2018 Insights: Dong Eun Kim

What opportunities do you predict for your industry in 2018?

With the demands placed on our environment globally, NCH looks to develop sustainable solutions with total packaged maintenance products. There are many opportunities where we meet the environmental regulations and requirements with our customers, and ensure we are offering a positive environmental outcome in their business and in their industry.

What impact will big data and smart-device technology have on your industry in 2018?

In the industrial maintenance industry, data is getting more important. We can use analytics available to us to analyse customers’ buying patterns and trends providing us with other opportunities within their business. Our intelligent products and solutions are extremely powerful in providing information on our customers’ infrastructure, which gives us valuable insight to potential areas of risk and for improvement.

Our sales reps are using mobile technology and applications in their business that enables them to sync and update data in real-time. These smart devices are great instruments for our sales teams to show our products and programs in a professional manner, but also easily access and extract data from our corporate database for their business meetings and presentations. I believe data management will play a key role in driving our sales force in the future, and will also be a big part in differentiating ourselves from other competitors.

How is your industry preparing for sustainability/climate change issues?

NCH have always held fundamental beliefs about what we value and how we will behave around sustainability and the impact it has in business. We practice and base our commitment to our employees, customers and communities around ensuring our products showcase environmentally friendly, safety and community responsibility.

We are putting more focus and R&D investments in developing more sustainable products that support this commitment.

What are your clients demanding of you now that they didn’t demand five years ago?

Our customers are now demanding more the turnkey-based solutions. That is to say, the customers used to buy our chemicals and products with self-application and use. Today with downsizing, increased growth, stricter deadlines and sustainability in their business, they are requesting the value-added services we provide along with the products. There is now a trend of favouring companies that can offer multiple maintenance solutions. NCH provides this in its unique portfolio of one-stop products and services.

What is your industry doing to attract and retain young talent?

We are living in a world of constant evolution in technology and the way in which people build business networks and social circles. NCH uses SNS media to attract young talent who share the same values and interests as us. SNS actively assists us in connecting with the right people and the right talent.

How should Australian industry respond to global competition?

Australian industry has continued to sustain a good level of economic performance and management over the last 25 years. We need to continue to reform and remain nimble across declining industries, and look for areas of improvement and growth in the economy. Australia needs to focus on core strengths and competencies, and where it can be of support to more localised approaches in business.

Australia has talented skillsets amongst its growing population, and leveraging that in business today is key.

Technology will play an important role in responding to global competition, if the adaption to change, new processes and embracing these new technologies continue to strengthen. We need to remain hungry and willing to experiment with new technologies in industry if we want to ensure we are innovative and continue to connect with global markets.

Dong Eun Kim is President of NCH Asia, International industrial and commercial maintenance company across 15 Asian countries.  He has been part of the NCH team for seven years, beginning in the Corporate Strategies Department in Dallas, Texas. Mr Kim has been instrumental in implementing many of the NCH Asia strategies that have transformed the business, including establishing the unified NCH brand and training a specialised sales force. He also worked as the Asia Corporate Account Development Manager in Japan, NCH Asia Chemsearch Business Manager in Singapore, and became the Country Manager of Korea in 2014.