COVER STORY
Dazzle Textile Limited
SA HED HA SA N
MANAGING DIRECTOR
The Preferred Supplier…
Are YOU?
In exclusive one-on-one interactions with
eight buying entities – both domestic and
multinational – Apparel Online tries to
unravel the parameters which make one a
preferred supplier.
D
azzle Textile Limited
spearheaded by Sahed Hasan
as the Managing Director, is a
buying house with its very own
manufacturing unit (68 machines),
which the company plans to increase
to 1,000 machines, to cater to a rich
clientele.
RULE OF THREE
In today’s age, the selection and management of a
supplier is the key to success for any business and
more so in the garment sector, where the norms of
global business are a must for local operations. Rapidly
changing market dynamics have somewhat erased the
traditional approach to archetypal supplier-business
relationships, giving way to strategic liaisons with
increased focus on long-term business goals. Sharing a
host of joint activities, starting from information sharing
to product designing to sharing storage spaces and
many more, it has become even more essential to
recognize the suppliers as close partners rather than
just service providers.
Selecting the right supplier demands a very tactical
approach, which requires more than just scanning a
series of price lists. One has to evaluate a supplier
on wide-ranging parameters – value for money,
quality, reliability, service, product skills, customer
base, financial strength, infrastructure and machinery,
quality procedures, management attitudes, price
competitiveness, location, compliance, merchandising
efficiency, etc. – and weigh up the importance of each
of these factors based on one’s business priorities and
requirements before bestowing a supplier with the
‘preferred’ tag.
It is in this context that the supplier assessment and
evaluation becomes even more important. While the
definition of a good supplier that would be acceptable
to all is difficult to come up with as the needs of each
business are unique in themselves, there are a number of
attributes which are regarded as desirable, nonetheless.
Apparel Online, for the first time in Bangladesh, brought
together the stakeholders in this complex debate of
what makes a ‘Preferred Supplier’ to understand their
perspectives on the vital attributes which ultimately
determine who becomes a preferred supplier.
First and foremost is Sincerity,
because it is very important for any
work; second would be Commitment
(because if a supplier can maintain
his commitment, everything else will
be in place in terms of business);
and the third quality would be
Competitive Pricing.
SYNC WITH CHANGING
DYNAMICS
With changing times, everything
changes; even the buyers syncing
with the change become very
important.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE!
We are working with an
international company from Europe
and their product category is of very
high-level and a lot needs to be done
to maintain that quality. So, in this
case, my suppliers should be able to
meet the quality standards if they
want to work with us.
THE FUTURE
In the RMG sector, Bangladesh
has done a very good job and has
positive future prospects.
ADVANTAGE BD
Honesty, good quality of products
and commitment
SUPPLIER POOL
I think change is better but not in
every case. My associated suppliers
already know my product categories
14 Apparel Online Bangladesh | AUGUST 2017 | www.apparelresources.com
AO SURVEY FINDINGS
82 %
respondents agree
that the biggest
consideration for a
preferred supplier
would be defined
on the basis of
Performance
(Shipment Reliability/
Product Quality/
Compliance)
as well as the requirements. But
having said so, I think new people
also should get opportunities.
BUSINESS POLICIES
I will work with a supplier
even if its interests/policies are
somewhat different from some of
my core business principles; it’s
not mandatory that all criteria or
requirements of a supplier should
always match mine or vice-a-versa.
MAINTAINING THE EDGE
I always think that the supplier and
me are two sides of the same coin;
we are attached to each other very
closely. So, it is not possible for both
of us to work without each other.