Deutsche Post DHL Group
This architecture enables efficient package routing with 2-4 hop average path length for global delivery.
German international courier company operating a global logistics network exhibiting small-world topology: dense local clusters (regional hubs in Cincinnati, Leipzig, Hong Kong) connected by long-range shortcuts (intercontinental routes). This architecture enables efficient package routing with 2-4 hop average path length for global delivery.
The small-world topology balances local efficiency (high clustering within regional networks) with global reach (shortcuts collapse path lengths). Trade-offs include hub congestion at major facilities handling millions of packages daily, and single-point-of-failure vulnerability if key hubs like Leipzig are disrupted.