You get the feeling that no-one was more surprised than Dr Robert Yap himself to discover his passion for the logistics industry. “As the eldest boy in the family, my father obviously wanted me to join the business he founded,” the Executive Chairman of YCH Group says. An almost fond usage of the word ‘forced’ peppers the recollection of the start of his supply-chain career. “I had every intention of helping out for one or two years, but I ended up getting stuck and have been in the business ever since.”
That was 40 years ago and, under his direction, the company has grown from a simple passenger transportation company in Singapore to become Asia–Pacific’s leading logistics and supply-chain company, a partner to many of the multinational corporations with operations in South East Asia. When asked what he loves most about his job, Robert is quick to retort with “What job?”
“People are always asking me why I work so hard and I say, ‘I’m not working; I’m playing’, because it’s fun.” It’s a sentiment you’d expect to hear from a professional sportsman or stage actor. But that’s the point. Robert, you see, is on a mission to change the way his industry is perceived. “A lot of people regard logistics and supply chain as a very dour, boring industry. I thought so myself before I joined the company,” he admits.
Never a dull moment
In being “forced to take over the company”, however, his passion was unleashed. “If you are really immersed in the logistics and supply-chain industry, there’s never a dull moment. Something will inevitably go wrong, so how you react, how you prevent it from happening again, how you share what you’ve learned with your team — these are all the things that make the job.” He believes there’s never been a better moment to join the industry.
“It is growing in leaps and bounds. We’re really involved in a very critical stage for many businesses,” he says, “so you learn a lot. You learn to be very responsible because, if anything goes wrong, it creates havoc across the entire industry.” He laughs the knowing laugh of someone who has seen it all before, and more. “What I tell my colleagues when they first enter the industry is be prepared for bitter first. The sweet will come, but they must be prepared to work hard, to immerse themselves, to learn to understand the responsibility they hold in the entire value chain.”
The potential reward is enormous. “If a young person enters the company and builds their expertise, they get to play in all different types of verticals, from pharmaceuticals to chemicals, electronics and consumer goods. The person who moves up to the senior levels could easily become CEO of a logistics company or many other companies, because of the depth of experiences they have.”
Awarded Businessman of the Year at the Singapore Business Awards 2016, Robert has used his high profile for a number of initiatives to attract talent to the industry. Along with a strong mentoring platform, the company has partnered with the Supply Chain and Logistics Academy (known as SCALA®) to offer practical exposure to complement the academic curriculum. “I’m also the founding chairman of the Supply Chain Asia community, which has more than 30,000 members,” he says, speaking of the influential supply-chain professionals platform he’s proud to have created — “a community which allows them to connect and collaborate towards new innovations.”
You learn to be very responsible because, if anything goes wrong, it creates havoc across the entire industry. – Dr Robert Yap
An aptitude for technology
Robert admits that, initially, his passion lay elsewhere. “If I wasn’t forced into the family business, I would be in IT,” he says. He’s managed, however, to integrate his aptitude for technology into the business and is using it to “make the industry sexier, more exciting, and more challenging.”
His use of drones is one such example. “Take inventory counting, which is a necessity but very boring,” he says honestly. “I’m trying to create very smart solutions by using drones to count inventories.” By automating the mundane tasks, the role has the potential to become more challenging. “Instead of physically counting stock, the job becomes about managing how the inventory is being counted. At the same time, with drones flying around the warehouses, it’s definitely more exciting.”
Moving the business to the next level has been a hallmark of his leadership. “I believe we really are one of the movers and shakers in trying to shape the industry,” he says. YCH Group is one of the few companies in the region to offer what is known in supply-chain and logistics jargon as 7PL, the combination of 3PL (logistic services) and 4PL (consulting and solution services). “Because of our experience, we understand the marketplace. We’ve built a huge network across Asia–Pacific with depth and penetration into each market. We offer our customers a lot of insight into the local conditions and are able to help bring their product very quickly and efficiently into the market they desire.”
He highlights a recent project for Dell computers where his team was charged with establishing four hubs in India. “We set it up to be fully operational in 90 days, without a hitch. Now, that’s a record. No-one has ever beaten that.”
RISE: reliability, integrity, sincerity and enterprise
After four decades at the helm of the company business, the enormous pride he feels in the company’s achievements is evident throughout the conversation. He is also, at times, refreshingly pragmatic. “As a company, we’re guided by our corporate philosophy, RISE, an acronym for reliability, integrity, sincerity and enterprise. Reliability for, well, we are a logistics company. If we are not reliable, nobody will do business with us. It’s a given.”
Integrity and sincerity reflect the nature of the company’s relationships with suppliers. “We have access to billions of dollars’ worth of goods and classified company information. We must have integrity in the way we manage that. After all, our partners are like family; we plan to grow old with them.”
The most important element, however, is left until last. “Enterprise is about being ready to look at new things, not resting on our laurels. In a company, complacency is what kills you. If you are good, you end up being complacent. If you are complacent, then you will soon end up dead.” YCH Group is a strictly complacency-free zone. “When I find people are being complacent, I’ll create a disaster scenario. That wakes them all up,” he laughs. “Staying two steps ahead of the competition is at the core of the organisation. We believe innovation is about survival, not just innovation for innovation’s sake.”
The company was recently recognised for its dedication and leadership when it was named the Overall Supply Chain Partner of the Year at the Supply Chain Asia Industry Night 2016. Robert’s mission now is the Logistics Superhighway™, which will integrate “three flows: the physical, the informational and the financial”. Supply Chain City, the company’s regional headquarters, is the futuristic hub that features the patented Fusionaris™ solution with the largest Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) in Asia.
Robert promises an “icon for supply chain in Asia and a melting pot for industry professionals to meet and collaborate”, boasting state-of-the-art technologies, research and training facilities and lifestyle spaces. Bursting with a passion he wants everyone to share, thanks to Robert the words ‘dour’ and ‘boring’ will never be associated with supply chain and logistics again.