Discover how Velocity helped an HK-based candy manufacturer and import/export business set up its IT infrastructure – helping to scale its operations and enter new markets since 2009.
About Sixfifteen Imports-Exports Ltd
Founded in 1976, Hong Kong-based Sixfifteen Imports – Exports Ltd is the worldwide distributor of SINA Ginger Chews, a ginger candy confection. SINA Ginger Chews are sold in over 20 countries, and can mainly be found in oriental and health food stores.
The company also produces co-branded and white label products for international ginger confectionery brands. Domestically, Sixfifteen has been distributing Southeast Asian foods and beverages to supermarkets and shops in Hong Kong since the 1970s.
Sixfifteen and SINA ginger chews are both legacy businesses run by the Yueng family – with the ginger candy manufacturing arm tracing its origins to the mid 1930s. SINA ginger chews were originally manufactured in a small factory in Pasuruan, Indonesia, by Yeung Chai Huei, an immigrant from China’s Fujian province.
In the 1970s, the Yeung family started Sixfifteen, a food import and logistics business based in Hong Kong. Since then, the company has continued to expand its operations, entering new markets in Asia and the West, including the United States, Europe, and Australia.
Now under the leadership of the second and third generations, Sixfifteen’s Hong Kong day to day operations is overseen by Eugenia Yeung, the granddaughter of Yeung Chai Huei. Eugenia followed in her father’s footsteps, who retired in 2009 and came from a big corporate background where sophisticated IT was the norm. Under her leadership, the company have continued to expand into new markets and develop exciting new products. Just as crucially, Eugenia has overseen key investments in IT infrastructure and technology to power her businesses’ next stage of growth.
Why manufacturers and import/export businesses need managed IT services
Fully managed IT services – like Velocity – offer an array of services tailored to the specific needs of both manufacturers and import/export businesses.
By relying on the expertise of fully managed IT services, these businesses can:
● Boost their operational efficiency,
● Improve their cybersecurity and regulatory compliance,
● Enhance their supply chain management by integrating the IT systems used in logistics, inventory management, and order processing,
● Seamlessly execute their disaster recovery and business continuity planning.
Manufacturers and import/export businesses also handle large volumes of sensitive data – including intellectual property, customer information, and financial records. Managed IT services provide robust security measures – such as firewalls, antivirus software, and encryption – to protect this data from cyber threats.
Just as importantly, your managed IT service provider could create tailored solutions and recommend new technologies to meet your specific needs. Whether it’s developing custom applications or helping your business connect to the Peppol network to facilitate electronic invoice exchange, your managed service provider can guide every aspect of your digital transformation.
“Velocity’s expertise has been vital to Sixfifteen’s growth trajectory. We were able to increase our operational efficiency, eliminate bottlenecks, and break into new markets without compromising our security. There has also been a positive impact on productivity and profitability.”
Eugenia Yeung
Director and Deputy General Manager at Sixfifteen Imports-Exports Ltd
The IT challenges faced by Sixfifteen
Sixfifteen originally partnered with Velocity in 2009 because the company wanted to establish a robust technology infrastructure. Existing business processes were too manual – and this was negatively impacting critical areas of the business. The company was also scaling rapidly and it needed a strong IT foundation to power its next stage of development.
Business expansion challenges
“Our business was entering new markets abroad, demand for our products was increasing, and we were forging partnerships with other brands. In order to scale seamlessly, we realised that we needed to invest in our digital transformation. We believed Velocity had the experience and qualifications to help us make this transition,” notes Eugenia Yeung, Sixfifteen’s Director and Deputy General Manager.
Sixfifteen’s business expansion also meant that it had to expand beyond its warehouse and set up an office 30 minutes away. “Expanding to different locations made it even more important for us to set up a network that was both reliable and secure,” Eugenia said.
Operational inefficiencies
Existing inefficiencies were negatively impacting order fulfilment, procurement, and packaging development, among other key areas.
“Back then, we didn’t have a systematic way of managing our files, which was creating bottlenecks. For example, we were sending package design files to different stakeholders using CDs. We were constantly misplacing different versions of the files during the revision process,” Eugenia said.
“We were also experiencing a major surge in enquiries from importers. Sharing information and creating proposals takes a lot of time and effort and we weren’t responding to these enquiries in a timely manner. The inefficiencies were impacting other critical areas of the business, including procurement and inventory management.”
Key IT investment decisions and strategy
Velocity quickly went to work laying the foundation for Sixfifteen’s technology infrastructure.
“When we started working with Sixfifteen, they only had one email account from one of the local ISPs. Just one person had access to this free email account and that was how they conducted business,” notes Stuart Sanders, Velocity’s Chief Technology Officer.
“Neither did they have a domain or file server, or anything IT-wise that was needed to run an enterprise. Hence, our main goal at the start was to bring Sixfifteen into a more modern workplace Environment,” he added.
The initial IT setup included the following:
● Setting up a domain
● Creating email accounts for all of the employees
● Setting up servers
● Setting up a network (and linking all of the computers to the network)
● Setting up firewalls
● Establishing internet connectivity
Once the foundation had been established, Velocity was able to facilitate the following technology milestones:
Migration to Microsoft 365
Velocity helped the Sixfifteen team migrate to Microsoft 365 – giving them access to Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, and other productivity apps.
Sixfifteen System
Velocity supported the integration of the Sixfifteen System into the company’s technology infrastructure. The Sixfifteen System is a mobile-based sales order processing system that allows the company’s sales representatives to input client orders directly into a mobile app. This system both automates and expedites the order capture process.
Cybersecurity and network monitoring
Velocity also handles all of Sixfifteen’s cybersecurity and network monitoring. “We’ve set up all of the networking equipment and network monitoring tools,” Stuart said. “We also have endpoint detection and response (EDR) installed across the entire organisation. Our cutting-edge malware detection services leverage the power of AI, machine learning, and human analyst intelligence to identify all possible cyber threats.
“Just as importantly, we’re managing the firewalls in both the warehouse and office, making sure the connectivity between these locations is encrypted and secured.”
Results and benefits achieved
By helping Sixfifteen establish a mature technology infrastructure, the company was able to scale its operations and enter new markets securely and seamlessly.
“Velocity’s expertise has been vital to Sixfifteen’s growth trajectory. We were able to increase our operational efficiency, eliminate bottlenecks, and break into new markets without compromising our security. There has also been a positive impact on productivity and profitability, ” Eugenia said.
“What really sets Velocity apart from other managed service providers is their integrity and empathy. They genuinely care about our challenges and needs. Other vendors are more interested in maximising their earnings. Velocity’s team is very trustworthy since they don’t sell you more than you need. They provide excellent service without compromising cost efficiency.”
Positive impact on logistics and order fulfilment
By setting up a secure IT infrastricture, and integrating it with the upgraded ERP system and the Sixfifteen System, the business saw a positive impact on logistics and order fulfilment.
“Our warehouse handles logistics and ensures that the bulk orders are sent to our clients on time. Meanwhile, our office handles the sales, invoicing, and customer support. By helping us establish a secure and seamless connection between these various points, we were able to significantly improve our logistics and order fulfilment,” Eugenia said.
“We were able to automate more of our processes, enhance visibility and real time-tracking, communicate and collaborate more effectively, and make better data-driven decisions.”
Greater flexibility
Establishing modern workplace tools allowed Sixfifteen employees to work remotely. This enhanced flexibility also allowed operations to continue unabated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“What really sets Velocity apart from other managed service providers is their integrity and empathy. They genuinely care about our challenges and needs. Other vendors are more interested in maximising their earnings. Velocity’s team is very trustworthy since they don’t sell you more than you need. They provide excellent service without compromising cost efficiency.”
Eugenia Yeung
Director and Deputy General Manager at Sixfifteen Imports-Exports Ltd
What’s next in terms of IT decision-making?
Eugenia has identified the following priorities in their future IT decision-making:
Business intelligence
Eugenia wants to leverage the power of business intelligence (BI) to automate even more processes, further enhance operational efficiency and logistics, optimise the decision-making process, and reduce costs.
“BI could also help our company unlock new insights about our competitors and customers, as well as assess risks in the supply chain,” Eugenia added.
Cloud-based inventory management
Ultimately, Eugenia wants Sixfifteen to adopt a comprehensive cloud-based inventory management solution.
“This approach would further automate our inventory management. We’re currently using a manual, Excel-based process, which has its limitations. Ideally, the cloud-based solution would be bolstered by BI, predictive modelling, AI, and other technologies,” Eugenia said.
Interested in learning more about Velocity’s bespoke, fully-managed IT services? Get in touch for free consultation.
