Asok is native to Malaysia, although it was an expatriate in Germany, the UK, Thailand and Japan before joining the global logistics company DB Schenker in Singapore in 2006, where he led sales for the Asia Pacific region. The former marathon runner was President Director of PT Schenker Petrolog Utama in Indonesia since April 2014, managing a staff of 506. It is known to admiration among his team for its meticulous attention to details, as well as his humility and ability to drive.
?What you entered the world of logistics
I started my university career with the airlines - I had an interest in planes When I was young. I studied mechanical engineering but I never worked as an engineer! I started in the air transport sector on the passenger side, entering senior management and treatment of passengers.
After eight years on the passenger side of the business, I then move on to the cargo. But after four years of working in the air cargo side, it got a bit monotonous as it was just port to port. But in the process of doing so, I came to better understand the complete end to end supply chain activity and I began to understand the logistics of things that I never treated as an employee of the airline. So when the opportunity came to join the third-party logistics party (3PL) company, I took it because I thought, "OK, now I can really become a professional logistics."
What opportunities do see DB Schenker in Indonesia that led to the company's creation here?
Schenker came first in Indonesia in 1974 and 1999, we made a joint venture with the Petrolog Indah Group and became PT Schenker Petrolog Utama. I was not at that time (or I was but I'm in diapers!), But in 1974 Indonesia has been an active economy with great potential. Schenker has been around for over 100 years and is still looking at markets and emerging economies where growth. At that time, Indonesia must have been an interesting market to have a footprint and grow in.
Can you tell us what the mutual benefits of the joint venture were?
It is always useful to have a local partner, simply because navigating the political landscape is important. Politics is politics, business is business, but somehow they get interconnected. Understanding the corporate culture is very useful. Some very German mentality can not be applied here
Our local partner has been very helpful to direct us in the right path and open doors to opportunities !; it is a very good partnership.
Can you give us an overview of the work DB Schenker made in Indonesia
We pretty interesting are involved in all aspects of the company, except services email ?. We are not B2C (Business to Consumer), we are B2B (Business to Business). In addition to the standard air cargo import-export, import-export bulk, bulk ocean import-export, customs clearance services, delivery to warehouses, delivery to site, storage and distribution services we offer also services in oil and gas projects, where we deal with very large equipment, exercises, and platforms. We are also involved in the coal and mining, while the industry has slowed down so that we do not see now a lot of movement there.
Recently, with the push Jokowi about 35,000 gigawatts of energy, many energy projects are underway and we are involved in some of them we'll be moving turbines and specialized equipment . We make road surveys, to assess and determine what needs to be done, where, and run - sometimes this is to assign people to build bridges
We also do fairs and exhibitions - support movements in and out of places, setting up and dismantling displays, and bring it back again. And we are involved in the movement, storage and distribution to the healthcare industry, which is growing in Indonesia, especially with the development of BPJS system.
You offer moving services expatriates. You see more expats leaving than coming?
Yes, we do! We offer domestic and international removals, which is our only business and we B2C gives a face to the consumer. Most people that are moving to congratulate us for this.
We have seen that the impact [of expats leaving Indonesia] very clearly. The numbers are not as good as we would like them to be.
Can you tell us more about your rail services?
railway was not the main way to get things done in the past, partly because maybe the service is not as reliable, the tracks may not have been so well developed, but Kereta Api in the last two years are much more eager to grow the business. We now turn regular goods from Jakarta to Surabaya and back.
Getting customers on board at the beginning was difficult; they are not sure if this would work - they all used trucks. But once we have them on board, he took immediately. Last month, we moved 300 containers from Jakarta to Surabaya.
What was the feedback like your rail customers?
Customers have realized that it really works. It is much faster than the trucks, it is sure there is no damage to the products, it is reliable, cost effective, green, and there is usually no delays - customers see this and are happy! The transit time from Jakarta-Surabaya is 18-20 hours, but with a truck you are looking for 48-72 hours.
A recently launched the service we offer is less than Container Load (LCL), which means that you must fill a container by rail more. Give me a pallet and I will go for you at the cost of it all. This will make it even more popular rail service.
train takes trucks on the road, which means that you can enjoy your drive. These 300 containers, we moved last month, they were undoubtedly already displaced by lorries congesting the roads.
You actively measuring CO2 production and consumption of energy in each subsidiary DB Schenker worldwide. Can you share with us your conclusions from Indonesia and what you do to reduce these here
There are no action as such, but we say that we are a company's greenest logistics industry - we even have a special logo, the "ecophant" which is a symbol of our green initiatives. And yes, we do locally measure. We must report our electricity consumption and CO2 emissions at our headquarters. We expect the same for airlines which have planes that are old not more than six years because they consume less fuel compared to older. And whenever possible, we use the rail.
We build green warehouses, which are institutions that try to use natural light, natural ventilation and natural water using rain water for the bathrooms. Our overall goal is to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 20 percent by 2020 on a plot of 26 percent, in the air of 25 percent over the oceans and 33 percent fixed 18 percent. To further reduce emissions, this year we will use more LED lamps, add timers charger for forklifts that will automatically shut off electricity when it is fully charged, and train drivers in defensive driving, so they drive more efficiently.
An important part of your portfolio comes from the oil and gas industry. With the current challenges the industry is facing, is that it has an effect on your business?
There is no doubt that the industry is challenged. We help customers reduce their activity and many expatriates have returned home. The entire industry is stopped - some people think it will resume this year, others next year. It has impacted our business, but in turn, we try to help them; we sit with them and look for ways to cut costs. Rail is one of the solutions that we gave them.
What is the biggest challenge you face-wise logistic Indonesia and how can it be improved
Indonesia has high cost of logistics :? 23 percent of GDP. This figure is to improve, but the question is why so high?
There are multiple challenges, starting with the ports where capacity is highly constrained and facilities need to be upgraded. Roads, bridges and roads need to be improved too. Then there is the infrastructure in terms of storage, and of course traffic whose movement effects of the logistics. The ability to have an efficient supply chain and distribution is sometimes hampered by 17,000 islands, road infrastructure, ports, airports and, of course, rules.
The good news is that it is very clear that the government is trying to solve this problem. Jokowi is a president who speaks of logistics; he knows the complexity of the challenges facing us and all things evolve in the right direction.
DB Schenker is proud of its customer service at all levels - what kind of training your employees undergo to meet the desired expectations
We invest heavily in training because we believe in it. Three levels: management training, people development, and skills training. We try to plan our people every year to go to training on an ongoing basis. We want to intensify even more. At the end it is to invest in our people and our future.
What attributes do you think a leader it takes to run a successful business in Indonesia?
There are many basic management principles you learn in business school does not necessarily apply in Indonesia. I think the most successful style of leadership in Indonesia is to win hearts and minds; it's not just walk around with warning letters in your back pocket. You must try to get them to believe in what you are trying to achieve, to respect you as a leader, and people follow. To be an effective leader, it is to be able to build this status with the people -. A mixture of humility, give clear direction and also show people that you know what you are talking about while being just
Thank you, Asok.