IBSM 2007 learning journey..

Saturday, April 21, 2007

long bus rides on the the road has since become an essential part of our whole learning journey in China. we seem to be constantly on the road, travelling from one place to another, with the very unpredictable traffic. on day 4, it was another 2hr long bus ride up to Guangzhou Zhu Jiang Brewery Company. we were given the opportunity to view and understand the whole process of brewing the beer. From the process of fermantation, to the process of packaging it. each process plays an important role in producing the final product. though the company only focuses on the China market, they are still profitable and are doing well because of the HUGE market in China itself. besides, all of us were given a free can of beer before we left! woohoo! :)

First few steps to brewing a beer..

Safety posters to remind the workers of the importance of safety..

Packaging - filling the empty bottles with beer! :)

in the afternoon, we had a very productive session with Mr Nee, from IE Singapore. It was a networking lunch organised for us and Mr Nee shared all his experience which makes us see things from a different light. and i feel, that is very important especially if we are talking about bringing our business international. it is very important to always see things from many different perspectives, instead of being blinded by one. this will help us forsee and be prepared for whatever challenges that we might face in the future. One such example is this: Everyone believes that 'Guan Xi' is VERY important when doing business in China. which is true. However, Mr Nee said this one sentence that got me thinking. He said, 'Yes. Guan Xi is indeed important in China, but the quality of your product is much more important. Guan Xi just acts like an enhancer in the whole process.' which is very true. all along, i thought that just by having great Guan xi, one can definitely survive in the China business world. however, this typical concept is totally wrong. ultimately, it is the sales of products that brings in the revenue and not the guan xi. so, how can one survive purely on guan xi alone.

another thing that Mr Nee said left a deep impression on me. everybody knows the importance of doing research before entering into overseas market be it China or other countries. it is important to find out the working culture, the local laws, the local lifestyle, spending power etc. what people will normally do is to hire researchers or search on the net themselves. but Mr Nee said, 'no research is better than experiencing it yourself before you enter the market'. which is totally true. instead of doing all the research, why not experience it yourself for a few months or even a few years just to understand the local culture etc. that is probably the best and most effective way of 'researching'.

before the networking lunch ended, Mr Nee emphasized on the importance of maintaining our 'Singaporean quality' which is our integrity, and not conform to the norm in China. this will help us differentiate ourselves from other countries and culture. all in all, i feel that Mr Nee played a huge role in letting us see things from a different angle with a different perspective. he is a very smart man and the knowledge that he passed on to us is definitely priceless.

the networking lunch with Mr Nee with us taking down words of wisdom frantically

tiff left her footprints at|1:06 PM|

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