They proliferate around Memphis International Airport and within an intersection or two of the city's major highways. Drive around, you'll see them. Marinate that thought for a moment. You will the next time the plumber cancels because his Ford cargo van broke down and the dealer didn't have the part to fix it right away. Ford's new commercial-trucks parts center is 15 minutes away from the FedEx superhub at Memphis International Airport.
Distribution is customer service.
But, industry experts say, that's a hard concept for the average person to grasp - unless you work there, of course. Management has often neglected the distribution process. In the 1960s and '70s, distribution processes suffered because management viewed these activities as being largely unskilled and unworthy of attention. Typically, the whole process was fragmented at many companies and spread across their organizational structures. Attempts to reduce distribution costs often had adverse effects on customer service.