[ad_1]
A.D. From 1992 to 2017, he was the CEO of PT Arta Boga Semerlang, Indonesia’s fast-moving consumer goods industry (FMCG). The company was established from 1992 to 2017. Conglomerate behind popular brands such as Tango wafers and Formula toothpaste.
Stevensang has decided to retire after a quarter of a century of experience as CEO. But With the launch of GudangAda’s B2B FMCG e-commerce platform in 2018, Indonesia’s tech start-up scene resurfaced.
“Eighty percent of FMCG transactions are based on traditional retailers, especially small and medium-sized retailers, but most do not accept the technology,” Stevenson said. CASIA In a recent interview. “Indonesia’s FMCG key players, including big name executives and wholesalers, have been running their businesses for decades, but they don’t know much about digital solutions.”
Traditional FMCG wholesalers and retailers rely on door-to-door vendors to sell their products, Stevensang said. This often translates into prohibitive costs, because it takes vendors to work step-by-step with the business process and build sales networks at least six months. “Not to mention the sales team. It often has a high volume of sales. The supply chain of wholesalers and retailers is increasing every year, but their productivity has stopped.
GudangAda has three types of customers — principals who are FMCG companies or manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. Warns. GudangAda connects these customers to a single platform. According to Stevensang, 3 million Indonesian traditional retailers have to close their businesses every time they recycle goods, which could take a full day. As the platform offers a wider range of product options and improves prices, retailers can speed up sales and improve order management.
Meanwhile, principals and wholesalers are looking for fewer sales people, so you can get more customers through the GudangAda platform.
Stevensang added, “We also provide insights to retailers. They know what products are currently in demand, so they can better facilitate sales.”
The startup says 60,000 wholesalers and about 250,000 small and medium retailers are distributed in 500 Indonesian cities. Chief Executive Officer Gudadanga said the volume of sales in the third quarter was higher than the second quarter, which is more than double the first. Stevensang admits his relationship with major players built over the years has been beneficial to land partnerships with wholesalers and principals.
“I believe this is the right time to enter the start-up scene, because I understand the pain and challenges in this industry. I have established and maintained networks with other industry players. Good communication and mutual trust are important in this business,” Stevensang said.
GudangAda has closed two funding rounds this year, with Alpha JWC Ventures and Wavemaker Partners in seed races for $ 10.5 million, plus $ 25.4 million for Alpha JWC, Sekoya Capital India and Wavemaker Partners.
However, according to Stevensang, it is often difficult to persuade retailers to use digital solutions. To address this challenge, the beginner has a field team in each of the cities where these workers work. “Most retailers, especially those living outside of major cities, are not tech-savvy, so a combination of technology and human presentation is important. We have about 900 team members. Most are part of a field team set up in hundreds of cities.”
In the future, the company plans to work in more business establishments. This point of sale includes feature, financial services to assist small and medium retailers, as well as digital marketing and advertising solutions for principals. “Our vision for the future is to have a one-time solution in the B2B business,” Stevensang said.
To make this plan a reality, the organization is ready to raise more money in the first quarter of 2021. “Above all, we want to find strategic partners to help build our ecosystem,” said Stevensang. GudangAda aims to have 750,000 users by the end of 2021.
“The COVID-19 epidemic has accelerated digital adoption in many businesses, including those in the FMCG retail. I believe the trend will continue after the outbreak, so we have full confidence in our plans for next year. ”
This article is part of KrASIA’s “Startup Stories” series, where KrASIA writers talk to the founders of technology companies in South and Southeast Asia.
[ad_2]
Source link
