Hussain Mantri in Vietnam
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Please describe what MCC does and how it is set up?
MCC makes products from coconut pith and coconut fibre. These are used for horticulture and growing different vegetables and plants. The products are eco-friendly and a better substitute for the traditionally used PEAT.
MCC is located in a remote village in Vietnam. The way to the plant is a bike ride or a walk through the woods from the nearest village. The plant is by the river banks, sends and receives material and products by boat.
What is MCC in Vietnam doing well?
MCC is providing a lot of employment opportunities for the nearby villagers in one of the poorest provinces in Vietnam. It not only provides employment but also a lot of business to other people. Rather then just being in the business of selling coconut pith it is going one step ahead and selling value added commodities which can prove to be a more sustainable business.
What were the direct and indirect results/deliverables as a result of your placement? Please be as specific as possible.
I developed workable product specifications for the new product lines and helped the plant owner to train his staff for quality control. As a direct result the rejection percentage of the products reduced considerably from the start of the production.
Originally, why did you want to participate in this program?
The main reason that motivated me to participate in this program was the work profile. It was something that I was always interested in and something I have done in the past. The second reason was the location. It was a one time opportunity for me to work in Vietnam which is growing in international business and I thought that this experience will be valuable for my career. The third and the final was that it looked to be a challenging internship.
What were your main challenges, both personally and professionally?
Personally my biggest challenge during the program was with food. As my food habits were totally different it was difficult for me to adapt to the local cuisine and the plant location being rural offered less options. Professionally language was the biggest challenge. Though I had an interpreter, miscommunication and misunderstanding was a huge barrier. Work culture was another challenge to adapt. It was a very inefficient working environment where nothing is done on time an promises are never kept.
Was the monthly stipend of $1,000Us/month sufficient and how, if you, would change the way and what MBAs Without Borders financially covers?
Yes the month stipend was enough for me since most of the time I was in the village area where the food is cheap and a nice meal would be juts $ 3-5. But if the volunteer is in the city MBAs Without Borders should check out the meal prices and might have to increase in some countries.
What did you feel you were able to offer to MCC?
I introduced them to numbers to be used in production planning and control. Numbers will help them know the production per day, per employee, per shift. I also setup the quality systems with some signboards but I am not sure how long would the systems last.
How was this different from what you thought you would be offering before you arrived?
Due to the delay in the start of production, I was not able to place a sustainable quality control system. Also things moved very slow as compared to what I was thinking before I arrived there. I was thinking of automating the plant, but when I arrived there on the first day I realized that automation of the plant was close to impossible at this stage.
What would have made this experience even better for you?
This experience would have been better if the plant owner would have been receptive of the ideas and we together would have brought drastic changes to the manufacturing plant and processes.
What advice would you like to offer future MBAs who work abroad for MBAs Without Borders?
For the future MBAs, I would just say that it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to work abroad on the projects selected by MBAs Without Borders. Everything is well organized and the project is very well advertised. The co-founder Tal Dehtiar is helpful in all matters and MBAs Without Borders takes good care of the MBAs who work for them.