Company / Field Visits


List of Company / Field Visits

Esquel Hong Kong
HKTV Mall Logistics Centre
Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (HACTL)
Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel & Theme Park
Hong Kong International Terminals Limited (HIT)
Hong Kong Yakult Company Limited
IKEA Distribution Centre
Kerry Logistics Network Limited
L’ Hotel Island South
Lee Kum Kee
McDonald’s Hong Kong
TAL Apparel Limited

Post Visits Student Learning Reflection

I was amazed with the three production lines at Yakults factory which supplies the customer demand for Hong Kong and Macau regions. As its product shelf life is quite short (only last for one month), it is essential for the company to have a good demand forecast as well as delivering their products just in time. This can avoid having waste and can significantly reduce its operating cost. Yakult is an excellent example of what we have learnt in operations management class as they are doing so well in demand forecasting and just-in-time delivery.

Kerry Logistics has the business with diverse customers including food and beverage, pharmaceutical, automobile, etc. The speaker gave an example about Maxim and explained the cold chain which includes all the necessary processes like the cold storage and temperature control. She also mentioned that it has to be operated 24/7. I initially thought having the temperature control system would be the major difference between food and non-food products. However, I realized that 24/7 operations could be more important factor from the operations perspective. Moreover, the video about Meatlab was intriguing as the process includes butchering, weighing, quality control, etc. All these made me to be more interested in logistics industry in a sense that it deals with different business scenarios, which adds dynamics; diversity and excitement to build up my career interests.

I realized the importance of warehouse management after visiting to the IKEA warehouse. It is difficult to have sufficient storage area at each IKEA store due to the shortage of land problem in Hong Kong. The warehouse management plays an important role in IKEA because there are many inventory items stored in their Kwai Chung warehouse.  Those inventory items need to be replenished to the IKEA stores on a timely basis. Managing warehouse effectively and efficiently is crucial to prevent the problem of out-of-stock. After the visit, I like IKEA much more as the company strikes its best effort to achieve its sustainability goals which aims at providing customer better life with lower price products. The more I understand its operations and goals, the higher the willingness for me to work there. I like their working environment and company culture. This visit has not just reinforced my subject knowledge, but also offered me another option for my career planning.

The visit to HKTV mallhas strengthened my understanding of their operations.  I was deeply impressed with its automated operational processes on their customer order fulfillment. During the guided tour in their distribution center, I was able to learn how HKTV mall processed their customer orders so efficiently  in contrasting with other online shopping platforms or other retail delivery services. They have adopted some advanced and innovative systems such as the zone picking with conveyor belts, pick- to-light system and the Carousel system. This systems allow HKTV mall to process and pick customer orders more efficiently by reducing human mistakes.

The visit to Hong Kong International Terminal (HIT) has broadened my horizon. Before the company visit, I have had no idea at all how a cargo can be loaded and controlled by staff sitting inside an office building.  Meanwhile, I feel sorry for some of their operators who are required to work at the field under some extreme weather conditions. With the implementation of a remote control system, their operators can hold multiple equipment simultaneously. The Next Generation Terminal Management System (nGen) can dispatch and handle all cargoes among different terminals to increase capacity, service and operational efficiency. The system optimizes and collaborates terminals with operational intelligences, execution and control.  It is a common belief that artificial intelligence will replace human in the future. However, I was astonished by the presenter stating, There is no fear that human will be replaced by artificial intelligence, as HIT has utilized technology as a tool, without human they are just a machine! I was inspired by their adoption of advanced technology as well as employee empowerment.  I appreciated much on this course instructor giving this golden opportunity for me to learn the best practices of operations management through the whole series of company visits.

I was amazed by the innovative products created by TAL Apparel. The products are very innovative, fashionable and functional. TAL has an all-round consideration of customers needs and preferences which enables it to attract many famous brands to do business with it. The innovations of TAL has inspired me to be creative and considerable in both doing project at school and in my future career. As a university student, this visit is a wonderful experience for me since I did not have much field trip experience before. The visit can enrich what I have learnt in the lecture. I am glad to visit such a global apparel company. As a future professional, I realized that being innovative is crucial. But most vitally is to provide value-added activities to create comparative advantages among competitors.

As a university student, we seldom have chance to visit back office operations - the kitchen of McDonalds, or to get an opportunity to hold a face to face interview with front line managers who understands the whole operations in McDonalds.  I know the restaurant is a typical example to learn about service and logistics operations.  I treasured this golden opportunity to interacting with the restaurant manager as well as observing the best practices of operations management. It was really a memorable experience for me to learn how to operate a restaurant efficiently.  The manager provided us with much information on how a restaurant outlet is operated every day and how the food is stored and processed. This sharing really provided us chances to learn more about the real-world business scenarios in hospitality and also arouse our interest in hospitality industry.

The most interesting area for this field trip I have discovered is the outlook and shape of the air cargo boxes. Instead of using a square-shaped cargo box, Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminal (HACTL)uses the one curved edges that adheres to the curved architecture of an aircraft. Thus, the capacity of an aircraft can be fully utilized. This increases the efficiency and effectiveness of transportation and reduces its operating cost as well.  HACTL seizes all the opportunities to maximize its profit, ranging from the activities as small as the design of boxes to those as big as the whole logistics flow. Through the site visit, I gained a lot of valuable insight and operational knowledge about air cargo industry.

Visiting the Lhotel Island South in Aberdeen, it allowed me to get more understanding about the daily operations and challenges that the hotel industry has been facing. During the visit, the hotel room division manager guided us to visit different types of room.  Then he gave us a brief introduction about their hotel group chain’s organizational structure and its hotel operations. I was so happy to gain more in-depth knowledge about its daily operations.  Since the location of the hotel is not so convenient for people to access, I asked the manager how he tackled with this problem. The manager admitted that the hotel location is their weakness, however, he highlighted to us that they have offered exceptional services to attract and retain their customers. I was so impressed with his insights and service excellence mindsets on how to maintain the company’s competitive edge.”

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