Job Experience in Distribution Sector of Transcom Group
Transcom Group
Originated with tea plantation in 1885 and its today one o f the leading and fastest growing diversified business houses in Bangladesh. Employing over 5000 people .not many industrial groups in Bangladesh can claim a history of continuous business pursuits stretching back over 100 years. Initially tea and later jute formed the backbone of the family business. Although these are still part of the activities, they contribute marginally to the overall group turnover.
These early industrial ventures have moved over to businesses involved in high-tech manufacturing, international trading and distribution, forming strong ties with a host of blue chip multinational companies.
In recent years TRANSCOM has emerged as an increasingly significant media house in Bangladesh. Transcom Electronics is a business unit o f TRANSCOM group, which is one of the largest business groups in Bangladesh. TRANSCOM is also Franchise of PEPSI, Pizza Hut, Lays, and L’Oreal etc. The group had also acquired Smith Kline & French USA, in 1990. The other associates of TRANSCOM are leading English newspaper THE DAILY STAR and the largest circulated daily newspaper in the country PROTHOM ALO. Besides Transcom has Distribution setup called TRANSCOM DISTRIBUTION CO. LTD, The largest independent distribution setup in Bangladesh with full infrastructural facilities country wide network o f branch offices with warehouses and delivery vans.
Mission & vision
The combination of consumer insights and technology know-how, Transcom electronics ltd is in well positioned to deliver the kinds o f solutions that will delight consumers and secure leadership positions in these markets. They can also see tremendous potential for new product/service categories in the areas where the domains converge. Inspired by their mission to improve the quality o f people’s lives through the timely introduction of meaningful technological innovations, and resolved to exploit the potential outlined above, they have embarked upon a journey of transformation as fundamental as anything the company has experienced in its history .transcom- a focused, market-driven company geared to delivering sustained profitable growth. The company is all about unlocking synergies. The belief that by working together they can create more value than the sum o f the parts that by working together they can achieve further growth. In essence, Transcom is a mindset and a way of working focused on maximizing value creation for the company and customers by leveraging their competencies and resources across the areas of healthcare, lifestyle and technology.
Understanding the markets and the needs o f their customers is the starting point for innovation and entrepreneurship. And they are continuing to engage in partnerships in new fields and in new ways. It is their belief that socially and environmentally responsible behavior contributes to sustained profitable growth and value creation.
Transcom engages from time to time in cooperative activities with other companies. The performance of unconsolidated companies has a major impact on the performance of the Transcom Group. Strategic alliances are also important to Transcom.
Nature of the job:
Every intern student in an organization is placed to a specific post for 8-12 weeks. During that time they accomplish specific objectives that will add value to the company’s operation. Like others I, Ridwanul Karim, was placed in the Institution Business Department. The department looks over to the corporate business deals for Transcom Electronics Ltd. the focus o f the department is to catch up the huge need for electronics goods in offices, factories and other large infrastructural facilities. 1 was placed under Mr. Ali Rayhan, the manager of the department as his assistant.
The nature of the job is two parted. One is to help the employees in their day to day job. Thus it becomes easier for an intern to comprehend the problems and tasks of a business firm. The second part is to conduct a research study on the electronic market of Bangladesh. This will help the organization for their future decision and understand the current situation.
Job Responsibilities:
As i have mentioned earlier that the job job is two parted|(one is regular office work and other one is to conduct a research) the job responsibility is well diversified, the responsibilities under the first part are:
- To help the employees to perform their day to day job. As for an examplechecking and cross checking invoices of month’s sales,
- Check outstanding stocks for assessing the current stock situation on a day to day basis,
- Making presentations for the employees on specific product or business operation
- Benchmark for the IBD (Institution Business Department) products, that is finding out the price marks of the competitors and compare them with Transcom electronics’ price.
The second part contained:
- To find out the potential customers by analyzing the whole operating industries
- To find out the aptitude o f the clients. The job required to find out the psychological motivation factors of purchase
- To find out the total size of the market for electronics goods in institution.
- To find out brand preferences for electronic goods
Now, an intern’s job is not limited within the department o f its own. He/she should get involved in other department’s job for own good. I was sometime involved with the Brand Communication Department and performed the following jobs:
- Generated ideas on different promotional activities for different products
- Made proposals on specific promotional activity
- Follow-up the advertises o f competitors and analyze them comparing with Transom’s
- Interviewed people on the department head’s request for better understanding o f the customer’s psychology.
Transcom Distribution Co. Ltd (TDC)
TDC has the largest independent distribution setup in Bangladesh with full infra structural facilities provided by a countrywide network of branch offices with warehouses and delivery vans.
The company distributes quality pharmaceutical products manufactured by ORGANON, SERVIER, ESKAYEF and laboratory equipment and diagnostics reagents from BIOME’RIEUX and BECKMAN COULTER
TDC also markets and distributes color cosmetics, skin and hair care products from L’ORE’AL paris.MAYBELLINE New York and GARNIER .it also markets professional products sold exclusively through hair saloons under the brand name L ’Oreal PROFESSIONEEL.
TDC exclusively markets and distributes the world‘s no 1 potato chips LAYS and other salted snacks from Frito lay.
THE ELECTRONICS MARKET & TRANSCOM ELECTRONICS LIMITED
The electronics market in Bangladesh is an ever rising industry. The appropriate market size has never been determined as its ever changing. The whole market can be separated into several parts like:
- Semiconductor market
- Electronic appliances market
- Raw materials and spare parts market
- IT market
The Market Size
These again parted into two basic parts. The industrial market (that also counts the B2B and factory facilities), and households market. The income generation of Bangladesh over the year is rising. Currently, according to, world banks’ “publication of statistical facts- Bangladesh 2005” states that the FDI and increased investment in the fast growing sector has reduced the rate o f unemployment drastically over the years.
This is an evident that the increased earning population has also an impact on the buying behavior. A middle and upper middle class has emerged and reached to a certain profitable level that it is attractive for the importers. Bangladesh Bank who is the governing bank o f Bangladesh had the records o f imports over the years. The import o f electronic appliances has increased over the years and with the increment of total income generating population.
TEL’s Operation over the Industries
An industry analysis was done to find out the current situation o f TEL’s operation over the existing attractive industries. The process o f analysis was as follows:
- The whole economy was divided into 24 most attractive and profitable separate industries.
- By using the rule o f thumb theory firms were taken judging its market share, market performance, reputation, growth potential etc.
- Each sales person’s client base was thoroughly examined to make out the current client database.
- the database contained “current client”, “work in progress”, and “discontinued business”
- This database was compared with the whole industry’s firm list.
Here is the percentage o f the industries TEL is serving. The percentage has been found by dividing the numbers o f organizations serving by the numbers o f firms in that particular industry. The list of firms in any particular industry was done by the “rule o f thumb” theory. That is the most growing and most potentially profitable firms are taken thinking from the point o f view o f TEL.
Financial Institution:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 118
- Currently serving: 12
- Quotation/W ork in process: 15
- Business for short period: 10
- Total number served by TEL: 37
Health care/ hospitals:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 42
- Currently serving: 3
- Quotation/W ork in process: 5
- Business for short period: 5
- Total number served by TEL: 13
Pharmaceuticals:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 44
- Currently serving: 10
- Quotation/W ork in process: 7
- Business for short period: 6
- Total number served by TEL: 23
FMCG:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 58
- Currently serving: 9
- Quotation/W ork in process: 7
- Business for short period: 3
- Total number served by TEL: 19
Telecommunication:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 17
- Currently serving: 2
- Quotation/W ork in process: 0
- Business for short period: 6
- Total number served by TEL: 8
Real estate/development
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 80
- Currently serving: 11
- Quotation/W ork in process: 5
- Business for short period: 6
- Total number served by TEL: 22
Entertainment industry
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 27
- Currently serving: 3
- Quotation/W ork in process: 0
- Business for short period: 0
- Total number served by TEL: 3
Hotels/resorts
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 56
- Currently serving: 5
- Quotation/W ork in process: 4
- Business for short period: 7
- Total number served by TEL: 16
Education Institution
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 41
- Currently serving: 6
- Quotation/W ork in process: 8
- Business for short period: 11
- Total number served by TEL: 25
Cement Industry:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 23
- Currently serving: 6
- Quotation/W ork in process: 3
- Business for short period: 2
- Total number served by TEL: 11
Media/ Ad Industry:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 42
- Currently serving: 6
- Quotation/W ork in process: 1
- Business for short period: 5
- Total number served by TEL: 12
Engineering Consultancies:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 25
- Currently serving: 2
- Quotation/W ork in process: 2
- Business for short period: 6
- Total number served by TEL: 10
Power/Energy:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 39
- Currently serving: 11
- Quotation/W ork in process: 11
- Business for short period: 0
- Total number served by TEL: 22
Paints Industry:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 21
- Currently serving: 2
- Quotation/Work in process: 0
- Business for short period: 1
- Total number served by TEL: 3
Garments/Composite Industry:
- Total numbers of firms in the industry: 197
- Currently serving: 18
- Quotation/W ork in process: 19
- Business for short period: 20
- Total number served by TEL: 57
Ceramic:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 12
- Currently serving: 1
- Quotation/W ork in process: 1
- Business for short period: 0
- Total number served by TEL: 2
Tobacco:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 13
- Currently serving: 1
- Quotation/W ork in process: 0
- Business for short period: 1
- Total number served by TEL: 2
Beverage:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 32
- Currently serving: 3
- Quotation/W ork in process:0
- Business for short period: 2
- Total number served by TEL: 5
Agro based:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 146
- Currently serving: 18
- Quotation/Work in process: 6
- Business for short period: 4
- Total number served by TEL: 28
Steel and Glass industry:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 31
- Currently serving: 0
- Quotation/W ork in process: 1
- Business for short period: 0
- Total number served by TEL: 1
Semi-govt and Govt.:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 148
- Currently serving: 29
- Quotation/W ork in process: 17
- Business for short period: 9
- Total number served by TEL: 55
NGO/Development agencies:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 91
- Currently serving: 4
- Quotation/W ork in process: 10
- Business for short period: 5
- Total number served by TEL: 19
Group of industries:
- Total numbers o f firms in the industry: 156
- Currently serving: 23
- Quotation/W ork in process: 13
- Business for short period: 24
- Total number served by TEL: 60
In total we have listed 1508 firms from all over the industries. And among those 189firms are currently served by TEL. The numbers o f firms, which are already given quotation by TEL, are 136 firms. And the businesses for short period were done with 149 firms.
So, the overall picture o f TEL serving the industry would be like this:
- Percentage of work in process/quotation: 9%
- Percentage of businesses for short period: 10%
- Percentage of currently serving firms: 12%
Conclusion
The research has tried to concentrate on the basic o f electronics market, the market size and potentiality. Coming in this far, I hope this is clearly visible that there is a thousand crore taka market is waiting out there. But it shall not come in cheap. TEL will have to fight for it and concentrate more on the long term profitability. There is also a concern o f newly emerged cheap Asian brand who are proved to be very strong competitor. TEL Institution Business Department has to develop wise, brand image oriented strategies to tackle them.
