By Cem Perdar
With the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic around the globe, the digital transformation process has been accelerated. This means we can access information in a matter of seconds on our smartphones or other gadgets. With the increase in the speed of possibilities offered to us by technology, our patience threshold has also decreased. However, the habit of patiently waiting for the product and negotiating calmly in international trade may tend to change. Here, I give Ugandan business people some tips on how to set the digital transformation impact apart from traditional commerce.
With the evolution of trade over the years, different approaches and methods have emerged. The important thing is to catch up with today’s trends by modernizing the traditional understanding of trade without breaking away from the new emerging trends. The sequence of revolutions that started in the 1700s was followed by the Logic Revolution, the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution, respectively. The most up-to-date of these revolutions is the Digital Technology Age revolution. Despite all this rapidly developing technology, some trade channels still preserve their traditional structure. The biggest and most important of these channels is import-export transactions. This is why, technology that reduces our patience in daily life does not help us in international business transactions. For this reason, we should not fall into the traps of technology to save time by keeping our threshold of patience and calmness high, both in finding suppliers, in the sampling phase and in negotiating prices.
My advice to Ugandan importers is; conduct your international trade processes without losing patience. Because there is a truth in front of us, which is the rush of digital transformation on people and the tendency to get things done very quickly. However, the essential thing to remember in international ventures is to carry out the traditional trade principles with great confidence always.
Since the import and export transactions are not based on the simple principles such as e-commerce, the rules that have been going on for many years should be applied without interruption.
These are ;
– Being principled.
– Always on the side of positive dialogue.
Companies Rise or Fall on How Well They Renew Their Leaders– Paying attention to gaining reputation rather than making money.
– Being aware that action can never be taken as fast as in e-commerce, and to be patient accordingly.
– Perspectives may differ in trade, business can proceed in the light of respect and different perspectives. (I don’t share your opinion but I support you)
The biggest advantage the digital transformation era has over traditional trade is that the producer and the buyer can meet more comfortably. Buyers can now reach the manufacturers they want quickly, within a few minutes, via internet channels. In this way, communication is established quickly and a serious time can be saved in the commercial process. Let’s remember the 90’s, there was no internet, but you had money. You were eager to import, but you had difficulty in reaching the right manufacturer because you did not have the opportunity and right information. But today’s technology eliminates these difficulties and provides great convenience for buyers and sellers to meet. At this point, the important thing is to make traditional trade more effective and efficient by using the blessings of digital transformation. To summarize, in a rapidly developing world, it is necessary to keep up with change and adapt yourself to new things. So, please use the possibilities of technology. Many Ugandan business people still plan their business trips by purchasing only one-way plane tickets, without arranging an appointment with any supplier, without identifying the relevant companies. While we have such good opportunities at our disposal, please use them by melting the traditional structure in the same pot with technological possibilities.
We have acces to all kinds of information right now; lets use the opportunty while keeping in mind our commercial principles. Turkey, currently undergoing digital transformation, awaits business people from Uganda with the best quality products at reasonable prices.
Cem Perdar is Export Sales Manager/Africa at Pakmaya, Pak Holding
Email: cperdar@gmail.com
