There are a few unique ways that documents may be moved from point A to point B, or even from one person to another. Pigeons and runners were only capable of traveling relatively limited distances, in contrast to the postal system and the courier, both of which relied on worldwide commerce in order to transport papers and supplies. People were finally able to break free of this restraint after a reliable postal service was put into place.

As a result of the growth of international trade came an increase in the need for effective means of transferring business documents and commodities across international boundaries. The development of more effective means of transportation throughout time, made possible by developments in technology, was of value not just to individuals but also to supporting services such as the postal service.

When it was first established, the major purpose of the postal service was to facilitate the movement of documents and other items from one nation to another by using then-contemporary forms of transportation such as airplanes and shipping lines. On the other hand, it was revealed that the architecture of the system had a few faults.