FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE…

While I was listening to Prof. Alampay last Friday in class, I realized that indeed the internet holds a vast potential to help small and medium business in the country. It will cut the middle-man (cost reduction), it will cut purchase time (cost reduction), widens client base (increase profit), widens supplier base (cost reduction), etc.

Being a “probisyana” myself and having a younger sister who just recently started her own business, I understand the difficulties of small businesses in the country side. I am from a city called Malaybalay and contrary to what people might think, we no longer live on trees. (No offense intended but I was actually asked that question when I was in college, I don’t recall from where or who that person was, and personally I do not care.) Our city is what you would describe to be quaint but not ancient, and even in this age there is difficulty looking for certain supplies, businessmen in the locality have not grasped the concept of specialty shops. Even the SM grocery in Cagayan de Oro is not stocked with the same products you find here in the metro, one time she asked me to take home Balsamic Vinegar.

I have always found the internet as a good avenue for suppliers and consumers to meet. I worked for this printing press once and my boss tried to get some supplies from China, where according to him materials always cost less. The venue to communicate with these suppliers who are far away is already in place, in a click you can send them your order, in a click they can confirm it and in a click it can be paid for and shipped.

This “clicking “ in reality is no easy feat, when here is language barrier between the parties involved. In these exchange of messages there is bound to be misunderstanding especially on minute important specifications, take this communication from a supplier:

Our engineer told me the the barcode should be ------------, or it should be ----------,and you should let me know it is ---- or -----.

It’s a little confusing, whether the supplier was told by their engineer that there are two kinds of barcode specifications or whether the supplier is trying to confirm which is the right type. I know this example is a little nit picking but take for example a local consumer not proficient in English and a supplier of another country also not proficient in English and they are trying to contract in English. There is bound to be communication failure, and the wrong stork might bring the wrong baby to the right mother.

phoebe hidalgo entry #3