Today we had two company site visits. The first one was to a port in Cat Lai. The first thing they did was give a presentation, where they went through an overview of their network of port terminals and how this terminal was only the second largest class of port, which was hard to believe once I stepped foot in the port and felt the humongous scale. I think some of the technical aspects may have been lost on me as a finance and economics major who only ever learns about money. I mostly understand the supply chain and the process of the port from getting it off the boat onto the ground and into the trucks, but what really confused me was how the massive machines used in the operation were built and shipped. There was a blue crane that stacked up 5 or 6 crates high on either side like massive legs. Is there a machine that makes that, or is it man-made? And if a machine makes that, who makes the machine that makes the machine? It’s sights like this that make me in awe of engineering and logistics. For the port itself, it was a lot different than I expected. Maybe it’s because I don’t understand how a port works or because of the differences between Vietnam and America, but it seemed wildly inefficient. There were countless people just standing around, and a group of people were just chilling or inactive on conveyor belts. One person was riding a bicycle across the terminal, which I thought was unusual. My only understanding of how ports operate comes from The Wire, so it was interesting to see the differences between television and reality.

The second visit was Dan on Foods, a company that produces primarily nut products but has also been venturing into other foods like cookies. It was a pretty big complex, but interestingly, they require everyone to wear sterile crocs indoors. This led to a very clean office and gave off a much more professional vibe in the office compared to Glass Egg. The desks were very clean and rid of clutter. The office also had great interior design and warm lighting. On the other hand, Glass Egg was filled with a blend of personalities unique to each employee. They were two very different companies, and both office vibes could be perceived as better for different people. I think Dan on Foods is ultimately superior in the perks department, though. It’s my first time ever seeing a company having a free-to-use pool in their office, and it was cool to see people using it. I think having these perks, while not necessarily motivating employees to work extra hard all the time, has a strategic role in capital management and employee morale. Taking what I learned from Glass Egg, it’s important to have highly experienced employees to be the best at what you do, even at the cost of short-term profits. The company tour was fun, and we got to ride around the complex in golf carts. It was fascinating trying to wrap my head around the full production process and how it all comes together. Dan on Foods seemed highly sustainable with lights that automatically turn off and solar panels on the roof. I hope more companies take a page out of their book and put effort into improving more than profits.