Malaysian Companies Can Tap Opportunities At Sourcing Symposium In Berlin
FRANKFURT, Aug 24 (Bernama) -- A Frankfurt-based association of buyers representing the corporate sector not only of Germany but also a number of other countries, is keen to attract Malaysian companies to participate in a forthcoming symposium in Berlin which is dedicated to procurement and logistics, providing the visitors with a unique platform to meet those interested in sourcing products and services.
In an interview with Bernama here, Holger Hildebrandt, the chief executive officer of German Association of Materials Management, Purchasing and Logistics, popularly known by its German acronym BME, urged Malaysian companies to avail of the opportunities that would be presented at the 45th Symposium on Purchasing and Logistics from November 10 to 12, which will have a large turnout of top "Our association has about 7,500 members whom we keep informed and updated on purchasing and logistics. We are always looking for new purchasing possibilities abroad.
"Though cost is important, we pay great attention to stability, reliability and other factors to determine the suitability of suppliers," he said, explaining the criteria used by his association before it recommends any suppliers to buyers.
The sourcing phenomenon applies mainly to China and India but there are also many in the German industry who are keen to diversify their purchasing sources because sheer business prudence dictates that one should not put all the eggs in one basket.
Hildebrandt recalled that a former president of the association had visited Malaysia and had come back with some "very positive impressions" about the country.
He said Malaysia is already known in Germany for its electronic and electrical products as also for its petrochemical products.
"Malaysia seems to have demonstrated stability and reliability in terms of supplying electronic and electrical products, petrochemicals, etc," he said, adding that he was in "close contact" with the Frankfurt-based Malaysian Trade Commissioner in Germany Mohd Sabri Ab Rahman, who is trying to organise a visit by a delegation of German buyers to Malaysia and establish contacts with suppliers.
The emphasis of sourcing will not be just on the information technology sector -- this will be a tough call considering India's uncontested lead in this field -- but also on other segments of the industry in which Malaysia has its traditional strengths.
Though it may not exactly be a low-cost producing site, Malaysia clearly has an edge over both India and China by virtue of its value-added attributes.
Also, because of their sheer size and other problems, dealing with India and China can sometimes create challenges of getting the right quality at the right time.
Their inability to provide a modern, well-functioning infrastructure, despite 63 years of independence, makes Indian political leaders appear in poor light.
India also suffers from a high rate of attrition, particularly in the IT sector, often leading to problems for foreign buyers who have to sometimes deal with the situation afresh or, to use a frequently heard phrase, "start all over again from zero".
In the case of China, the problem is further compounded by poor communication because most Chinese suppliers have meager knowledge of English, though this is rapidly changing as more and more Chinese suppliers are rapidly acquiring English language skills.
At the forthcoming symposium, Sabri has been invited to speak on "Malaysia -- a growing market in a growing area" under the broad theme "Development of Global Markets 2010".
Sabri told Bernama that he is trying to organise a delegation of 15 Malaysian companies to attend the Berlin symposium, comprising suppliers in the aerospace industry, electronic and electrical industry, biotechnology, etc.
These are some of the industries which will be represented at the Berlin symposium. Companies from China, India and other Asian countries are also expected to attend the symposium.
Hildebrandt said that even though many of the association's member companies were not familiar with Malaysia, his task was to provide them with the latest information on sourcing.
Olaf Holzgrete, who is BME's global project manager, emphasised that the association was keen to build up partnerships with Malaysians. "Our contact with Matrade (in Frankfurt) is the first step in that direction," he said.
The association has been touting the symposium as the largest purchasing congress in Europe.
The organisers claim that its symposium held last year attracted more than 2,000 participants and over 100 exhibitors.
"The aim of the 'Global Sourcing - BME Special Conference' is to building bridges across markets and create an information hub on Asia, Europe and China, offering highly qualified information as well as enabling our international partners to open up new business opportunities and initiate new business contacts," Holzgrete said.
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