[Field Study 3: DKSH Distribution Center]

 Field study to DKSH Distribution Center

The third field study of CIBC 9th  Generation was conducted on Saturday the 4th of March 2023, at DKSH Distribution Center in Chaom Chao district, Phnom Penh. It was planned and coordinated by the Management team and joined by members of the club as well as our trusted advisors. This field study was guided by the HR employees of DKSH, Mr. Visal and Ms. Dana. DKSH Cambodia is a part of a global FMCG company which has its foothold in many different countries in Asia, and has established its name long ago in the Asian Market. 

Purpose

During this visit, we aim to;

• Learn the history of DKSH global

• Discover how DKSH grew and expanded itself into the Asian Market 

• Connect with new people 

• Learn about the process of a distribution center of one of the largest FMCG company

• Find out new and innovative ways to communicate, work and plan as a team

DKSH

DKSH was established in 1865, has a history of over 160 years, founded by Swiss entrepreneurs such as Wilhelm Heinrich Diethelm, Eduard Anton Keller, and Hermann Siber Hegner. Their target was the Asia Pacific region, and has 4 business units under their multinational corporation. Those include Healthcare, Fast Moving Consumer goods, Performance materials and technology. When people hear of this corporation, most would think this is a pharmaceutical company however, it is actually more than that, as they are involved in far more things behind the scenes that most are oblivious to. Their company grew and stayed this strong because of their strong work ethics as well as employee care. They have strived to always be compliant to laws and regulations as well as encouraged growth, innovations and cooperation among employees. 

Trip Summary 

The trip started off at 8 am, when everyone met up at school and met up with Mr. Prumho Visal, an employee of DKSH Human Resource department, and got on the bus assigned by the company to the distribution center. When we arrived, we were led to register for our guest pass and got situated in the meeting room. We were greeted by Ms. Dana, an employee of HR as well, who introduced to us our agenda for the visit, as well as welcoming everyone warmly with refreshments and snacks.

 The first speaker was Ms. Thoun Chansoyavatey, the Country Finance Director of DKSH, in which she introduced herself, her roles, and her journey with DKSH. On top of that, she elaborated on the different roles that DKSH actually plays in the Asian Market and in different firms. She allows us to change our perspectives of DKSH being just a pharmaceutical company when it is actually a Market Expansion service industry and has tackled many products with a long history. 

After that, we had our fair share of fun activities and games to lighten up the mood and moved on to Mrs. Laline, a Business partner of DKSH. Mrs. Laline explained to us her role in DKSH as well as her timeline and background over the years as Camed alumni and hoped to see our students flourish with DKSH. She had an interesting analogy with an accountant wanting to be a pilot, the steps we could take on from being the reporter, controller, and influencer to a business partner, implying that nothing is impossible if we try hard enough. 

We then moved on with Mr. Rainsey and his team to take a tour of the distribution center where we saw the performance board, the safety measures they took in case of emergency as well as the action of employees in that center. He explained the routine, and process of each group of employees and how the warehouse operates explained some of the products they choose to distribute, as well as their inventory valuation using FEFO (First Expired First Out). We then ended our field study with a group picture and followed the lead of Mr. Visal to get back to school.