FedEx Corporation Annual Report 2007

"FedEx framed the conversation around Sony's end objectives - with results that help us grow our business."

"Sony's business units span many segments of the electronics and entertainment industries. But whether it's a movie, a music CD or a computer game, our products all excite and touch the lives of our customers. That's really how the whole conversation with FedEx started: How can we compete as a united front? We didn't need vendors - we needed a carrier that could help us work smarter and grow our business. FedEx talked with us to understand our business objectives. They saw that some of our processes weren't serving our business needs and proposed changes to better address what we really wanted to accomplish. We didn't expect FedEx to focus on our business objectives, but that's what made the discussions and the solutions so valuable.

"The conversations extended to all of our business units. If we said, 'We want X,' FedEx asked what X meant to us - what was the root need? They worked across the operating companies to build solutions that help us better serve our customers and vendors, reduce costs and give us the competitive edge. Today, the conversation has become about how we're going to move forward in our industry."

- Todd Yamagiwa, Director of Logistics,
Sony Logistics of America

Hitting critical "street dates" has gotten easier for Sony and its customers with the help of FedEx.

In Sony's business, the number one priority is meeting the "street dates" when new products are expected to arrive across retail outlets for public release. Missing that window not only disappoints consumers and hurts sales, it also results in retailer penalties and other costs.
FedEx saw that 100% in-transit visibility was essential. We provided a creative technology solution that gives Sony the information it needs to make solid decisions if weather or other factors threaten the timing of a shipment. And with the flexibility to access FedEx express, ground and freight services to optimize shipping, Sony has increased its on-time performance serving retail outlets across North America.
The company is also taking advantage of a similar flexibility to cut costs and better fulfill direct-to-consumer orders for computer equipment, electronics and more through its Web site, sonystyle.com.
With thousands of product releases each year, Sony counts on FedEx to keep the hits coming.