The advent of trucks and railways where there had previously only been buffalo and carts, telegraph systems, and more coordinated distribution systems under the colonial government all contributed to famine elimination in Java, and in turn, population growth.

Steelcase was able to become the Goliath of the office-furniture industry, despite its backwardness in design capability, because of its strength in two other areas - a client base of major white-collar employers like A. T. & T. and I.B.M. and a tightly coordinated distribution system.