Freight Forwarding Services Saving Time and Money

Client

Major supplier of a variety of civilian and military aerospace components.

Challenge

A major customs brokerage client was experiencing issues with the small-parcel shipment part of their supply chain, which a primary small-pack service provider was handling. They were importing high-value printed circuit boards and other sensitive components used in plane cockpits.

The highly sensitive nature of these components meant that any damage to the packaging, even if the product itself was not, rendered the goods deemed damaged and unusable. An unacceptable number of goods arrived damaged due to poor packing and handling, and, per supplier contracts, our clients needed to ship the product back to the factory in Vietnam at their own expense. This was not only becoming pricey and time-consuming but also reducing the availability of critical components, threatening their relationships as suppliers to DOD and manufacturers.

Solution

J.M. Rodgers immediately leveraged our close relationship with our partner in Vietnam to have them observe and evaluate the process. We discovered the packaging and shipment processes were not being closely adhered to, with lax oversight from the shipping company. JMR and our partner created a specific SOP that provided clear roles for the shipper, forwarder, and consignee, with J.M. Rodgers’ partner now inserting themselves into the process as an observer to ensure adherence to the SOP. A new carrier was nominated to adhere to the new process and provide cargo packing and handling to prevent any potential mishandling that could cause damage. JMR and our partner expedited the provision of valid paperwork and licenses for customs formalities and export clearance. We worked with our client to provide technical advice to the shippers when the exporting country requested it.

Results

The above SOP and process worked perfectly: transit time was reduced from an average of 7 days to 3.8 days, and costs were significantly reduced as the rate of received damaged product dropped by 70%.