EXPORT FOCUS-PORTFOLIO

Antoan Lyamov
 Table of Contents

I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3

II. Chapter 1-Description international supply chain……………………………………………………………………………………………………….4

III. Chapter 2-Personal experience with international supply chain (management)…………………………………………………………..5

IV. Chapter 3- Plastic flip-flop profile & trends in the plastic flip-flop industry………………………………………………………………..6

V. Chapter 4-Country analyses nodes flip-flop trail………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7

VI. Chapter 5- Getting a deal done……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….8

VII. Chapter 6-Exposure to other cultures……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9

VIII. Chapter 7-Book review Connectography, Parag Khanna…………………………………………………………………………………………10

IX. Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………11

X. Appendix 1……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..12

XI. Appendix 2…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….16

XII. Appendix 3……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………17

XIII. Appendix 4………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….22

XIV. Reference List…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….25

 I. Introduction
The purpose of this report is to point out all the acquired knowledge and skills that I have been able to
obtain or improve on throughout the course of Export-Focus. By expressing my reflection on each
assignment that I had to complete both solo and in a group, I believe I was able to put forward all the
elements that I have found interesting in each and every assignment.

My expectations before starting the course were generally having assignments and group work that will
prove complementary to these in the main export course as well as maybe gaining more experience in
working in a group.

The report has been structured in the following way:

• 7 individual chapters containing my personal reflection on the work that had to be completed in
each assignment

• 4 appendixes containing the raw information that was used in the presentations of my group
and also assignment ‘’Getting a deal done”

• Concluding remarks about the course and personal suggestion

 II. Chapter 1
Description international supply chain

When it comes to describing an international supply chain my group and I chose a vehicle one, more
specifically we decided for it to be for one of our favorite car brands- Toyota.

While doing research on the supply chain steps, I was quite surprised from the actual complexity and
cooperation that is needed in every single stage from the start of the chain to the end. Personally, I
knew that it was quite the difficult task to operate such a gigantic supply chain, but the more I dove
deeper the more interesting it was. One factor that I noticed was the sheer number of companies with
which Toyota needed to work together with in order to create a whole working vehicle from just raw
materials-more than 200 to be exact.

Another interesting occurrence was that by having the ITO model in mind I could also clearly see and
differentiate each and every moment of input, transformation and output in each node, something that
I did not pay that much attention to prior. The final aspect that I found intriguing was the very end of the
supply chain or the recycling part in which I gathered new knowledge on how much the company
actually prioritizes reusing materials. This was something unexpected for me as I have never before
really given it a though on what actually happens with old, unused or malfunctioning cars. I had an idea
about them being recycled but definitely not to the magnitude that Toyota does it.

To sum up, this assignment gave me new insight on a topic that now after having done my research on,
have noticed that I was lacking considerable knowledge. It gave me an idea of a supply chain structure
that would most likely be similar to other vehicle manufacturers besides Toyota, thus broadening my
view on international supply chains substantially.
 III. Chapter 2
Personal experience with international supply chain
(management)
When it comes to having personal experience with an international supply chain, I am in fact quite
unexperienced as my family has not worked in such field of business, thus throughout my life my
knowledge on global business came mainly from the internet. Then only person that I have been in
touch with, who somewhat has international business experience is a friend of mine, who started a
small business of his from scratch.

The business basically involved buying bracelet parts in bulk from suppliers in China, delivering them to
Bulgaria and then selling them on various platforms to both Bulgarian and international customers. He
would first pick out the suppliers by filtering them in terms of aspects such as price, quality, and reviews,
after that he would purchase a certain number of materials that was according to his sales estimations.
After the goods arrive at his home, he would make the bracelets in many models and designs after
which he would post them on the selling platforms with a catchy title and of course advertising his
products as high-quality and unique. After he receives an order, he would simply pack them up, throw in
a bonus such as a thank you card or other forms of ‘’freebies’’ and ship them via couriers to the location
of the customer. Although not a complex international supply chain, it proved quite profitable for him
for the period that he conducted this kind of business, and it also gave him valuable experience in the
fields of marketing and international trade as a whole.
 IV. Chapter 3
Plastic flip-flop profile & trends in the plastic flip-flop
industry

The assignment concerning this chapter made me do more research on a piece of footwear that I have
consistently seen on the regular-the flip flops, for the backstory and production of which I had never
really put much mind to.

I found it interesting to learn about the utilization of flip flops in different time periods dating all the
way back from ninth century Japan, to the 1930’s in Hawaii, 1950’s in California beach and surfer culture
and of course to present day.

Another intriguing aspect was the connection between oil and geopolitics as a whole, as this relationship
creates quite complex and tense situations between countries, which in terms decides ‘’where the oil
flows’’. The final interesting elements is the technology used for extracting this oil in order to make the
flip flops. Via the use of innovation such as fracking and seismic imaging people can now recover
previously unrecoverable oil.
 V. Chapter 4
Country analyses nodes flip-flop trail
This chapter was an eye-opener for me in terms of truly seeing how global the manufacturing of such a
simple item can be. From Kuwait to South Korea to China and ending in Ethiopia, each supply chain node
had their advantage and disadvantage making it quite diverse and in addition to learning about
production I also got to get some insight on the countries themselves and also the life there.

I found it interesting how different for example are Kuwait and Ethiopia even though they are a part of
the same supply chain- Kuwait having a high GDP and people there living lavishly and sparkling with gold
and Ethiopia not even having adequate infrastructure such as roads to make transportation more
accessible and efficient. Learning about how Ethiopians smuggle goods and also make a living out of
picking trash was also intriguing.

All in all I really enjoyed the global aspect of this chapter as it made it quite diverse and filled with
different kinds of information from manufacturing to culture.
 VI. Chapter 5
Getting a deal done
This was without a doubt the highlight of the course for me and is by far my favorite part of it. My group
and I had an amazing interview with Mr. Meijering about an international business deal of his that went
terribly wrong due to a misreading mistake due to lack of attention that resulted in a huge problem.

There were so many elements of the business world that I observed throughout the interview and also
lessons that I can apply myself so that I do not make the same blunder as him. Of course the main moral
to the story was just to double and triple check your instruction before going out to execute them but
for me it was definitely more than that as I got to take note on more personal as well as professional
skills that I could improve on in order to be a better professional in the future such as being transparent
about your mistakes, keeping your cool no matter how dire the situation might be as the more you panic
the less solutions you see. I also learnt how truly important is to be able to use your acquired skills and
knowledge in order to improvise as that can open many opportunities for fixing an error.
 VII. Chapter 6
Exposure to other cultures
This chapter was I enjoyable experience as I got to communicate with my classmates on the way
different cultures handle business around the world in places that they have visited, which many of
them I have not. It was also nice to able to connect what I have observed previously in cultures to the
way they do business and although I have not visited many places, the ones that I have, have a night and
day difference when it comes to conducting business. The example that I am about to present is by
comparing Greece and Russia.

The most obvious difference that I noticed was the punctuality, work ethic and definitely the way both
nations generally view business. The Greeks had a leisure approach to business- sitting most of the time,
telling jokes and overall resting quite often, while the Russians were more serious about business
tenfold and were extremely punctual and respecting of regulation and rules.

A third country that I would like to mention where business is done in a fascinating way for me is
Turkey. The element that I found quite surprising was the culture of bargaining, which if done in Greece
or especially Russia it would come out as disrespectful and offensive, whereas in Turkey the local
businessman and dealers would feel bored and offended if you didn’t negotiate prices and discounts
with them. This is definitely a skill that I am mot personally that good at as I would rather follow stricter
rules and regulations and I would also find it a bit disrespectful if someone asked for a lower price for
my work, but people such as my father thrive in this, thus he earned a lot of respect from the locals who
really enjoyed his bargaining skills plus thanks to him my family and I got to purchase some items on
quite the hefty discount.
 VIII. Chapter 7
Book review Connectography, Parag Khanna
This chapter and book about ‘’Connectogrpahy’’ accompanying it definitely brings forwards an
interesting concept in my opinion. A few main keywords that I can point out that in my mind that
summarize the main aspects of the book are global supply chain, ‘’big picture’’, global connectivity.

The global supply chain is interesting to me as although there are around 195 countries on planet Earth
as of now, even if some countries find others more preferable to deal business with, in the end there is
still a deep connection between all of them in one way or another. This is something mind boggling to
truly think about as if you indeed look at the big picture you can truly see the complexity and precision
required for nations to be able to operate on such a global level efficiently every single second of every
day.

When it comes to connectivity, we are becoming more connected not only by physical infrastructure
such as roads and bridges but also in the digital space, which is showing signs of only further evolution
and expansion, allowing connection that has previously been deemed impossible.

The moral that I can get from this book is that we are all either already connected or going to be
connected with each other in the future in some shape or form and what is important is to make this
connection a positive one that does the least amount of harm as possible by developing this global
world in a sustainable way via collective effort.
 Concluding Remarks

To conclude, I found this course quite interesting to follow and participate in throughout the various
class work and group as well as individual assignments. I definitely gained new insight on global supply
chains, more specifically about their complexity, the cooperation, precision and also difficulties involved
in them, the true vastness of the way they connect us globally and also the various cultural elements
involved in them and business as a whole.

Personally, I would like to participate in a company that deals globally due to my passion of travelling
the world and learning about different cultures and also their way of business so I would definitely like
being in the departments that travel to the locations of their business partners and conduct
international business with them face to face.

My expectations for this course were definitely matched as I did in fact learn a lot about international
supply chains and exports and the part with the interview surpassed them. As I mentioned previously
that was the highlight for me.

A personal suggestion that I could possibly give is the incorporation of more interactive sessions with
people with international trade experience such as in assignment ‘’Getting a deal done’’, for example in
the personal experience description of an international supply chain and also in the culture assignment.
For a person like me who has had a very limited experience in those fields it can be a lot better to
contact such a person about them, as that can a 100 percent provide you with more information than
what you have, which in turn can be used for more elaborate and valuable reflection. Overall, I did enjoy
the course and I do think that the work load was just right and that it was a great complimentary course
to the main export one.
 Appendix 1

A general Toyota supply chain would look something like the picture above, but what it does not include
are also the raw material harvesting and the recycling at the end of a supply chain that will be explained
further down in the chapter.

Toyota depends on a complex supply chain of over 200 parts manufacturers to complete the cars
that roll off their production plants. Yes, 200 plus, but we can't name them all here. Instead, we've
listed a few of these automotive suppliers below just to give you the drift.
 1.Parts Supplying

Denso is a Toyota OEM

One OEM that Toyota relies upon so much is Denso Co, which produces OEM parts for Toyota and
other carmakers and manufactures aftermarket parts under its name. It was founded as Nippon
Denso Co as part of the Toyota group of companies but is now independent, though still 25% -owned
by Toyota.

Denso specializes in manufacturing car air conditioning and climate control systems, engine
components, spark plugs, oil filters, and other auto parts, mostly electromechanical and thermal
types.

So if you buy a Toyota replacement part or an aftermarket with that name on it, don't hesitate; it's a
reliable name in the motoring world.

Aisin Seiki Co
Aisin started in much the same way as Denso and is 50% owned by Toyota. It previously produced
auto parts exclusively for Toyota but now also supplies other major brands like Isuzu and Daimler-
Chrysler.

Aisin is known for its engines, drivetrains, body and chassis, navigation systems, and aftermarket
auto parts. Aisin's hybrid transmission design is widely used and adapted not only by Toyota
(e.g. Toyota Prius) but also Ford (e.g. Ford Escape) and Chrysler (Chrysler Pacifica).

2.Vehicle Manufacturer
Toyota is a huge car manufacturing company that is based in Japan, but Toyota cars have factories all
over the world. The most prominent plants are located in Asia, North America and Europe. Toyota cars
are built at all of these locations. The reason that Toyota has expanded so extensively across the globe is
because it is easier to ship the cars overland than it is across oceans. To find out exactly where any
specific Toyota is made, you will have to ask the dealer, but not every factory makes every single Toyota
model.
 3.Delivery
TOKYO -- Toyota Motor plans to use environmentally friendly ships fueled by liquefied natural gas to
transport automobiles across the globe, responding to a tighter environmental rule taking effect in
2020.

The three maritime carriers owning vessels for its vehicles -- Nippon Yusen, Kawasaki Kisen and the
Toyota group's Toyofuji Shipping -- are expected to order a little over 20 ships within several years,
starting with three to six each. These are seen costing a total of roughly 200 billion yen ($1.83 billion).

Toyota now employs at least 60 ships a month to transport automobiles by sea. A little more than 20
able to carry some 7,000 vehicles each -- the type used mainly on North American routes -- will be
replaced. Bunker C fuel oil that powers these vessels has high sulfur content.

4.Dealer
At the end the ready for use products or the cars arrive at the dealership locations ranging over 172
overseas distributors.

After the car has safely arrived and is unloaded at your local dealership, it is inspected one last time to
ensure there are no scratches, dings or dents. Once the vehicle is deemed damage free and is
thoroughly washed and detailed, it is ready to sell.

There are a few options for the dealership when their cars don’t sell. They can ship the unsold cars to a
different market where the specific model might be in demand.

The cars can also be sold at auction, but that forfeits some of the sale to an auction house, which means
the dealership would lose a lot of money since the car would already be discounted. Another option is
that the cars can be used as a loaner car when people bring theirs in for service.

The final option is to price the cars to sell.

 5.Recycling
We have been finding effective ways to recycle our vehicles since the 1970s, long before legislation
made it a requirement. The current European Directive requires all car manufacturers to recycle their
vehicles when they come to the end of their useful life, for example through accident damage or when
they become uneconomical or technically impossible to repair.

Because of their famous long-lasting quality, this can be at quite an age for Toyota and Lexus models.
Since 1 January 2015, 85% of every vehicle must be reused or recycled, and 95% recovered. The process
will identify parts that can be reused, such as engine, battery, alternators and steering systems. Fluids,
gases and other materials and parts will be safely collected and, where appropriate, recycled. The
stripped metal bodies are often then compacted and sent for shredding.

After this process, different types of metal can be extracted for reuse, leaving only a relatively small
amount of residue. To encourage responsible and efficient vehicle disposal we have set up authorized
dismantling centers across Europe where Toyota and Lexus vehicles can be taken for recycling.
 Appendix 2
Flip flops backstory

People have always made shoes

from whatever materials are
available. Flip-flops too can be
made from any materials. In ninth
century Japan they were made from
rush and bamboo. But today they
are made from plastic. In this form
American mass manufacture of
them dates back to the 1930s
Hawaiian plantations where they
became a substitute for rubber boots - in short supply - brought to the
plantations by nineteenth-century Japanese migrants.
Flip-flops were popular in the US navy with sailors travelling to Pacific
theatres of war because they were good to wear on the decks of ships and
submarines. But the period after the Second World War was crucial in their
widespread popularity. In the 1950s they appeared in Californian beach and
surfer culture. They then made their way down the coast to Mexico and into
South America, inspiring the term 'slipper foot' applied to the poor. They have
different names in different places: 'thongs', 'zoris', 'slaps', Naps', beach
walkers' and 'go-aheads' because it is impossible to walk backwards in them.

The oil game today

Most analysts agree that the oil economy is in its final phase. The era of the super-fields, like the Greater
Burgan, is over and Kuwait knows the extent of its oil, although it has yet to fully explore its offshore
reserves. These large fields were easy to discover and exploit. But small, complicated, oil fields
mark the current era. The oil game is not now about new discoveries, but better exploiting old ones for
less accessible deposits. Exploration is now more complex. Shifts in knowledge and technology make it
possible to recover previously unrecoverable oil. New geological mapping and drilling technologies make
it possible to drill deeper, and horizontally, to recover what is called 'tight oil' and shale gas. This is
called fracking.

Oil and geopolitics

Oil geographies the directions in which oil flows - are shaped by complex, shifting, geopolitical
calculations expressing tensions between different regimes. Oil security and diplomacy are interlaced:
oil purchasing and producing nations favor some countries over others, and this directs where oil flows.
The cold war still runs through oil as Russia seeks to trade oil for influence in bordering regimes. America
secures its recently won oil-independence with its own, and Canadian, shale, as fracking reduces its
reliance on the Middle East. Geopolitics shift and oil redraws the world’s maps.
 Appendix 3

Kuwait
The Burgan Field

Over half of Kuwait's oil comes

from the Burgan Field - world's
second largest oil field. Kuwait
exports 87% of its oil and favors
Asia's growing (plastic) markets.
Since 1975 when it was nationalized
oil is controlled by the Government
of Kuwait. Oil makes Kuwait
wealthy. It accounts for 95% of its
export earnings and for 95% of the
government revenues on which its citizens depend for well paid jobs and
generous social provision. Its GDP per capita is $41,700 making it 18th in the
world.
Kuwait displays its wealth in stores, on bodies, and on wheels and keels. It is
highly urbanized, 98% of its (2,3m) population lives in Kuwait City. It is a
constitutional Emirate. In 2011 and 2012 there were large-scale protests
against corruption and the electoral changes proposed by the Emir.

Migrants outnumber Kuwaitis

Migrants outnumber Kuwaitis who

form a minority (45%) population in
their own country. In 2012 the
population of Kuwait was 2,646 314:
more than half of it composed of
non-nationals. Other Arabs, by far
the largest migrant group and the
result of long-term mobility around
the Gulf, constitute % of the Kuwait
population. South Asians are 9%,
Iranians 4% and other migrants 7%. Non-Kuwaitis compose 60% of Kuwait's
workforce. Kuwait runs on migrant labor.
South Korea
Making PE granules

PE granules are produced through an automated process monitored from computer terminals by
operators. Jung-ho checks whether the right amount of heat and pressure is applied in combining
hydrogen and carbon molecules to make the granules. In addition to sitting at his monitor he makes two
physical inspections of his machinery every day, to verify computer information and to listen for unusual
sounds. He and his field officer teammate divide the PE plant and inspect half each. This takes an hour
and a half on account of its size. Jung-ho traces the large grey pipes into which the chemicals are fed to
be turned into PE granules. He then traces the large silos to where the granules are automatically blown
and stored until they are needed. Machines then pack them into 500kg plastic sacks. These are
moved(mechanically) onto pallets and then onto small driverless train carriages that run around the
plant. The plastic sacks are moved to a vast storage area where they are loaded, by subcontracted
loaders, finally touched by hands, into shipping containers labelled MEARSK and PIL.

By the late 1980s South Korea

By the late 1980s South Korea had

one of the highest rates of
urbanization (80%) in the world and
a rapidly emerging urban civil
society. This, including the broad-
based student-led protests,
unleashed the political momentum
that dismissed authoritarian
military rule in 1987, clearing the
way for democratic elections. The
1990s brought prosperity and political stability. GDP was growing at a rate of
ten per cent a year, although it has since slowed to six per cent, and GDP per
capita was over twenty-four thousand US dollars by 2012 18. South Korea
today is a wealthy, highly educated and developed country with a well-
developed service sector.
China
Fuzhou - plastic city

Fuzhou 28 is a modern high-rise city of more than 8

million people. Its (high tech) factories (Nike, Ikea
etc.) are inside the Fuzhou Economic and Technical
Development Zone near the port. Its low-tech
(including flip-flop) manufacture has shifted to the
city's Southern edges. In the city itself there are
only indirect traces of plastics: plastics turned into
architecture, design, and rebuilding activity.
Money generated by plastic - and other materials
too of course - creates demand for services like
banking, shipping, and new forms of consumption
in upscale shopping malls, Plastic profits create
demand for new apartment blocks. These house those with the means for
these forms of consumption and profit those with an appetite for property
speculation. In this sense- of traces and undergirding - Fuzhou is a plastic
city.

How many people…..

The world's simplest and cheapest shoe is made through ten different production processes. These are
weighing and mixing, rolling, weighing, and assembling the plastic sheets to the correct thickness,
vulcanizing, stamping, or mold pressing, trimming, strap attachment, bundling and packaging into sacks,
shifting the sacks to the yard for trucking, and clearing up scrap. It takes a minimum of twelve, or, more
usually, sixteen to twenty, people to produce a single pair of flip-flops. This calculation excludes the
work of the factory owners in taking orders, securing raw materials, and negotiating delivery and
distribution. It excludes the ancillary trades in building and maintaining machines and making molds.
Adding these it takes more than twenty people to make a pair of flip-flops.
Ethiopia
Addis Ababa on the move

Like other Ethiopians, Zema walks. Seventy per cent of Addis trips are made on foot, especially trips
between work and home. The mix of bus and foot journeys depends on distance and cost. The state
owned Anbessa City Bus Service serves the city and surrounding area, shifting 1.2 million people a day
round the city at a flat rate fare fixed by city authorities. Although bus fares are subsidized, subsidies are
being reduced and bus fares are rising to levels many people find unaffordable. 7500 minibuses and set-
route taxis ply the city allowing small pockets of private enterprise. Private cars are few. Many of them
are over fifteen years old, in disrepair and cast-offs from the Gulf. Pedestrians (and donkeys) are
significant in the mix of street movement. Bicycles are ruled out by the rough condition of road surfaces.

Addis is changing

The impact of the estimated 6-7 per cent annual growth rate in the Ethiopian economy over the last
decade is changing the city and the lives of its citizens. China has provided vital urban infrastructure like
the ring roads. There is construction by private developers building upscale detached housing and
condos, and low-cost rental units built by the city authorities. Coffee and pastry shops have sprung up all
over the city, signaling rising disposable incomes for some. The city is expanding on its Northern and
Southern peripheries as suburbs spread into the country. Not far from Zema's neighborhood is the Addis
of high-rise office and residential buildings, smart hotels, upscale restaurants, pizzerias and coffeeshops.
Malls, along with substantial new suburban housing, are sprouting-up in the Bole area to the South of
the city near the international airport. As the diplomatic capital of Africa, Addis houses the headquarters
of the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and this drives demand
for international hotels, luxury resorts, spas, and conference entrées.

Old problems persist

Unemployment in Addis is estimated at 31 per cent. The monthly income of those with employment is
less than 68 US dollars. Life on these wages is a struggle. 26 per cent of houses have no toilet. Rivers and
ditches are used instead. 35 per cent of solid waste remains uncollected. Although Addis has changed in
the last five years, old problems remain, and the new prosperity is not well distributed. Some of it has
trickled down to poorer neighborhoods. The same simple houses - like Zema's - have sprout satellite
dishes and acquired new furniture. Old problems persist in the new Ethiopia as well as inits capital city.
Deputy President Desalegn took over following the death of President Meles Zenawi in 2012 - there has
been no change in regime. Even though Zenawi's obituaries acknowledge the repressiveness of the
regime jailing outspoken journalists appears to be the price of economic growth and political stability 49
in a country that has more than thirty-four million chronically hungry people 50.
Scratchers

The dump is a hive of activity that

peaks to a frenetic pace with the
arrival of new loads. As rubbish
trucks turn off the main road onto
the edge of the site, young men
jump on the back and ride to the
dumping area. This puts them at an
advantage for grabbing the best
items as the truck discharges its
load onto the tip. The mechanism
that crushes the rubbish occasionally
catches a young man in its deadly and
disfiguring grasp.
As the young men jump off with the rubbish and begin picking items that
catch the eye, a line of men and women, formed along both sides of the truck,
spring into action, grabbing items and stashing them in woven plastic sacks.
These are held tightly in one hand; in the other a homemade metal hook used
to grab and dig the surface of the heap is held. This hooked instrument earns
them the name 'scratchers'.

The alternate route

There is an alternate route to landing in Djibouti. This route avoids import duties and makes flip-flops
cheaper. This route involves landing flip-flops on the Somaliland coast around Berbera. From here they
make their way to the markets in Hargeisa and cross the Ethiopian border at its less well-guarded
checkpoints. By the time the flip-flops reach Addis Ababa no one - except the market traders who buy
them more cheaply- knows whether they are smuggled or imported officially.
 Appendix 4

I.Introduction
As a group for this assignment, we had to get in contact with an individual who currently is or
has had experience in the international business world and we had to interview him about a
particular international business deal as well as getting some more insight on some additional
information such as the professional and personal skills involved in the deal. Our interviewee
(Mr. Meijering) was kind enough to spend some time with us and share a certain story from
which a person can definitely learn some valuable lessons that can be further applied in their
future as a businessman.

II.Description
Our interviewee Mister Meijering has roughly twenty years of experience in the field of
international trading as he had worked for a trade company that buys goods and sells them to
other companies.He was open about describing one business deal in particular that was very
memorable due to him making a crucial mistake. The error was a reading one that resulted in
Mr. Meijering not being able to close his eyes for a few nights. The blunder was involved in a
trade with a Ukrainian company for a large amount of wheat. The goods had to be shipped from
Ukraine to Rotterdam and due to a beneficial import duties reduction,because of a special
agreement with the European Union and Ukraine the wheat had to arrive in Rotterdam by a
certain date. Because of the previously mentioned reading mistake of Mr.Meijering he thought
that the wheat had to be sent by that certain date but it actually had to be received in Europe by
said date. After informing both parties about the evident problem, he was left to deal with it on
his own, so Mister Meijering had to come up with a solution by improvising, which he fortunately
did. He managed to get the goods shipped on land in Spain so that the wheat would be in time
for the tax reduction. In the end, the goods were fortunately received successfully as around 1
million Euros of spendings over the initial budget could have occurred in the case of failure.
After the closure of this challenge, which was this international business deal, Mr.Meijering
definitely leant a valuable and unforgettable lesson from which any aspiring businessman or
businesswoman can learn from.
 III.Personal and Professional Skills

Personal Skills
When it comes to personal skills that might be of help in this line of work we can list the
following:
• Politeness
• Not being overconfident/ arrogant
• Not acting until the topic at hand is fully grasped
• Being open-minded
• Being able to improvise

Some of these skills we can get during our day-to-day life while communicating with other
people. We get to learn these skills and polish them from our childhood, or we get to know
about them from adults. Skills like being polite or being open minded. Other skills we learn from
our personal experiences like not to be overconfident in sports or games. And some skills we
learn later on in life for example being knowledgeable before diving into a certain problem. Most
of our personal skills get handed down to us by our parents, teachers in the early years of our
lives so we are able to socialize with our peers but other skills we gain down the line when we
become more aware of our surroundings and the world. We as a group believe that all these
personal skills are necessary to communicate in this line of work as they can all be beneficial at
any moment of an international business deal.

Professional Skills

When it comes to professional skills that might be of help in this line of work, we can list the
following:
• Great communication skills
• Problem-solving
• Creativity
• Stress management
• Teamworking

When it comes to the world of business, there are definitely a few skills which our group thought
are of absolute necessity if a person wants to survive and persevere. Being able to
communicate and work with other people are helpful skills in areas where there is a collective
effort involved and also you can complement them with some individual skills that can help in
the solving of the problem at hand in a creative and rational way.
 IV.Conclusion

To conclude, the interview gave us quite some insight on how much precision and improvisation
can go into an international business deal and also how difficult it is as one small error can
result in the loss of a substantial number of resources and time.

One aspect that unanimously surprised us was how individualistic the dire situation can
become. As our interviewee pointed out, he was left to work it out by himself. This is also an
evident detriment when it comes to bigger companies as in order to operate with a great number
of workforce they need to be as time efficient as possible with everyone caring only about their
own current task.

Self-control and not panicking when the situation gets dire is definitely something that we learnt
from this assignment as it was in the end what helped in its solution, being able to improvise
and continue despite there being an evident error, being open about your mistakes as that can
save time when it comes to fixing a problem, having a positive outlook is also something that
can make you strive towards a solution rather than dwell on the mistake further and last but
definitely not least, being more than a hundred percent focused and also double and even triple
checking all the instructions and details when it comes to a deal as the lack of this is what
ignited the what could have been a disastrously cost worthy mistake
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