Final business practice report submitted to obtain the title of Professional in International Business

Abstract

Problem: La Muela SAS’s International Supply and Logistics department encountered problems regarding limited visibility of logistics costs, coordinating various active import projects, and lack of established processes pertaining to cross-border warranty claims and communicating with suppliers. Objective: The aim of the work was to enhance import operations by coordinating shipping processes, designing a logistics cost matrix (Factor Logístico model), coordinating a warranty claim across borders, and ensuring efficient communication with suppliers in nine countries. Method: The intern was involved in all stages of import coordination and used logistics tools for efficient importation, followed Incoterm rules, conducted customs clearance, and designed a logistics cost matrix used for calculating logistics costs of every import project. Market study focused on Colombia’s healthcare sector and contained the overview of market regulation, competitors, and supplier assessment. According to the output of the study, import of Carestream Dental and Sri Trang Gloves was conducted from initial supplier contact to the final delivery stage. The Factor Logístico accounting model including information on 17+ import projects in the past was delivered to the department. There was a successful third party warranty claim against NSK Nakanishi Inc. covering full import costs. Communication was ongoing with 45+ suppliers around 9 countries. Overall, the experience shows that good technical capabilities in logistics should be accompanied with effective and pro-active communication management system.