DYMO Endicia

PALCO

...come to rely on us

PALCO Banner People rely on PALCO as their solutions provider and partner for product repair, refurbishment, logistics, and aftermarket services. PALCO relies on Endicia and the Postal Service for shipping repaired cell phones back to end users.

PALCO logo

Background.   Founded in 1986 and based in Huntsville, Alabama, PALCO, a privately-held company and Women's Business Enterprise (WBE), is a turnkey technology service company that provides reliable supply chain service solutions supporting logistics, specialized manufacturing and prototype builds, testing, repair, rework, and equipment configuration and integration. PALCO serves a diverse customer base that includes telecommunications (both data and voice network products), specialized military products, and consumer electronics. PALCO focuses on providing quality technological service solutions to meet today's competitive market.

PALCO employs a number of sales vehicles. It sells by responding to Request for Quotations (RFQs), particularly from large companies. PALCO also acts on formal bids, both commercial and governmental. Additionally, PALCO targets companies with calls and specific introduction letters (not direct mailers), attends tradeshows, and registers with the Federal Government, searching the Government database for purchasing activities on which PALCO wishes to bid. Moreover, PALCO calls on telecom original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

PALCO service thousands of products per day, both reverse and forward products – that is, products received for repair (receipts) and new products (shipments), respectively. Its big sellers are technological capability, quality, and competitive pricing across the full-spectrum of electronics. Of the thousands of products per day that PALCO ships, it currently ships about 400 per day via the Postal Service.

PALCO logo

Endicia’s Role.  PALCO uses Endicia Professional to streamline its shipping of repaired cell phones to their end users. Running Endicia on a PC connected to an integrated scale (Endicia’s ES2500U) and a Zebra label printer, a PALCO worker generates, prints, and affixes complete, postage-paid shipping labels. From the packing/shipping station, a PALCO worker scans a barcode containing a unique identifier for each unit. Endicia Professional retrieves the shipping information and automatically performs a ZIP + 4 address verification. Upon entry of weight and selection of Delivery Confirmation, the postage amount displays on the computer screen. After pressing "Print", the label prints within seconds. The worker is then ready for the next order.

PALCO even uses Endicia Professional to post back the weight, time, Delivery Confirmation number, and other data to its database, a Microsoft SQL server. By virtue of running .net and database applications alongside Endicia Professional, some of the information retrieved via the barcode scan is used in form letters sent out and in warranty statuses.

PALCO likes most about Endicia that its database integration works as stated, that its cost is minimal compared to its benefits, and that its functionality is innate. PALCO finds particularly helpful being able to use an identifier and scan to have information retrieved and the address validated and even corrected. Not only does address verification decrease the volume of undeliverable shipments, but also, it saves PALCO the postage to reship returned shipments ($4.05 per Priority Mail piece prior to May 14, 2007 and $4.60 thereafter). Additionally, with Delivery Confirmation being electronic, PALCO saves further (prior to May 14, 2007, $0.50 per package compared to the retail rate; thereafter, $0.65). Furthermore, Endicia eliminates trips to the Post Office and saves additional time and money and improves customer service as a result of less returned shipments. Moreover, Endicia reduces the amount of labels that PALCO uses, since Endicia provides an integrated label layout, which combines postage, addresses, and Delivery Confirmation in one layout. Lastly, with Endicia’s functionality being truly inherent, PALCO does not need to train its staff on how to use the software. Comments Randy Piechocki, PALCO’s president: "We did not need our pack and ship people to attend a five-day seminar to learn the system."

All said, with Endicia, PALCO's shipments of repaired cell phones are dramatically more efficient and cost-effective. Says Randy Piechocki:

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"No more costly meter, trips to the Post Office, and retail rate for Delivery Confirmation – Endicia has done all that for us and more. We’ve even saved by reducing undeliverable shipments, bettering our customer service in the process."

The Future.   PALCO plans to stay in its current market and grow. There will be more equipment, technicians, testing, and filing warranty claims for OEMs. Plus, PALCO will remain involved in and grow in markets key to Huntsville, Alabama: the space program, STAR Wars Defense Program, helicopter support, and other military defense.

To learn more about PALCO, visit www.palcotelecom.com.