UPS also uses
Delivery Information Acquisition Device (DIAD) which can be accessed by
wireless network. Drivers can know more detailed information ( for
example, geographic location of entire fleet) from handheld PCs that
captures customer signatures automatically.
These technologies also help the strategy to increase flexibility in business.
These technologies help the business to integrate tracking, rating, address
validation and other stuffs to be done easily in a real time.
3. What strategic business objectives do UPS’s information
systems address?

• Operational excellence: by using advanced information technology to

provide the best and most efficient service to its customers while achieving
the companies’ goals effectively.

• Customer and supplier intimacy: Customers can download and print their
own labels using special software provided by UPS or by accessing the UPS
website. Moreover, the customers also have real time information about the
route, shipping rate and other information related to their packages.

• Improved decision making: with the availability of data at abundance and

accurately, made possible by the use of Special software, managers have a
better chance of making good decisions that positively impact their business
process such as creating the most efficient delivery route for each driver
considering traffic, weather conditions, and the location of each stop.
Moreover, UPS decreased a lot of its fuel consumption costs by taking a
decision to cut one daily mile driven per driver.

4. What would happen if UPS’s information systems were

not available?

If UPS’s information system were not available then UPS Company

wouldn’t be as efficient as it is now.
From the customer perspective, these technologies provide value because
they help customers complete their tasks more efficiently. This is because
we know that the information system solve is to keep the level of services
high yet bring the costs and prices down to compete with other competitors.
If these systems were not available then UPS will not be able to compete
with others and it will not become the largest package deliver company as it
is today.