FINO Leatherware, the Filipino-owned maker of fine leather goods, is approaching its 20th anniversary—and owner Rose Ann Bautista is able to look back at how modern technology has changed the way she does business.
Rose Ann says working with a classic material like leather in the modern world requires creating a balance between Old World passion and high-tech manufacturing practices.
“Leather is the very first product made by man. When humans were living in caves, the very first product they had to make was leather for their clothing and for their packs. The basic process for making leather has not changed. The salting, the drying—it’s essentially the same process of leather making today handed down from our ancestors to us today. The difference is, today we have modern technology to help us in the process,” she says.
Saving on time
For Rose Ann, the greatest advantage that modern technology—particularly modern telecommunications—has brought to her business is the savings in time and effort. She makes maximum use of her Globe Business postpaid mobile phone and Internet connection in Fino’s daily operations.
“At Fino, we do everything; the backward-forward integration. It’s a matter of connecting everything and connecting with everyone. We source the materials. We make the product, which is still mostly handmade. We do the deliveries, the marketing and the retail at our stores. It’s a long process from one end to the other.
“The production already takes a lot of time. So which part of the entire process can we save time? We cut down on the preparatory. We use mobile phones and e-mail to communicate with suppliers and process orders. And we are able to improve and quicken our customer service,” she says.
According to Rose Ann, it makes a big difference to her customers whenever she gives them the correct time when to expect deliveries. She is also able to get information more accurately and more quickly, so she knows what she can promise her customers.
“It’s a big deal to be able to give a customer answers sooner than later. I can call my people to ask if we can meet the client’s requirement and how soon we can do it. Even something as routine as deliveries—I can just call to ask where the deliveries are and find out how long before these get to the delivery point,” she says.
She explains that before cellular phones and e-mail became widespread business tools, she would have to be physically present at the Fino factory as well as the Fino stores more often. Besides that, she would have to travel to meet with suppliers, customers and other contacts. All these took a lot of time and energy.
“Now that we can save time using the mobile phone and e-mail, we are able to do more things faster in one day,” she says.
Rose Ann relies on Globe Business TxtConnect to let her run the business even when she’s not physically present at the Fino factory. Through the TxtConnect service, she can more effectively communicate with employees and clients through unlimited texting and other features.
Globe Business TxtConnnect is ideal for businesses that need to broadcast text messages to pre-registered groups (such as clients and personnel). Its features include unlimited sending and receiving of SMS within the registered groups; creating groups; sending pre-scheduled alerts or messages; generating reports for SMS sent and received and even for setting birthday alerts. TxtConnect subscribers are charged much lower rates compared with the regular texting rates.
TxtConnect can be used to send out announcements on special deals, promos to customers and even just to greet customers on their birthdays, a gesture that can potentially increases sales and deepen their engagement with the customers.
Time for family and friends
Ross Ann is also thankful that at the current state of her business, she is able to run the business from home in the mornings. This allows her to be present at home with her kids and husband before they go to school or work.
“My day is very erratic. It can start heavy. It can start light. Usually though, I do all the ‘quiet’ stuff in the mornings. I do all the phone calls and the e-mails. I do the follow-ups. I update myself with all the tasks I need to do. I can do all this at home now-I’m able to do that freely because of the easy access to my mobile phone and e-mail,” she says.
Being away from the office also helps Rose Ann think better. “I’m not the sort who thrives mentally and creatively inside an office. I need to go around. I need to expose myself to the environment, to sights and sounds that can trigger ideas. Being able to do this while running the factory by mobile phone is good for me,” she says.
Rose Ann still has to go to meetings so she sets these either by lunchtime or in the afternoon. Of course, she still has to go to the factory and the Fino stores but she does this less frequently during the week.
“It helps to have really good people who can pick up instructions over the phone. Also, through the years I’ve developed a gut feel for the business. Just by talking to them, I can feel it when they need something at the factory,” she says.
Later in the day, she picks up her two kids, ages 11 and 12, after school. Then they’ll go have a family dinner with daddy at a restaurant.
“Nowadays, I’m not able to bring my kids to school. So instead, we go to this family restaurant that my husband and I, along with some friends, set up some time ago. So even if our day ends late, we still get to spend time together,” she says.
Rose Ann also takes time to meet with friends, which puts perspective and balance in her own life.
“Especially now that we’re all into this middle-age stage, it’s nice to be able to keep in touch with friends and connect. You can see all the changes that are happening in your lives. It’s nice to still be together and just enjoy each other’s company,” she says.
She is also considering getting a subscription to another Globe Business service, which is WebEye. Globe Business WebEye is essentially a video surveillance system that allows business owners to monitor the activities in their stores, outlets, warehouse, or factories even when they are on a trip out of town or are attending to other concerns outside their office.
With WebEye, entrepreneurs are able to monitor their companies anywhere in the Philippines through their laptop, PC, phone, or wherever there is Internet access. Besides providing round-the-clock business surveillance for security purposes, WebEye also allows face-to-face communication between the entrepreneur and his office managers, making it easier to give them instructions and directions.
De-stressing outdoors
Rose Ann also has more time for her outdoor hobbies and other personal activities now that she is able to run her business remotely.
“I love being outdoors. I’m really a water sports type of person —water skiing, windsurfing and all that. But those activities are seasonal. So I’m into running and going to the gym as well. Being outdoors and close to nature relieves my stress. I also pray. I drop by the chapel or church whenever I can,” she says.
She also enjoys going on hikes and traveling with her husband. They go on vacation for a month at a time. She’s grateful that she and her husband now have more time to spend together away from the stresses of work.
“That’s why the mobile phone and e-mail are important,” she says. “Being away for a month is not a big challenge anymore since I can always make a call or communicate with my people through e-mail. My husband has cut down on his own work so we can be together on our trips.”
A classic passion
For Rose Ann, technology is there to help us enjoy essential human activities. While technology is amazing, she says it’s best to remember that it’s not an end in itself.
“The technology we use for communications is there to make our relationships stronger and better connected. The technology we use at the factory is there to let us create our leather products as passionately and with as much love as we have always done.
“Our products are still mostly handmade, although we do use machines at certain stages of the process. We are thinking of adding more technology but we’re doing it slowly—and we would never become very automated. That’s just not what Fino is about. We like to think that we cater to those who are as passionate about handcrafted leather as we are.
“There’s still nothing like leather, despite all the synthetic alternatives. It’s more natural. It’s more comfortable. And it’s also more luxe. Our customers value leather in the same way we do, so we’d like to keep on creating our products with the same substance and the same passion,” she says.