The global biofuel market size is estimated to reach a net worth of 225.9 billion USD by 2028 according to a report published by Markets and Markets. Coconut charcoal briquettes have emerged as one of the extensively used biofuels and have gained considerable market share over the years. Igniting the idea of promoting environmental sustainability, coconut briquettes are widely used because of their long burning time, aesthetic charcoal properties, and no smoke emission.
Coconut charcoal is being used as a substitute for fueling wood, kerosene, and other fossil fuels for BBQ cooking and shisha smoking. However, end-use sectors face quality-related challenges. The final quality of a briquette depends on the quality of the raw material and other factors such as machine designs, techniques, and operating standards that have been used to produce it.
Bassel Saleh, Director of ICCS Global Industries, has resolved this issue by leveraging modern technology. The company has implemented a trace and track system and introduced automation in coconut charcoal production, resulting in time, labor, and cost savings while ensuring higher quality consistency and increased production capacity. His system records all the materials and processes utilized in the production of final products back to their raw material.
This is how he is able to monitor the quality of briquettes and deliver optimum quality products to the consumers. As a 21st-century entrepreneur, the usage of advanced technology to make coconut charcoal briquette production more efficient and consistent makes Bassel Saleh one of the progressive business leaders in Indonesia.
Bassel Saleh’s company, ICCS Global Industries, is one of the reputed producers and suppliers of coconut charcoal briquettes based in Indonesia. The business was started in 2011 and it established its own production and supply setup in 2015. He primarily produced charcoal briquettes for his family’s shisha tobacco production business and due to the reputable performance his product achieved, demand was growing exponentially.
“I came to Indonesia in 2017 and took over the business. Initially, I had to go through a steep L&D curve educating myself about the different business processes and how to handle them with accuracy. A lot of the efforts were made by my team and me in perfecting the process in all aspects of the supply chain. This industry requires ongoing education and a passion towards perfection,” mentioned Bassel Saleh.
Absolute Quality Control
Saleh manages an intricate network of vendors and operators that help him procure the best raw materials for products. There are coconut farms spread across Indonesia and the coconuts of specific geographic locations are best suited for briquette production. Saleh’s company does not directly deal with the farming communities for his requirement of raw materials. He gets it done by 3rd party operators placed in strategic locations. He has created a supply chain management process that is unique and devoid of any lapses and loopholes relating to the quality of products.
In order to be meticulous about quality excellence, Saleh established eight stages of quality control processes and collected intensive amounts of data to track and trace all products. “We always procure the bestcharcoaled coconuts for our products. However, we have grown to understand that coconut charcoal is a natural product that varies in its unique, natural ways. This is why, we continuously run our product through various tests during different stages of production. We must make sure we are offering our consumers the best quality coconut charcoal briquettes made of the best kind of raw materials,” said Bassel Saleh. Saleh has not only developed a good SCM system but has also created a good reputation based on his behavior in the market
Continued Focus on Development
Saleh has not only developed a good SCM system but has also established a good reputation based on his collaborative behavior in the market. He has to deal with many vendors and operators for the successful running of the business and has earned a very good reputation among them. He believes that if the company is growing with the help of technology and integrating the latest developments, all the people associated with the company must also be involved in the process. Because the coconut industry is volatile and subject to various macroeconomic and industry-related fluctuations, the briquette industry can be challenging especially for local businesses that benefit indirectly from the production of coconut charcoal briquettes. Despite all odds, he has stood beside all his operators and vendors and helped them grow and develop in the market. “I want to revolutionize the charcoal briquettes industry but technology alone is not enough. When you want to move a whole industry from the old ways to the new ways, you need your people to believe in you and in what you believe in. Then, and only then, we will be able to achieve complete transformation,” he stated.
Future Endeavors
Saleh became an entrepreneur in the Indonesian business ecosystem back in 2017 and has earned a good reputation in the market. Currently, he is supplying coconut charcoal briquettes to more than 40 countries around the world including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Egypt, Germany, Greece, China, USA, Canada, and Brazil. “Looking ahead, I feel I have the duty to further develop production processes, establish more eco-friendly techniques, and contribute to the industry’s growth towards perfection. We owe it to our shareholders, our business partners, and our great team”, concluded Bassel Saleh.
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