febc expansion in the Indian subcontinent

What is the recipe at febc for your great reputation in the market with developers and operators?

There are several reasons our clients express strong appreciation for the hotel procurement service we provide. I would say reliability is key and something that our team consistently bring to the table. We aim to deliver a flawless service by learning from and building case studies on every hotel procurement project we engage in to make sure we have the precedence that will allow us to pre-emptively deal with the challenges our clients might face.

What is the reason behind febc’s celebration of it expansion into South Asia?

I wouldn’t describe our sentiment as such considering we have very little to celebrate as of now. However, our expansion in the Indian subcontinent, particularly India, is certainly something we are extremely excited about. We actively seek to grow in Emerging Market’s and have done a very good job in delivering an excellent service to clients all over Africa and Asia in the last decade. Our approach to India is not only to grow our portfolio of projects but also add to our existing operational capacity to serve clients around the world by establishing our Indian subcontinent regional head office in Mumbai which will complement our existing network of offices in Asia and Europe. That said, we seek to utilise the best available talents in the Indian labour market and make sure we are able to continue on provide our clients with a wide variety of hotel procurement options that will encompass the best quality Indian manufacturers available. The two fundamental pillars to the exceptional service we provide are optionality in terms of sourcing and the supply chain management experience we bring to the table, both require us to have a pro-active physical presence on the ground in major manufacturing hubs. That said, India’s hospitality sector is booming as demand continue to outstrip the existing supply of hotel rooms. With the current pipeline of branded hotel developments in India, we feel we can add significant value to hotel owners in leveraging our expertise, methods and the purchasing power we have our network of pre-qualified manufacturers and suppliers around the world.

What is the added value you bring to developers and operators with specific reference to hotel procurement?

When it comes to hotel developments, both the owners of the property and the operators are two sides of the same coin. Our job is to serve the interest of the client (owners) while complying with the operator’s guidelines and specifications. Considering our track record of working with the majority of international operators, our team are familiar with all operator guidelines, therefore saving a lot time during the hotel procurement process and making sure the selection of items is always in line with operator’s requirements. That said, we boast a data base of more than 1,500 suppliers and manufacturers that have been vetted and pre-qualified on our system, essentially providing the client with diverse selection of sourcing options from around the world. Value engineering is another element that brings considerable budget saving to clients. Another fundamental pillar in our hotel procurement service is our purchasing power; considering we currently have more than 35 projects under our management, which makes our ability to bring discounted prices with no compromise on quality unprecedented in the hospitality procurement business. All in all, we strive to save both time and money on behalf of hotel owners and make sure that the operator is completely satisfied with the property handed over to them.

From a business development perspective, where do you see febc in 5 years?

We feel confident we are on the right path of development focusing on the right emerging markets and delivering honest solutions. Our integrity in the hospitality community will always be key to our success while maintaining a high standard of service. It’s hard to speculate on the future as we have no control over the macro economic factors affecting the industry as a whole, however, we will continue to invest in technology and improve our electronic procurement platform that engages clients, facilitate a more competitive playing field for suppliers and a more cost-effective solution for hotel owners. In 5 years; our aim is to make sure we provide the most competitive service to hotel owners all around the world with the end result being less time and money spent on hotel procurement without any compromise on quality or the standard of items procured.

Interview with Fuad Sajdi – febc Business Development Manager for South Asia region.