5.0 My Reflections Week 1- Week 2 5th Jan-16th Jan

For the first working day, I was assigned to work in the Credit Control Department by one of the manager. Basically, Credit Control Department serves an important role in a company as most of the customers’ outstanding payments are handling by the Credit Control Department. It would be useful for me to work in Credit Control Department as I am in Finance and Economics course at the moment. In my department, there are 5 workers which is including of 3 full timers and 2 interns. I felt great when I got to know that another intern is my senior who is from Finance and Economics course as well. Therefore, we don’t have any communication gap to each other during the first day we met and greet each other. Another thing which I felt bless during my first working week was one of the full time colleague who name Cik Hasliza always taught and led me about what should I do in the Credit Control Department.

On my first day, I was given a set of aging report regarding all the outstanding payments of customers in each region. Besides aging report, my full time colleague had given a set of credit control report to me as well. The aging report contains up-to-date outstanding payments of all customers in each region. The credit control is about those remarks that had been made regarding of the payment status. However the courier service of Yamato Transport only covers 30%-40% of region in Malaysia. As time passes, the company will expand their coverage areas to even more than that figure.

I was assigned by Cik Hasliza to in charge of the outstanding payments in Kepong and Melaka region. What are the tasks which I need to do was called up customers to ask them for their outstanding payments based on the credit control and aging report. In the other hand, things always happen out of expectation. I did get scolded by some impolite yet impatient customers. Customers claimed that their requests are always being ignored by the call centre but when it comes to payment, staffs from credit control department always ask for their payments on time based on 30 days terms basis.

Other than calling up customers to ask for their payments, me and another intern who is from Taylors Lakeside campus need to extract the softcopy of invoices from the system and email accordingly to each customer. One thing I think the system is not systematic enough as the invoices are not categorize based on region, so in order for us to extract the invoices, we had to get one by one based on each customer code. It is time consuming , things would be much more efficient if the system itself could be improved.

Another intern and I had done the so called ‘invoicing’ task for 5 days. After done emailing all the invoices to customers, we were told to call up all the customers if they received the hardcopy or softcopy of invoices. Our team had daily meetings early in the morning. Topics and things that we discussed during meeting are how much debts are still pending daily based on the updated daily aging report, what is our team’s target on the total outstanding debts and what are the solutions we should imply on those customers who refuse to pay off their outstanding payments. Basically, that’s what I had experienced for the first 2 weeks of internship in credit control department. 

4.0 My Roles & Responsibilities

Regarding of my roles and responsibilities , I had been working in two different departments due to lack of manpower in the company. During my interview, I was being interviewed by Ms. Adeline who is the Sales Manager in Yamato , after some Q&A session during the interview. I was being offered a position in Credit Control department. Due to some manpower arrangement in Yamato , I was transferred to Sales & Marketing department after two weeks time till the end of my internship.

Credit Control Department
In Credit Control department , basically my role is to follow up customers' outstanding payment, issue invoices , make amendment on credit notes , help customers with their issues on payment. My manager in Credit Control Department is a Japanese whose name is Takeshi Kitaoka and he is the General Manager of Yamato company as well.

Sales & Marketing Department
In Sales & Marketing Department, my role is to answer customers' enquiries, prepare quotation, submit quotation for potential customers, print waybills for corporate customers, pick packing magazine or reading materials for clients, cool calling potential customers and meet up and deal with clients. Meanwhile, Ms. Adeline is manager of Sales & Marketing department.

Call Centre Department
In Call Centre Department, I'd learnt how to arrange pick up parcel for customers , how to handle customers' complains, how to assist customers with their lost and damaged parcels.

3.0 Company Background/Profile

Originally formed as Yamato Transport in 1919, TA-Q-BIN has become an important social infrastructure by creating more convenient lifestyles through innovative logistics systems. 
TA-Q-BIN which means "personal express delivery" in Japanese, is Japan's leading logistics specialist, covering an array of transport services under the Yamato Group.

TA-Q-BIN logo portrays a black female cat carrying its kitten. This significant image represents the culture and professionalism in which TA-Q-BIN treats all of its deliveries. This logo is carried on all TA-Q-BIN trucks and TA-Q-BIN agents, which are found at most convenience and retail stores in Japan, Taiwan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and now, Malaysia.

Company Precepts & Philosophy 
1. We ‘all’ represent the company
2. We deliver with a personal touch
3. We work with gratitude and politeness

The Yamato Group consists of Yamato Holdings Co. Ltd, 45 subsidiaries, and 9 affiliated companies; the Yamato Group is primarily involved in seven business segments including:

Delivery
The Delivery business is involved in small parcel delivery services for the general public and corporations that centre on TA-Q-BIN and Kuroneko Mail. The business has also quickly introduced to the market high value-added services developed from the customer's point of view, such as Cool TA-Q-BIN and TA-Q-BIN Collect.

BIZ- Logistics
BIZ-Logistics handles logistics and other B2B distribution operations. BIZ-Logistics helps its corporate clients manage their supply chains by providing innovative logistics services and reducing total costs, and presents proposals for optimized logistics systems.

E-Business

Based on three keywords namely "tracking", "security" and "packages", e-Business is involved in a range of information services for corporations, including the ASP services and information system development.

Financial
The Financial business includes settlement and other financial services targeted at consumers and business customers, beginning with mail order firms. The business offers several types of settlement methods, including payment on delivery and payment by credit card.

Truck Maintenance
This business mainly comprises maintenance of trucks and other vehicles for transportation companies.

Other Businesses
Other businesses under the Yamato Group include a broad range of shared services, including highway transportation and personnel placement services.

2.0 My Internship Preparations

Selection of Company
Before we started our internship, we were told by the Career Service Centre which is helping all the students with the application regarding of the internship that a full name list survey form of established companies will be uploaded to our students' portal. Student who were undergone internship had to fill up the top 3 prioritized companies that we would like to do our internship in. I had chosen Ernst & Young for my 1st choice, Deloitte for 2nd choice and followed by KPMG for my 3rd choice. Unfortunately, I wasn't chosen as I had been waiting the responses from these companies for so long. Out of my mind, I tried to seek my 'luck' for jobstreet , end up I'd submitted my resume to Yamato Transport (M) Sdn Bhd. After a few days, I got a call from Yamato company and I was arranged to have an interview with the person in charge. 

Workshops & Trainings
Before we went out to the real world and do our internship, all students who undergone internship required to attend workshops and trainings in the lecture halls continously for few weeks. One of the reasons that the workshops and trainings were provided by Taylor's University was to help the students better preparing for the challengers and obstacles which might be met during the internship. The workshops and trainings had given me an idea on how to work ethically in a company, what are the things or issues need to beware of and how can my internship be useful in the future. Throughout all these workshops and trainings, it gave a even more confidence to work in Yamato company.

Setting Expectations / Goals
Before I step into the actual working place, I had been thinking each department will be separated with each other in a company. On the first day when I reporting myself to the company, it had totally cleared the wonders in my mind. All desks are joined together between each other and the each different department wasn't that big as what I was expecting. Overall, it is a good experience to work in a logistic company as I get to how does the operation actually work. Previously I was a little 'shy' boy when it comes to talking with strangers, as time passes in that company, I had successfully to train myself get rid of this issue as I had to make lots of phone calls in a single day when working in a logistic company.

1.0 Biodata- Lim Kean Gim

Name: Lim Kean Gim
Gender: Male
Date of birth: 15th April 1993

Nationality: Malaysian

Education level:

Bachelor of Business (Honours) (Finance & Economics) - Taylor's Business School

Diploma in Business Studies - Disted Stamford College 

My Ambition:
My ambition is to be a business man who can involve in many commerce activities in future.I believe with all the knowledge which I am learning and pursuing right now, I can do it even better in the real commercial world with all the concepts and theories that I learn from each single module which I had done and I am doing right now. 

Internship Company: Yamato Transport (M) Sdn Bhd

Contact Details: limkeangim@hotmail.com