Project Gemini/ZapMail

[MrFedEx]

I just had a flashback as to why Fredward probably couldn't afford nice new 767s back in the mid 1980s. That's because he was busy trying to pay for ZapMail, which was a system of gigantic fax machines which didn't pre-date the portable office fax machine by very much. In other words, an extremely poor decision which cost many millions.

Here's how ZapMail worked. Whenever a "Zap" came-in, you broke route (even if it was P1), and immediately headed to get the material to be faxed. Then, you headed back to your station or some closet FedEx had rented in an office building and "Zapped" (faxed) the document. If this sounds like a cluster, it was far more than that. Then you headed back to your route and all of those late P1s.All of those ZapMail machines became either station copiers or sat gathering dust for years in some corner of the station.

Project Gemini was the super-secret code for ZapMail.

Our Fredward. What a dope.

 

[outtatime]

Not only that, but the Zap machines could not communicate with regular fax machines, which were becoming very popular, and used a different network than telephone lines which resulted in more cash outlay by the company. Even back then I'm not sure how they thought this was a good idea.

 

[59 Dano]

It's been, what, almost 30 years? Consult your therapist if you're not over it by now.

 

[bbsam]

I really don't know why anyone would be able or want to be able to remember such things. With all the terrible decisions X has made, the haven't killed the company...not by a long shot.

 

[vantexan]

I just had a flashback as to why Fredward probably couldn't afford nice new 767s back in the mid 1980s. That's because he was busy trying to pay for ZapMail, which was a system of gigantic fax machines which didn't pre-date the portable office fax machine by very much. In other words, an extremely poor decision which cost many millions.

Here's how ZapMail worked. Whenever a "Zap" came-in, you broke route (even if it was P1), and immediately headed to get the material to be faxed. Then, you headed back to your station or some closet FedEx had rented in an office building and "Zapped" (faxed) the document. If this sounds like a cluster, it was far more than that. Then you headed back to your route and all of those late P1s.All of those ZapMail machines became either station copiers or sat gathering dust for years in some corner of the station.

Project Gemini was the super-secret code for ZapMail.

Our Fredward. What a dope.

My sister-in-law work on Zapmail development. I recall they wrote off $700 million when they scrapped it. From what she told me there was to be a machine at the front counter that customers could pay to send documents to another machine at another station where the recipient could pick it up. Never heard that couriers were involved. About the same time FedEx lost something like $110-120 million to a crooked accounting firm which wasn't sending the Fed's our payroll taxes. I'm betting they way undercut the competition for our business, and you know how cheap FedEx is. And of course wasn't long after that they stopped giving raises to topped out couriers for years.

 

[MrFedEx]

It's been, what, almost 30 years? Consult your therapist if you're not over it by now.

Yeah, shill. I'm still not over getting screwed out of my pension, losing profit-sharing, and the rest of the takeaways.

 

[MrFedEx]

My sister-in-law work on Zapmail development. I recall they wrote off $700 million when they scrapped it. From what she told me there was to be a machine at the front counter that customers could pay to send documents to another machine at another station where the recipient could pick it up. Never heard that couriers were involved. About the same time FedEx lost something like $110-120 million to a crooked accounting firm which wasn't sending the Fed's our payroll taxes. I'm betting they way undercut the competition for our business, and you know how cheap FedEx is. And of course wasn't long after that they stopped giving raises to topped out couriers for years.

Just a coincidence. Couriers were directly involved, although the counter-to-counter deal was probably part of it too. If a customer called in for a ZapMail pickup, your day was toast, and you probably weren't going to get any help.

 

[vantexan]

Just a coincidence. Couriers were directly involved, although the counter-to-counter deal was probably part of it too. If a customer called in for a ZapMail pickup, your day was toast, and you probably weren't going to get any help.

Must've only been in certain test markets. I never had a Zapmail pickup.

 

[MrFedEx]

Must've only been in certain test markets. I never had a Zapmail pickup.

Probably because it was such a disaster that it got killed before it spread throughout the country. Great plan.

 

[It will be fine]

It's been, what, almost 30 years? Consult your therapist if you're not over it by now.

Which decision was worse. Zap mail or MFE choosing to come work for Express?

 

[Cactus]

I really don't know why anyone would be able or want to be able to remember such things. With all the terrible decisions X has made, the haven't killed the company...not by a long shot.

If this had affected you and/or Ground you'd remember plain as day.

 

[dex 84]

http://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/24/business/zapmail-may-become-passe.html?pagewanted=all

August 1984 NY Times article entitled "Zapmail May Become Passe"

They were way out in front on this one...

 

[Cactus]

Fred's Folly for sure.

A little research before launching that ill-fated brainstorm could have save over $700 million. But such things happen when egos get too big to be told they're making a mistake.

Stagnated raises and bonus for the hourlies paid for that big mess, no question.

 

[Route 66]

Fred's latest brainchild - he intends to saturate the country with one-hour photo processing kiosks and video rental stores.

 

[bbsam]

Fred's Folly for sure.

A little research before launching that ill-fated brainstorm could have save over $700 million. But such things happen when egos get too big to be told they're making a mistake.

Stagnated raises and bonus for the hourlies paid for that big mess, no question.

Fred has made hundreds of decisions since Zapmail to keep your life a miserable, go nowhere, do nothing, pathetic existence...or was that you?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Companies face a double edged sword------they are criticized for failing to take chances and then crucified when they do and those ventures don't pan out.

 

[Cactus]

Companies face a double edged sword------they are criticized for failing to take chances and then crucified when they do and those ventures don't pan out.

There are mistakes and then there are mi$take$.

Management has a stroke when a courier goes 2 minutes over allotted time for checkout but a $700+ million goof that could've been easily avoided is perfectly alright.

 

[Cactus]

Fred has made hundreds of decisions since Zapmail to keep your life a miserable, go nowhere, do nothing, pathetic existence...or was that you?

Still better than Ground.

What are you paying your drivers now? $4.50 an hour?

 

[CJinx]

http://www.rebootpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/FedEx-ZapMail-WSJ-Article.pdf

 

[MrFedEx]

Fred's latest brainchild - he intends to saturate the country with one-hour photo processing kiosks and video rental stores.

VHS, or Beta?