Jason Lim: Driven to be a leader in customer service

Iwan Suci Jatmiko , Contributor , Jakarta | Wed, 05/14/2008 10:32 AM | Supplement

Modest and friendly. That's the impression Jason Lim leaves on people. As president director of PT Acer Indonesia, Jason, whose full name is Lim Ban Teen Jason, keeps a low profile. While he can understand a little Indonesian he prefers to speak English in daily conversation. "I understand Indonesian but not fully," he said.

His drive to make Acer Indonesia the best IT-based company is indeed praiseworthy. A Singaporean citizen, he has played an important role in Acer's efforts to increase its market share with visible results - Acer has been leading in the notebook segment in the past three years. According to Jason, Acer controls 36 percent of the market share for notebook computers in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, in terms of notebooks and personal computers (PC), Acer Indonesia controls up to 16 percent of the total market share.

Jason has scored a lot of achievements in his years at Acer Indonesia. However, he is not completely satisfied because he still has one unfulfilled ambition. "We would like to be the No. 1 in customer service," he said forthrightly.

Jason joined the computer giant in 1997 as overseas account manager in the Asia Business Division at Acer Computer International Ltd. Singapore. Then another challenge came his way. He was sent to Indonesia in 1998 when the country was experiencing the brunt of a crippling economic crisis. Even a giant company like Acer had to struggle.

Jason, however, is not the type to give up easily.

"It was quite a big challenge. The situation was unpredictable. I had to regularly read the newspapers, watch the television and monitor the situation through the media. Each day there was the potential for the situation to change drastically.

In essence, it was a test for us to survive and be able to bring the situation under control," Jason said.

He acknowledged that this experience was very valuable and much could be learned from it.

"However, we must make sure that our experience does not become a constraint to our moving forward. One must have the courage to take the right decisions even during a crisis," he added.

Jason's leadership and vision reveals his drive. It is not surprising, therefore, that two years later he was made president director of Acer Indonesia, a position that seems to be inseparable from him even now. According to 39-year-old Jason, his educational background supported his career.

How, then, does an IT business run? "In fact, my job tends to be that of a general manager. Each division, I believe, is already in the right hands so I only have to manage them. My job is to make all divisions share a common vision for our common progress," said Jason, a holder of a Business Administration degree majoring in marketing.

For the record, he completed his studies in just three years (June 1991 - March 1994) at the National University of Singapore.

There are many factors that have contributed to Acer's rapid progress, one of which is its business strategy. The implementation of a Channel Business Model is believed to be the most appropriate for the company because it supports cooperation with its partners and suppliers and then sets the focus on supply chain management, research and development. Indeed, IT products are commodities that have enjoyed rapid progress with many recent breakthroughs.

The implementation of a Channel Business Model covers three aspects: product innovation, product reliability and after-sales services. Product reliability is ensured through a test-operation of all Acer products in accordance with international standards.

Meanwhile, its after-sales services are strengthened by Acer's own software service center. This center is assigned to manage spare parts and check product delivery. In an effort to improve its after-sales service Acer now operates service centers in all major cities of Indonesia.

Meanwhile, in terms of design, Acer is noted for its innovation and market-sensitivity.

"Acer is an international brand but it is market-sensitive and adopts a local market approach. This means we are always sensitive to the wishes of the market. Take, for example, the price. Our consumers would like an affordable price but the quality of the product must be good. Ithink this is a phenomenon that you will find in Indonesia alone; it is found in nearly every country," he said.

Acer has been in the IT business since 1985 and the company officially began operations in Indonesia in 1998. In its early years, Jason said, the company faced two challenges. First, Acer is an Asian brand, a trade mark from Taiwan. Many avenues were explored to try to change this perception and make Acer an international brand.

Second, its aftersale services. "When Acer first entered Indonesia, many of our consumers complained about problems with after-sales service. This prompted us to improve our after-sales services," he said. This strategy worked. Acer's success in changing consumers' perception of Acer and its improved aftersale service has made it possible for Acer to deeply penetrate the market.

Acer notebooks have their own market segment. Ferrari notebooks, for example, are aimed at the premium consumers who prioritize lifestyle and entertainment while Travelmate notebooks are intended for businesspeople. Aspire notebooks have their own market segment: students and small-and-medium-sized enterprises.

Notebooks are no longer only used by businesspeople but are also widely used among university and school students. According to Jason, a notebook offers more mobility and greater performance than a personal computer. "So a notebook can be very helpful to university and school students in their studies," he said.

Therefore, exploring the education market in Indonesia by adopting the e-learning method is believed to be an effective approach. Computers have become a necessity and enjoy quite a high place in the scale of priorities. In addition, increasing economic growth has also led to a rise in the demand for computers.

Today, many universities have implemented e-learning. However, to support this, solid, modern supporting infrastructure is needed. Therefore, Acer's decision to team up with leading universities in Indonesia deserves a thumbs-up.has indeed always been strongly committed to removing the barrier between human beings and technology. This e-learning concept is our way of providing access to education by means of the latest technology and infrastructure," Jason noted.

E-learning will narrow the gap between education and technology. It will make the public familiar with technology. The use of the e-learning concept in education has a number of advantages. Among other things, it can be more cost-efficient compared with conventional teaching and studying methods. In addition, e-learning is also more effective and more time-efficient.

However, there are several things that must be prepared before e-learning can take off. First, the public must be ready to accept and make use of a technological system and network. Then there is also the challenge of ensuring easy access to lesson materials. "E-learning will enable university students to shape their own learning behavior without being limited by their college schedules or classrooms," he said.

Aside from supporting universities by providing them with appropriate infrastructure, Acer also provides support in terms of a learning management system and lesson materials in addition to carrying out professional training to ensure that the implementation of the e-learning system is maximized.

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