DHL

Chapter 5 Innovation and Its Broader Impact on Business Dynamics

The 70s saw rapid and exponential growth, a relentless pursuit of network expansion driven by customer demand. By the end of the 70s, DHL’s network had expanded to cover 360 cities in forty-five countries. Each time a new city opened up, the possibilities for sales expanded several-fold as the routes expanded exponentially. Every delivery to a new recipient was an opportunity for a new sales pitch. Specifically, DHL’s entry into the Middle East at a time when oil exploration was rampant, and the ability to move documents quickly into the most remote and difficult locations served as a catalyst for opening up, for example, secondary commercial centers in Europe. Expansion occurred ...