GP Batteries International, the mainland's largest consumer battery manufacturer, yesterday unveiled a three-year overhaul of its global supply chain system to help kick-start expansion plans.
The Singapore-listed firm, a unit of Hong Kong-based Gold Peak Industries (Holdings), has partnered with German software giant SAP to automate and streamline its key business processes in more than 10 plants, which are mostly on the mainland, and about 20 offices worldwide.
'This will be our platform for the next couple of decades because our challenge is not only to get more orders, but also to get more products to our customers,' GP Batteries chief operating officer Henry Leung Kwong-hang said.
GP Batteries, which posted revenue of US$560 million in its fiscal year to March, is one of the world's major suppliers of primary and rechargeable batteries. It is exploring opportunities in the electric transportation business and growing in Africa and South America.
'Global competition is not just about one company versus another, but supply chain versus supply chain,' said Leung, noting that the world-class models GP Batteries have learned from include those run by department store chain Wal-Mart Stores and computer maker Dell.
Leung noted that more efficiently run business processes are needed by Hong Kong manufacturers, many of which have their factories in southern China, to expand in the global market.