Familiarising Asian suppliers with supply chain management – travel report Daisy

27 October 2017

Supply chain technology is optimally effective when all partners in the chain participate. From supplier to agent and warehouse. Only then can a sending be fully managed and monitored from start to finish. Unfortunately, not all suppliers are accustomed to working with supply chain management, though the majority of their clients do expect this. To this end, a client commissioned our colleagues Daisy and Martijn to pay a visit to suppliers in Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam. The objective: train and convince suppliers to utilise Ritra Cargo’s Traffic Control System (TCS). Daisy shares her experiences from her first business trip to Asia.

Getting suppliers on board and familiar with TCS

Thursday 14 September, the long-awaited day had finally arrived. Together with my colleague Martijn I was destined for a 10-day visit to suppliers in Dhaka, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh. I was ready to go, nervous but very enthusiastic!

Our visits were aimed at presenting TCS to our client’s local suppliers. We needed to convince them to embrace the system on behalf of our client.

TCS is our client’s custom-made supply chain management solution. All stakeholders are provided with an order-level overview which can be independently managed. This allows processes such as order approvals and monitoring shipment delays. Everything can be followed in realtime – from the moment that a supplier places a reservation in the country of origin up to delivery at the destined location. Convenience is key with TCS.

Suppliers generally prefer to uphold their standard working methods and maintain control over their processes. This wasn’t going to be an easy task! Would our workshop convince the suppliers to start working in TCS?

Dhaka

My experience in Dhaka was nothing short of impressive. The chaos, the people and especially the warm welcome experienced everywhere I went. Multiple suppliers attended our presentation in Dhaka. To start, our audience was somewhat sceptical which, to be honest, was something we were expecting. Many questions were asked which gave us a good idea of the concerns and challenges at hand. This opened the door to success, and at the end of the day, everyone hit the ground running with our TCS system.

Bangkok

My second destination was Bangkok. Immensely different from Dhaka but, once again, a heartfelt welcome. In Bangkok, we met with a single supplier and the presentation took place right at the source – in the factory! It was quite remarkable to have the opportunity to peek behind the scenes. Here also, our TCS system was the focus of the presentation. The system was met with enthusiasm and was even implemented directly.

Ho Chi Minh

My third and final destination was Ho Chi Minh. We had already received word of caution that this supplier would be a tough sell, but we felt optimistic and put our best foot forward. Many questions were asked and answered. The meeting was extended to nearly two hours and sure enough, our final supplier has also joined forces and is working with our TCS system!

Unfortunately, after this visit and 10 intense days it was time to head back home – luckily with positive results and an incredible experience in the bag!

Do you have any questions regarding the Traffic Control System? We look forward to hearing from you! Give us a call, get in touch via chat or leave your details in the contact form.