In Saturday's New York Times, columnist David Brooks describes his visit to Federal Express in Memphis. He talks about the productivity gains they've made using bar codes to track packages and make the tracking information available on the public Internet.
Fed Ex didn't start using bar codes until 13 years after the first bar code was used on a pack of Wrigley's gum. Many RFID pundits are predicting significant productivity and service improvements for shipping companies. When viewing the Fed Ex experience, it makes me wonder how big the improvement will be and how soon it will be realized. |
