It was a pleasure getting to know Bryan from Park N Parcel, and today we are sitting down with Gan Hong, who is also a co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of the logistics startup.
An interesting fact Gan Hong shared was that none of the three co-founders had background in logistics or is knowledgeable about the various shipping conditions prior to Park N Parcel. Despite their lack of expertise in this area, they managed to build their brand in the highly saturated last-mile industry. It all started with a problem they faced (read more about it in Bryan's interview) and has since evolved into the largest network of over 1500 collection points in Singapore.
Speaking about innovation in the company, the COO revealed that Park N Parcel is always in the process of developing and integrating in-house technology tailored to meet their customers' needs. "In the near future, we will be developing our own SaaS software for other logistic companies to help them in their daily operations." He believes that the team has to constantly evolve to keep up with times as the industry is ever changing.
Being in the service line, Gan Hong is confident that branding and reputation should be the core of the company. Understanding customers is key to success. "We need to constantly improve our standard of deliveries and delivery protocols to make sure customers are satisfied with our service and more will turn to us from competitors," the COO concludes. The dream of providing value and making significant differences to consumers is what keeps him going.
Having been through 6 years of operations in Park N Parcel, keeping an open mind and getting his hands dirty in unfamiliar roles (such as finance, operations, partnership and even marketing) in the company enabled Gan Hong to evolve into an all-rounded individual who is no longer afraid of taking on new tasks. Going through this phase of self-development, the COO also has a new found love for grooming new hardworking talents and seeing them grow their capability and skillsets, regardless of their backgrounds and educational levels.
Gan Hong strongly believes in respect and highlighted that it being mutual is crucial for relationship building. This core value he holds dear is something the co-founder inherited from his parents, who are his biggest role models. "They will never give up on anything in life despite all the hardship they have to endure. Most importantly, they always impart the right principles to their three children, including myself to make sure we are always doing things the proper way and treating people the right manner - with respect."
Every business has its tough times. In retrospect, the lowest point during the business for Gan Hong was when none of the 3 co-founders were drawing any salary during the first few years. "We are often using our savings to pay for bills and that was the toughest times for us financially." Having preserved through times of crisis, an advice the COO has for aspiring businessmen is to "never give up as the road is going to be tough, treat every failure as a lesson and learn from it, be stronger the next round."
Currently, Park N Parcel is delivering more than 6,000 parcels each day and are serving reputable clients such as Cainiao, Taobao, Samsung, and Charles & Keith. With upcoming projects and collaborations with new partners, the logistics company expects this number to double in the next few months.
"Work hard and keep dreaming, this is what kept me motivated throughout the years."
- Tan Gan Hong, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Park N Parcel