Avnet China's 30th Anniversary Special Issue: Maintaining the Integrity and Establishing Innovation, Sharing the Past
Avnet entered the Chinese market in 1995, coinciding with the rapid growth of China's technology industry. Over the past three decades, Avnet has evolved from a semiconductor distributor to an enabling partner deeply integrated into the local supply chain, providing comprehensive technology solutions and supply chain services. On the occasion of Avnet China's 30th anniversary, we spoke with several key individuals who have been part of the company's growth across diverse fields. Their careers are closely intertwined with Avnet's development in the Chinese market.
Helen Xie
Warehouse Manager, China
“We work together to do our best to maintain extremely high order accuracy and delivery timeliness.”
Avnet China's remarkable 30 years of success are reflected not only in its visionary macro-strategy but also in the deep-rooted operational work that underpins its business growth. Helen Xie, Warehouse Manager for China, has personally witnessed this efficiency revolution throughout her career: When unexpected crises impacted the global supply chain, how did she and her team maintain the lifeline of orders with ultimate resilience? With environmental sustainability becoming a key concern of our times, how can warehouses embrace sustainable development through technological innovation?
Accompanying Avnet's rapid growth in China is the dramatic transformation of its warehousing and logistics system from traditional to intelligent. Helen Xie, Warehouse Manager for China, is a witness to this revolution in efficiency and resilience.
Helen Xie recalls that as Avnet China has grown and prospered over its 30 years of operations, its warehousing and supply chain, which have grown alongside the company's business, have also been continuously upgraded to meet the company's rapid business growth and evolving customer needs. Examples include the continuous optimization of the company's SAP system warehouse management module and the promotion of customized labeling systems.
From relying on manual experience to apply customized labels, the company now uses fully automatic and semi-automatic labeling machines. In recent years, they also completed a data integration project between the bonded warehouse service provider system and Avnet's SAP system, increasing warehouse efficiency by approximately 50% and significantly reducing repetitive and manual work. They also plan to use automated receiving and shipping lines in the bonded warehouse in the future to continuously improve work efficiency and meet the company's continued business growth.
Faced with the severe impact of emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply chain, Helen Xie and her team demonstrated remarkable resilience and commitment. At the time, both cross-border transportation and domestic logistics were under strict control, directly hindering the delivery of domestic customer orders. Despite this predicament, the team, while strictly adhering to epidemic prevention requirements, urgently developed shipping routes between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and coordinated closely with the government and supply chain partners to ensure daily cross-border vehicle quotas.
Even more commendable is Avnet's unwavering commitment to contractual integrity. Helen Xie shared that at the time, market restrictions on vehicle quotas led to stock shortages, freight rates, and service fees skyrocketing 3-10 times, creating a widespread phenomenon of "scarce goods being sold at a premium." "However, Avnet continued to deliver goods to customers at the contracted price, and our supply chain partners also demonstrated professionalism by agreeing to settle at the contracted price." Even during the most challenging times, Avnet's stable and reliable order delivery earned the recognition and trust of the vast majority of end customers, who expressed sincere praise: "A company like Avnet is truly reliable!"
Helen Xie believes the warehouse team's proudest achievement is "working together to do everything in our power to maintain extremely high order accuracy and delivery timeliness, minimizing potential losses." She shared her experience racing against policy windows, such as those surrounding US export controls and tariff wars. Team members worked closely with business and related teams, sacrificing weekends and working overtime to clear potentially affected orders, safeguarding customer interests and the company's reputation.
At the same time, Avnet actively responded to the "green operation" goal, and the warehouse made a number of innovative attempts to save energy and reduce emissions: such as introducing new energy packaging equipment (using degradable inflatable bags instead of filling paper, which can reduce costs and be environmentally friendly), packaging recycling (recycling fillers and recycling used cardboard boxes) and green lighting (replacing with LED lights) and other measures, which effectively contributed to the concept of sustainable development.
From manual labeling to automated operations, from "cross-border breakthroughs" during the pandemic to the pioneering implementation of green packaging, every upgrade of Avnet's warehousing system vividly demonstrates its commitment to responsibility. In the story of Helen Xie and her team, we witness the interweaving of technological efficiency and human warmth. This perseverance is the profound foundation of Avnet's reputation as a "reliable partner."
The steady upgrade of Avnet's warehousing system has built a strong logistics foundation for Avnet, acting as a solid backing to ensure the smooth delivery of cutting-edge technologies and solutions to customers. So, how is the delivery experience evolving before goods reach customers to meet their growing demands? Let's follow Stephen Ho, Director of Avnet's Logistics Center, to experience the speed and warmth of Avnet's logistics services.
Stephen Ho
Avnet Logistics Center Supervisor
"Customer-centricity" and "ownership" are the core values that have been running through Avnet China for 30 years.
Throughout Avnet China's 30th anniversary, the evolution of its logistics services, the "last mile" connecting the company and its customers, has profoundly reflected the evolving needs of the Chinese market. As customer expectations for logistics evolve from "speed" to "both speed and transparency," how can Avnet, a customer-centric company, use visualization systems to break the "black box" of logistics and elevate the experience of speed and transparency to new heights?
Stephen Ho, Director of Avnet's Logistics Center, has personally witnessed the profound transformation of China's logistics industry from a "speed competition" to a "competition based on experience ." His team is a staunch adherent of Avnet's "customer-centric" philosophy.
Stephen Ho clearly contrasts the evolving needs of customers: "In the early days, customers were primarily concerned with speedy delivery. Today, they demand ever-faster delivery speeds, coupled with unprecedented demands for transparency and traceability throughout the logistics process."
To this end, Avnet is optimizing transportation routes and improving warehousing efficiency, introducing automated equipment such as automatic labeling machines, and continuously improving its transportation chain to meet customer needs. Furthermore, Avnet has introduced a visualization system that allows customers to view shipment status online, enabling real-time updates and tracking of logistics information.
Avnet continues to innovate in its business, such as implementing Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) with service providers, suppliers, and customers. Furthermore, the company leverages big data and artificial intelligence for analytics to improve logistics efficiency, striving to maintain its leading position in the industry.
Looking ahead to the next five years of logistics technology, Stephen Ho is full of anticipation: "We expect drones to be maturely applied to complete simple and flexible delivery tasks; AI scheduling will be able to further optimize logistics networks, coordinate resources more effectively, and save costs." He believes that with Avnet China's 30 years of industry experience, the company will actively expand related technologies, continuously improve the quality of logistics services, and continue to lead industry development.
"Customer-centricity" and "ownership" have been core values at Avnet China for 30 years. In distribution services, Stephen Ho and his team constantly listen to customer needs and provide customized logistics solutions. They also encourage employees to actively contribute ideas and continuously improve processes and logistics efficiency.
A vivid example vividly illustrates the inheritance of these values : When a typhoon was approaching, Stephen Ho and his team worked until the early hours of the morning to ensure the timely delivery of an important, urgent customer order, racing against time to process all orders before leaving. Ultimately, the goods were successfully delivered on time. This commitment is the best example of customer commitment and a sense of ownership.
From the ultimate pursuit of speed to the creation of a transparent experience, to future-oriented technological innovation, Avnet always prioritizes customer satisfaction and needs. This continuous improvement in the delivery experience is a key factor in earning Avnet's long-term customer trust.
Standing at the new starting point of Avnet China's 30th anniversary, Avnet will continue to uphold its original aspiration, deeply integrate into the surging wave of China's scientific and technological innovation with an open and collaborative attitude, and work hand in hand with partners to embark on the journey of a new era.
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