problemsolved
ments. Most domestic shipments travel by truck, often
on flatbeds or other specialized equipment. Smaller
pieces sometimes require expedited air or ground service.
International shipments to customers usually move on
wide-body freighters that can handle oversized items.
One of the biggest challenges for Jelece is finding the
right balance of cost and service. Since time is always of
the essence in the aerospace industry, both shipper and
forwarder have to react quickly when a call for a replacement part comes in, says Michael Schepers, director of
business development and a co-owner of Icat’s Dallas
franchise. But as a small business with cost-conscious
customers, Jelece can’t just ship everything express or
next flight out.
The forwarder was able to help Jelece meet its delivery
commitments at an acceptable cost. “When they have
something urgent, we’ll call multiple carriers immediate-
ly,” says Schepers. “We might tell them Carrier A can have
it there Tuesday, but Carrier B can have it there on
Thursday for less money. They’ll do the math and decide
whether they want to pay that premium to get the turn-
around time.”
Icat also helps its customer hold down costs by expe-
diting urgently needed parts while moving less urgent
pieces from the same order via more economical means.
The forwarder saw another opportunity to reduce costs
when it noticed that a regular parts supplier was sending
Jelece several small shipments each week. Icat worked
with the supplier to consolidate the orders into a weekly
shipment, which it picks up and brings to its Dallas
warehouse.
As Sanford prepared to import his first aircraft parts
from China, he encountered a problem he hadn’t anticipated—namely, that the language barrier and his lack of
import experience made communication with the
Chinese supplier difficult. Icat arranged for its agent in
China to act as Jelece’s liaison with the supplier, checking
on the order status and conveying information in English
or Chinese as needed. “We’ve become their eyes and ears
in China,” Schepers says.
Originally, Jelece planned to ship by air from China.
But Icat and its agent were able to split the first few shipments, with some parts going by air and the rest by
ocean, saving the client thousands of dollars in transportation costs. Things are going so smoothly now that
all shipments come by ocean, and there has been no
need for air freight since the third order from the
Chinese supplier.
Sanford says that relying on experts to help in areas
where his startup company lacks expertise has been
invaluable. “Their people are supporting us and are willing to be there whenever we need them. … Without this
type of supply chain support, I don’t think we could have
hit and exceeded our business targets,” he says. ;
