PETALING JAYA: Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s wholesale arm Alibaba.com, has reiterated its commitment to helping Malaysia’s micro, small, and medium-sized businesses (MSME) in the global digital economy.
In today’s fast-paced digital world, it is no longer a question of whether a company should embrace online channels to grow its business, but rather how and to what extent. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift towards e-commerce and digital solutions, and companies that fail to adapt risk being left behind.
Nianci Phang, a Malaysian-born woman leading Alibaba.com’s marketing and business development in Asia Pacific is truly passionate about e-commerce and technology.
Her skills, acquired over a decade working in the e-commerce and technology industry, are utilised to help Malaysian MSME identify opportunities to expand their global reach, particularly in the realm of business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce.
“I find high personal significance in doing what I do because when I help the MSME export better and faster via the e-commerce platform, I’m directly contributing to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). However, when we consider the entire MSME contribution towards exports, it still accounts for quite a small portion,” she said in an interview with SunBiz in conjunction with International Women’s Day that has a global theme #DigitALL.
She understands that there are challenges for these MSME when it comes to leveraging B2B e-commerce.
“Unfortunately, many of these companies are intimidated by e-commerce, especially in the B2B realm. While we as daily consumers are comfortable using digital technology to make purchases for ourselves, it’s a different story when it comes to the supply chain.
“Many MSME struggle to leverage B2B e-commerce and don’t know where to start. This is particularly true for smaller-scale businesses, where the challenges of going global can seem insurmountable. It’s clear that these companies need guidance and support to develop effective strategies for expanding their reach and thrive in the digital marketplace,” she said.
Traditionally, global trade has been dominated by big players with lots of resources. However, the internet and e-commerce have lowered the barriers to entry for small and medium-sized firms.
Nianci stressed that it’s essential for every company, regardless of size, to plan for the future in terms of how their online channels will shape.
“Our platform empowers small and medium-sized businesses by connecting them with global buyers through efficient online channels, reducing reliance on traditional methods like trade shows and factory visits. Though we recognise the importance of larger enterprises, we prioritise supporting small businesses.
“The beauty of e-commerce is that you typically don’t need a large team to support your online business. What you need is to upskill and retrain your existing team with e-commerce operations skills, which could be different from the skill sets they have, especially if they have a more traditional approach to business.
“That’s why we’ve partnered with MDEC and Matrade to provide assistance and support,” she said.
Alibaba.com has teamed up with Matrade and MDEC for the Pandemic Recovery Support Programme to help the country’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) build up their cross-border e-commerce capabilities. They have also launched an online Halal Pavilion to help Malaysian SME strengthen their foothold in the international halal market as halal product buyers are increasingly turning to e-commerce.
Source: https://www.thesundaily.my/business/alibaba-committed-to-helping-malaysian-msme-JE10720867