Last month, Milkan from our Beconnected Bangladesh office spent two enriching weeks at the Beconnected Shanghai office. As his first international company visit, the experience was both a professional milestone and a personal adventure. We asked him a few questions about his time in Shanghai—here’s what he shared.
🎯 Building Bridges Through First-Hand Experience
The purpose of Milkan’s visit was clear: to gain a deeper understanding of customer expectations and use that insight to elevate the quality of our operations back in Bangladesh. His main focus? Reducing sample rejections and improving execution.
“I was genuinely excited—this was my first international business trip,” he says. “I wanted to learn as much as I could about the challenges we face, especially around development sample delays. After two weeks, I returned with a much clearer view of the steps we need to take.”
🛠️ Learning in Action
During his stay, Milkan collaborated closely with the customer teams, working on order placements and troubleshooting production issues. He quickly integrated into the Shanghai workflow and was grateful for the team’s open and collaborative spirit.
“In one word—super! The team was incredibly supportive. They even helped me identify and correct my mistakes, which made the experience very productive.”
🕒 Differences and Discoveries
One operational difference that stood out to him was the weekend schedule. “While we used to have 1.5 days off in Bangladesh, the Shanghai team has two full days off. We’ve now aligned our schedule to match—and it’s made a positive difference.”
Milkan also acquired hands-on training in sample inspection and pricing, which he has already implemented back home. “Now, we can inspect and reject samples directly from Bangladesh, which saves valuable time and reduces back-and-forth.”
📚 Sharing Knowledge Back Home
Upon returning, Milkan didn’t keep his knowledge to himself. He organized internal knowledge-sharing sessions with his team and factory partners, aiming to reduce rejections and streamline execution.
🌆 Beyond the Desk
Outside of work, Milkan embraced the Shanghai lifestyle. He explored iconic landmarks like The Bund, Yu Garden, and Nanjing Street—and even went to the top of the Financial Tower. Despite dietary restrictions, he found culinary delights at Heaven’s Food and sampled a variety of local noodles.
His favorite memory? “An evening out with Camille, Jason, Linda, and Para—dinner followed by a walk along The Bund. It was unforgettable.”
💡 Final Reflections
“Visiting the Shanghai office was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Milkan says. “It gave me immense learning and helped me grow personally and professionally.”
His advice to colleagues? “If you get the chance, go. Especially for our team in India—I highly recommend they experience it too.”
About ERVE:
Erve is a European leader in character licenses and brands. We produce branded fashion and apparel featuring TV, film, cartoon and video game heroes. As part of Erve Group, we have eight offices across three continents and we control the supply chain between raw materials and stores. Starting with our in-house design team and portfolio of licences – we source, produce, pack and transport collections at the request of major fashion retailers. With 37 years in the industry, our dynamic team values growth, transparency and customer focus. Our exceptional quality and sustainable practices have earned us a reputation for excellence.
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