CEO Insights Magazine

A greater leader is one who thrives on continuous learning, staying ahead of the ongoing trends, and being open to new ideas. This special ability helps them to adapt quickly while keeping their team and organization on the path to success. The story of Hijjas Sow follows a similar trial. The Director of Sansico Industries, Hijjas Sow has over 15+ years of experience in operating business of various sector. As an Alumni Leader from Multimedia University Malaysia, Hijjas Sow exemplifies dedication and strategic leadership while consistently focusing on customer service and operational efficiency. In this interview, Hijjas highlights his career journey and talks about industry trends.

Can you please walk us through your career journey?

Starting my career at Megaman Lighting, I quickly realized the significance of building solid relationships with customers, peers, and supervisors. This foundational lesson in communication and collaboration helped me navigate various tasks and projects successfully. Moving to Good Way Integrated Industries, I honed my skills in service excellence, always ensuring transparency and timely communication with customers. I always focused on maintaining high standards, which earned me recognition as the best employee, highlighting the importance of reliable service in achieving professional milestones.

As I transitioned to Bristol Furniture, I faced more complex challenges, handling major accounts with tight deadlines. My ability to coordinate with diverse teams and manage high expectations demonstrated my growing confidence and leadership skills. This experience was pivotal in shaping my approach to business, emphasizing the need for structured operations and meticulous planning. Eventually, taking on a leadership role in Sansico Industries, a family business, I implemented these lessons and introduced structured processes and data-driven decision-making. Despite facing the adversities of the COVID-19 pandemic, my strategic decisions and commitment to my team helped lead the company to become a market leader in Malaysia's internal plumbing and floor trap sector.

Could you share some of the unique academic experiences from Multimedia University Malaysia?

There is a huge difference between what we studied in college and what we practice in real life. The value I see from my engineering course at Multimedia University Malaysia is that it's quite technical and requires a lot of attention to detail. In the field of engineering, being detailed is crucial because if something goes wrong at any point in the process, the results won't make sense. In real-world applications, this could mean wasting thousands of dollars. So, through my engineering studies, I've learned the importance of being detailed.

At Multimedia University Malaysia, we had a lot of projects, and it was essential to meet deadlines to ensure that the projects were done well and submitted on time.

How do you guide your team to ensure they provide innovative quality products and services across all your offerings? What kind of customer experience do they deliver?

I am fortunate that my team is very dedicated to serving our customers. However, their approach sometimes lacks a systematic process. My role is to ensure we have the necessary steps in place and to provide the support they need.

For example, if a customer reports missing items from their order, our team promptly addresses the issue and sends the missing items. This level of service makes customers appreciate Sansico for its responsiveness and dedication. Additionally, if there's a technical problem, our service team goes to the site to check and provide advice.

I always emphasize the importance of responding to customers within 24 hours. While we may not always have a solution within that timeframe, at least we acknowledge their issue and inform them that we're working on it. This approach ensures that customers feel heard and supported.

How does the future of the construction industry and plumbing look like?

We can see that the economy is becoming more active, especially in the construction industry There's a noticeable increase in the construction of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, which means our products are in demand across these sectors. I expect this growth to continue for the next two years, but in the third, fourth, and fifth years, it might level off. To sustain our growth, we are looking to expand into the ASEAN region. We are exploring opportunities in countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia, as they are also experiencing rapid growth. We aim to offer our products in these markets as well.

What’s the future roadmap for Sansico?

We plan to expand our range of plumbing products to offer a greater variety of solutions to our customers, covering budget, mid-range, and premium options, all with corresponding quality. Additionally, we are focusing on growing our human capital. Over the past year, our headcount has increased by 10 to 15 percent, and we aim to continue this trend. By enhancing our product offerings and increasing our workforce, we hope to improve customer service, drive more sales, and ensure sustainable growth and profits in the coming decade.

Could you share some advice from your experience for aspiring industry leaders?

Service is incredibly important nowadays. With the advent of communication tools like Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Google Chat, and email, people expect fast responses. Meeting this expectation is critical. I always emphasize to my team the importance of responding to customers within 24 hours. This shows that we are there for them, whether the news is good or bad. If you consistently demonstrate that you are there for your customers, support and sales will follow.

Hijjas Sow, Managing Director, Sansico

Hijjas Sow, the Managing Director of Sansico, is a dedicated and strategic leader known for his focus on customer service and operational efficiency. He values detailed and systematic approaches to problem-solving and emphasizes the importance of quick and responsive customer service. Under his leadership, Sansico has expanded its product range and workforce, demonstrating his commitment to growth and sustainability.