TOKEN OF APPRECIATION: Mr. Quah presenting the token of appreciation to Mr. Benjamin Yong (left), owner of the BIG group

INSPIRING TRIP: Students taking a group photo during the industry visit to the BIG Group

The Department of Marketing at the Faculty of Business and Information Science organised an industry visit to The BIG Group, a company specialising in food and groceries, located in Kuala Lumpur. The visit included a tour to the Group’s grocery store as well as one of their F&B retail outlets. 

Through this trip, students saw and learned first-hand how a grocery store's supply chain processes work. Students also discovered the essential traits of a good supply chain. These include understanding how a grocery store keeps prices low by getting its products from different suppliers around the world, and how the company owner and a few key staff travel around the world and attend many food fairs to better understand food. The students also learned that a good relationship with suppliers is important to maintain an edge over competitors. 

At The BIG Group's F&B retail outlet, students learned how to keep an eye on food quality as well as on what the other competitors in the market are doing. However, it was stressed upon the students that, while keeping track of the competition is important, what is more important is a company having its own competitive advantage. 

Other tips shared by The BIG Group are the importance of trust between the management and its staff as well as the positive impact of open communication between the management and staff, on staff morale and productivity.