— Ngemva kweminyaka eyishumi ngenza ezohwebo lwangaphandle, kungani ngiphoqa ukuthi ngihambe neklayenti siyohlola izimboni zangempela

Eminyakeni emithathu edlule ngoLwesihlanu ebusuku, ehhovisi kwakusele isibani sokugcina. Ngesikhathi i-imeyili yeklayenti laseLos Angeles iphuma, ugwayi wami wesithathu wawusanda kufika emlonyeni.

I-imeyili yayimfushane, incazelo yayiqondile: ngenyanga ezayo ngizoza eChina, ngizohlola imboni yenu yezintambo kanye nemboni yensimbi ehambisana nayo, zombili kufanele ngizibone zisebenza.

Ngaleso sikhathi abangane abambalwa engangisebenza nabo bangincomela: ungahambi nemboni yangempela. Abahwebi uma behamba namaklayenti bayohlola imboni, cishe zonke izikhathi bagcina bekhwishithiwe yimboni, basebenze ize. Uma kungenakugwenywa, thola imboni "ebambisana kakhulu" enobudlelwano, bese udlula nje.

Ngagqolozela isikrini isigamu sehora, ngacisha ugwayi ngathi: ngizohamba nayo. Hhayi nje ukuhamba nayo, ngizobona imboni yangempela esebenza ngokugcwele, thina sizobe sikanye nayo isikhathi sonke sokuhlola.

Amaklayenti amaningi amasha uma ehlangana nathi okokuqala ayabuza: nina aniyona nje inkampani yokuhweba namazwe angaphandle? Kungani nizihlupha niqoqa izimboni ezingaphezu kwamashumi amabili? Uma nibopha izimboni ezimbili ezinkulu, nixoxe ngentengo, akukho lula?

Ngaso sonke isikhathi ngixoxa ngezigameko ezimbili zangaphambili.

Eminyakeni yokuqala yokungena kulo msebenzi, thina sasibophe izimboni ezimbili eziyinhloko kuphela, sicabanga ukuthi abantu esixhumana nabo bayajwayelana, balula ukukhuluma, futhi intengo izinzile. Kwaze kwaba yisikhathi sokuqala sokuwa: ngalowo nyaka wesikhathi esimatasa, iklayenti elidala elalisebenze nathi iminyaka emibili laligijima i-oda lonyaka, kwafika ucingo oluvela embonini, lathi iklayenti elikhulu lendawo lengeze i-oda, imigqa yokukhiqiza igcwele, impahla yethu kufanele ilinde izinsuku eziyi-18.

Saxolisa kaningi kukhasimende, ikhasimende alizange lisithethisa, kodwa kuma-oda onyaka olandelayo, ngasese lanciphisa ingxenye yesithathu yomthamo. Ngaleso sikhathi saqonda, okulimaza kakhulu kwezohwebo lwangaphandle akulona ukuxabana, kodwa ukuncipha kwe-oda ngokuthula.

Okwesibili kwaba buhlungu kakhulu. Iklayenti elisha lalifuna i-oda eliphelele le-“cable + izinsimbi zokubopha + ukupakisha”, kodwa imboni esebenzisana nayo yayingakwazi ukwenza izinsimbi, ngakho sathola imboni yangaphandle yesikhashana. Lapho impahla ifika ethekwini, kwahlolwa, ukujiya kwe-coating yezinsimbi kwakungafinyeleli ezingeni, ukuhlolwa kwe-salt spray kwehluleka, izinga lokulungiswa lalidlula u-15%. Kulelo oda sahlawula izindleko zokulungisa kanye nezindiza zomoya, futhi salahlekelwa yilelo klayenti ngokuphelele.

Ngaleso sikhathi ngaqonda: i-supply chain eyodwa ibukeka ilula, kodwa empeleni ihlanganisa zonke izingozi ndawonye. Izidingo zamaklayenti azikaze zibe yinto eyodwa — namuhla kudingeka izintambo, kusasa kudingeka izinsimbi ezihambisana nazo; ama-oda amancane kufanele aqine, ama-oda amakhulu kufanele akwazi ukwamukelwa; isikhathi sokulethwa esijwayelekile kufanele sinembile, ama-oda aphuthumayo kufanele abe nezinye izindlela.

Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi saqala ukusebenza kanzima kwi-supply chain, sachitha cishe iminyaka eyisithupha, sigijima imboni ngayinye, sihlola imboni ngayinye, ekugcineni sasala nalezi zimboni ezingama-27 eziqinile.

Asifuni leyo mboni enkulu “ekwazi ukwenza konke”, kunalokho sikhetha izimboni ezikhethekile “ezigxile endaweni eyodwa”: leyo eyenza izintambo igxila ekukhiqizeni nasekucindezelweni kwama-terminals, leyo eyenza izinsimbi igxila ekushayweni nasekuhlanjululweni kwendawo, leyo eyenza izinto zokupakisha igxila ekuphrinteni nase-vacuum electroplating.

Yonke imboni engena echibini lethu labahlinzeki, mina kanye nomphathi wekhwalithi kufanele sigijime okungenani izikhathi ezintathu: okokuqala ukuhlola amandla nemishini, okwesibili ukuhlala izinsuku ezintathu emgqeni wokukhiqiza sibheka ikhwalithi, okwesithathu ukungazisi ukufika ngqo emnyango, sithathe amasampuli angahleliwe kuma-oda amakhulu ukuhlola ukunemba. Labo abangafaneleki basuswa ngqo, noma ngabe intengo yabo iphansi ngezinga elithile kunabanye.

Siphinde sahlukanisa izimboni ngezigaba ezintathu: izimboni eziyinhloko ezithatha ama-oda amakhulu ajwayelekile, izimboni ezikhethekile eziyisipele ezenza ubuchwepheshe obukhethekile, nezimboni eziyisipele eziphuthumayo ezithatha ama-oda aphuthumayo. Iklayenti noma lingafaka ama-oda ezinhlobo ezintathu noma ezine ngesikhathi esisodwa, kudingeka lixhumane nathi kuphela — akudingeki lizihlanganisele izikhathi zokulethwa, amazinga, nokupakisha kwezimboni ezahlukene, yonke imithetho siyayilawula, zonke izinkinga sizibhekana nazo.

Buyela kulelo klayenti laseLos Angeles.

Ngaphambi kosuku lokuhlola imboni, ngahamba nomphathi wekhwalithi saya ezimbonini ezimbili kuqala. Asizange siye ukwenza “ukuhlanza kwesikhashana” nokubukisa, kodwa ngokwezindinganiso zokwamukela zeklayenti, saziqinisekisa kuqala: ingabe izinto zokusetshenziswa zasekamelini zihlukaniswe ngokwezigaba, ingabe izinto ezingafaneleki zihlukanisiwe, ingabe amarekhodi okuhlola ikhwalithi abhalwa nsuku zonke noma agcwaliswa ngesikhashana, ingabe izindlela zomlilo zinemithwalo. Izinkinga ezincane sazilungisa ngokushesha ezimbonini, asizange silinde ukuthi iklayenti lifike ukuze sidlale umdlalo wokubukisa.

Ngosuku lokuhlola imboni, umqondisi wekhwalithi owayephelekezelwa yiklayenti, wangena emshinini, ebeke izandla zakhe emhlane, amehlo akhe eshaya phezulu naphansi, ubuso bakhe bubonisa ukungabaza — kwakubonakala ukuthi, mayelana "nokuhamba nokuhlola imboni komhwebi", wayesekubeke phansi engqondweni yakhe.

Abantu abaningi bacabanga ukuthi ukuphelekezela ukuhlola kuwukuhumusha nje, kodwa thina simi ngasohlangothini lweklayenti.

Ikhasimende libuza ukuthi “umthamo wenyanga ungakanani”, thina sizengeza ngokuthi: “Umthamo omkhulu ngesikhathi samatoho ungafinyelela kuphi? Ukushintsha umugqa womkhiqizo kuthatha isikhathi esingakanani? Isikhathi sokulethwa kwe-oda elincane kakhulu sizinzile?” Uma ikhasimende libuka umugqa wokukhiqiza, siyakhothama sikhombise ikhodi yebatch ezintweni zokusetshenziswa, simtshele ukuthi yonke ibatch ingalandelelwa emuva ku-oda lokuthenga kanye nombiko wezinto. Uma sifika endaweni yemikhiqizo engafanele ekhoneni, sivulela ngokukhululekile: “Lena imikhiqizo engafanele ekhethwe namuhla, ungabuka amarekhodi ethu okucubungula kanye nokuhlaziywa kwezizathu.”

Ngaleso sikhathi waphakamisa amashiya, akazange akhulume, wakhothama waphenya amakhasi amabili amarekhodi okucubungula.

Into ebaluleke kakhulu ngalolo suku, ukuthi waphenya incwadi yamarekhodi okuhlola ikhwalithi emshinini. Izincwadi zezimboni eziningi zigcwaliswa ebusuku ngaphambi kosuku, imibhalo isanda kubhalwa. Waphenya ikhasi lezinyanga ezintathu ezedlule, wathinta ngomunwe phezulu kwekhasi, wabuyela emuva kumarekhodi osuku, wavele wahleka: “Imibhalo yehlukile, ibhalwa nsuku zonke.”

Ngemuva kokuqinisekisa izimboni ezimbili, kwase kuyihora lesikhombisa nokudlula. Ngesikhathi sokudla ikhasimende lathi, ekuqaleni lalicabanga ukuthi umthengisi umane enze inzuzo yomehluko, manje lize lapha lifuna ukubona ukuthi imboni “ibolekiwe” yini. Manje njengoba kubonakala, ukuthola nina kunciphisa ukukhathazeka kunokuthola imboni ngokwenu — ngokwenu, kufanele niqinisekise imboni ngayinye, nixoxe ngezindinganiso nemboni ngayinye, nilandelele ukulungiswa kwemboni ngayinye; ngokuba nathi, kufana nokuthi umuntu usevele waqinisekisa futhi wahlanganisa izidingo, futhi akudingeki nilandelele inqubekela phambili nsuku zonke.

Ngemuva kwalokho kuqinisekiswa imboni, leli khasimende laba ikhasimende lethu elidala elisisebenza nalo kuze kube manje, inani lama-oda lonyaka liyakhula.

Abangane bami abasebenza kwezinye izimboni bavame ukuthi ngiyisiphukuphuku: ukubonisa imboni kukhasimende, awesabi ukuthi bazokweqa?

Empeleni uma usuwenza i-10 iminyaka kwezohwebo lwangaphandle uyakuqonda: ikhasimende lifuna ukuqinisekisa imboni, alikaze lifune “ukukweqa liye ngqo embonini”, lifuna ukuqinisekisa — ukuthi umthamo, ukulawulwa kwekhwalithi, nokuhambisana nemithetho okushoyo kuyiqiniso yini. Ukufihla, kudala ukungathembeki; ukuveza ngokukhululekile, ukubeka umugqa wokukhiqiza wangempela, izinkinga zangempela, nokulungiswa kwangempela, ukuthembana kwakheka ngokushesha.

Yebo, nathi sinomkhawulo wethu: ukukhiqizwa kwama-oda amakhulu kufanele kuhambisane nemboni eqinisekisiwe, akumele ishintshwe ngasese; izinto zokulungisa ezivezwa ekuqinisekisweni kwemboni, kufanele kukhishwe uhlu olusemthethweni phakathi namahora angu-24, kuphindwe kuhlolwe ngesikhathi esifanele, kuthunyelwe izithombe namavidiyo kukhasimende, akudingeki ukuthi ikhasimende lilandelele.

Ekugcineni, ukuhlanganisa imithombo eminingi yokuhlinzeka kungamandla ethu — noma ngabe ikhasimende lifuna luphi uhlobo, ubukhulu obungakanani, isikhathi esisheshayo esingakanani, siyakwazi ukukwamukela; ukuphelekezelana nokuvakasha kwayo yonke indawo ukuqinisekisa imboni kuwukuzimisela kwethu — akudingeki uqagele, awesabi, izinto zangempela zilapha, kuhle noma kubi uzibonele.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kulo msebenzi ngiyaqonda kakhulu: amaklayenti ahlala kuze kube sekugcineni, akusikho ngoba intengo yakho iphansi, kodwa ngoba uthembekile. Utsho isikhathi sokulethwa bese uletha ngesikhathi, utsho izinga lekhwalithi bese uletha lelo zinga, uma kukhona inkinga kuba khona ozobhekana nayo, hhayi ukugingqana ngokushaya amagoli.

Asenzi ibhizinisi lesikhashana, senza ukuxhumana kwesikhathi eside ne-China supply chain. Uma unesidingo sokuthenga izinhlobo eziningi, ukuhlolwa kwezimboni, noma ukuthuthukiswa kwe-supply chain, wamukelekile ukukhuluma nathi noma nini.