MSc-GSCM Programme: Overseas Field Study 2025
MSc-GSCM Programme organized a study tour to Singapore for the elective module – SCM6009 Supply Chain Management Field Study from 5 to 9 January 2025. This study tour was led by Dr George HO and Dr YM WONG, the SCM6009 module coordinator and lecturer, respectively.
Singapore is one of the most important logistics and supply chain hubs in Asia. The country plays a crucial role in the global economy by facilitating the movement of goods and services across international borders. During the tour, students were given the opportunity to visit the leading logistics firms / institutes / terminals / ports, which broadened their exposure by providing them with a firsthand look at the facilities and a better understanding of different aspects of supply chain management.
Here are the highlights of the SCM-related firm and institute visits:
1. Cogent No.1 Logistics Hub
Cogent is one of the leading One-Stop Logistics Management Services providers in Singapore and Malaysia that is well recognized by international corporations for Supply Chain. The visit was hosted by Mr. Hao Sam, Senior Manager of SH Cogent Logistics Pte Ltd. Students had the opportunity to visit the Cogent No. 1 Logistics Hub, including Cogent’s Sky Depot, which can accommodate 15 levels of empty ISO 40’ containers on the building roof to be retrieved by overhead travelling cranes or reach stackers. Such design concept was pioneering and has been extended to several other locations in Singapore and Malaysia. Students also visited Cogent’s tenants there with general dry goods storage as well as dangerous goods storage, thus enriching their knowledge of warehousing management and logistics processes.
2. YCH Group Pte Ltd.
YCH is a leading Asia-based integrated logistics and supply chain solution provider. The visit to YCH smart e-commerce hub was hosted by Mr. CHUA Wei-Xiang, the Group Senior Manager (Automation & Infrastructure Projects) of the Facilities Department. Students had an opportunity to observe the application of autonomous mobile robots to ecommerce orders from order receipt, pick, pack, till final dispatch the physical goods to the hands of the recipients. They also learnt about how automation strengthens cost-effectiveness, storage density and productivity. Students then visited the YCH cold chain storage system as well as the 50m high AS/RS facility, thus gained insights into how high-density materials storage and retrieval flows are managed. YCH also demonstrated how to make use of the building roof for green warehousing by installing solar panels to generate electricity for the operations’ use.
3. Singapore Post
Singapore Post (SingPost) is a leading postal and eCommerce logistics provider in the Asia Pacific region. The visit was hosted by Ms. Chelsea Wong, Deputy Vice President of Marketing and Communications, International at Singapore Post Limited. Chelsea’s team first introduced SingPost’s global network and business development strategies. They then demonstrated how the group enhances its productivity and optimizes operational processes through the use of integrated platforms, data analytics, and generative AI, as well as their sustainability initiatives and green practices. There was a full-scale demonstration of the collection and sorting of the public libraries’ books after borrower’s use for speedy return to the respective district libraries. Students also had the opportunity to visit the SingPost General Office to gain a deeper understanding of green packaging applications in the mails.
4. DHL Express
DHL serves as the backbone of international trade, connecting business across contents and facilitating the movement of the goods and services on a massive scale.
- DHL Express South Asia Hub
On day 3, students had the opportunity to visit the DHL Express South Asia Hub, a large-scale automated warehouse where advanced technologies, such as X-ray machines, 6-side bar code scanner, fully automated flyer and package sorting conveying system, and loading chutes with magnetic control to fill the materials into ULD containers, etc., are used to optimize airfreight operations. The visit was hosted by Mr. TAN Siong-Buck, Manager of the Customer Operation Group at DHL, showed the cutting-edge innovations on how advanced technology can enhance security, speed, and accuracy, as well as the commitment to the sustainability.
- DHL Express eXpo Service Centre in Advanced Regional Centre
On day 4, Students visited the eXpo Service Centre in Advanced Regional Centre, Greenwich, hosted by the Operation Team. They first introduced the global network of DHL as well as the Singapore country’s distribution network. Following the briefing, students had an opportunity to observe the logistics flow in the service centre. A demonstration of the Mobile Service Centre was showed to the students of how to utilize travelling time to perform several essential processes while en route to deliver the packages to each customer.
In the morning of 8 January 2025 (Day 4 of the tour), we were honored to have Dr KOH Chaik Ming, Senior Research Fellow from the National University of Singapore, to give us a professional seminar on “Future Supply Chain in Singapore”. The talk provided numerous illustrations related to policy, technology, infrastructure and supply chain resilience together with SCM technological innovation. His further exploration of Singapore’s fresh food supply chain and the future relocation of the importing port to the Tuas Mega Port raised a lot of attention of revamping the whole concept on SCM location selection. All students attended actively to the lecture and also participated in the Q&A session with Dr KOH, which further solidified their knowledge gained from both classrooms learning in Hong Kong and the various site visits in Singapore.
The study tour concluded with individual presentations by the students, who summarized their observations and insights from the site visits. All students performed exceptionally well, and it is believed that the study tour provided them with an unforgettable experience.
In addition to the above learning activities, students had the opportunity to visit various famous sites to immerse themselves in the country’s traditions and culture, broadening their horizons and allowing them to appreciate diverse aspects of life. On Day 5, students also visited Sentosa to relax and enjoy the surroundings.
