The kick-off ceremony held in February 2014 marked the start of GIANT TF’s journey. GIANT TF is tasked with establishing the work process and system for AP Group members around the world, with an organization that includes members engaged in financial administration/sales/SCM/HR fields and over 100 outside consultants.

 This month’s APG News Square looks at the work of GIANT through a special interview with Sung Joong-yong, the leader of GIANT TF. During the interview, Sung Joong-yong showed deep consideration and interest in not only GIANT TF, but all members of AMOREPACIFIC Group. We hope that, with this interview, all members can see his caring and considerate nature. Here, we introduce Sung Joong-yong, the leader of GIANT TF. 

Q. Hello, Mr. Sung. Many members of AMOREPACIFIC Group must be wondering about this big TF, which is larger than a BU or Division. Please, tell us about GIANT TF. 

A. Have you visited the third floor of Signature Camp (the headquarters building in Seoul, Korea)? If you have, you must have seen people reading off data displayed on the monitor, sharing their opinions and discussing the future of AMOREPACIFIC Group. This is the daily routine of those who work at GIANT. 

 AMOREPACIFIC Group needs a ‘neural network’ that can bring all AP Group members around the world together in order to go global in earnest. GIANT (Global Integrated AMOREPACIFIC New ERP Transformation) is the start of the journey AMOREPACIFIC Group is taking to go global by building a sustainable neural network on an organization-wide scale. 26 AMOREPACIFIC Group offices have been selected for GIANT, of which 11 are global offices. The increasing volumes of data, such as the sales growth of specific countries, brand inventory reports and cautions regarding custom duty for products exported from China, means that decision makers need to be provided with accurate information in a swifter manner than ever before. This calls for a platform to support the global business and management activities of AMOREPACIFIC Group. GIANT began as the main agent to establish the work process and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system and, at the same time, supervise tasks that are standardized worldwide.  

Q. It is known that the GIANT Project is scheduled to end in 2016. What is the primary focus of GIANT TF? 

A. The GIANT Project is largely divided into three phases. The first phase is ‘design.’ From February, we established a standard process map for each area of business, designated items for improvement and designed the neural network with a view to accomplishing our vision. The second phase, which will be carried for the next ten months from October, is ‘the actual implementation of the system in Korea.’ To put it another way, we already have a floor plan, now we just need to build the house. In this phase, we will build a system for the standard processes already selected. The last phase is ‘the worldwide deployment of the system,’ which involves extending the application of the standard processes across global offices within seven months. 

 As I mentioned earlier, GIANT aims to build up a thriving neural network of data to form an integral part in AMOREPACIFIC Group’s efforts to go global. The ultimate goal is not to simply help survive in the ever-changing global market, but to allow AMOREPACIFIC Group to lead the global market with a ‘global digital system.’ And this is to say nothing of the absolute need for an excellent user experience. In this sense, it is important to define the standards and specialized processes well. This is something that all GIANT TF members, including myself, must think hard about and take interest in.  

Q. It’s good to hear that the second phase, which you mentioned is like building the house, will start soon.  But, let’s talk a little about you. First, we’d like to know your career path that you came through before becoming the leader of the GIANT TF. 

A. It has been 20 years since I joined AMOREPACIFIC Group back in 1995, when the group established OSULLOC Campus in Jincheon, Chungcheongbuk-do for popularization of the tea culture, echoing the lifelong dedication of the company’s founder Suh Seong-whan. AMOREPACIFIC Group built the campus to develop its competence in tea making, but at that time, its tea-making facilities and technologies were only at the initial stages and, in fact, there was no company in Korea that AMOREPACIFIC Group could model itself after. Yet, AMOREPACIFIC Group boldly embarked on the road less travelled. It studied cases of Chinese and Japanese companies, applied the design of initiatives undertaken by other businesses and underwent countless trials and errors. I remember how our team at AMOREPACIFIC Group devoted all our efforts into accumulating knowledge in processing technologies and facilities while developing our competencies to design the production line effectively. 

 2005 saw the adoption of Six Sigma at the company level. Personally speaking, I wanted to find a more scientific way to optimize processing technologies and learn something else than what I had done at OSULLOC Campus in Jincheon. That’s why I applied for the BB (Black Belt). In theory, I was supposed to gain experience in BB business while working at the headquarters in Seoul for a year and then return to my original position. But, in practice, after I got a taste of the whole business process of the group, I wanted to learn and experience more of it. So, I applied for MBB (Master Black Belt) as well. The two and a half years I spent on that was a valuable opportunity for me to learn better about the group and what it does. 

 In 2008, when AP WAY was declared, I came back to OSULLOC Campus as the team manager and, in 2012, I was promoted to the head of the campus. Being a leader was different from working as a team member. I had to help team members enjoy their work while still making sure that I helped deliver good results. It was not easy at first to find the right balance. There was no correct answer. In the end, I found a model from the AP WAY and followed it. I learned through the AP WAY that the vocation and value of being an AP Group member is to make the world beautiful and others happy. AP WAY can still be found in GIANT TF.  

Q. It sounds like the last 20 years have been a time of challenge and achievement for you. Tell us about the most significant and meaningful moment for you. 

A. There have been so many great, interesting and significant moments. Looking back, I would say that the year 2000 when I visited a Japanese tea maker for benchmarking particularly stands out. At that time, I asked a Japanese CEO about how to be a tea-making expert and he answered that only thing we need to do is learn about 50 years from a proper teacher. His answer made it sound like we would never be able to be an expert. Of course, there were some who gave a positive answer, but many said otherwise. After going through all sorts of things, I fully realized the need to make a special, unique processing line of AMOREPACIFIC Group and, with hard work and efforts, in 2003 we built an AP-style Multi Roasting Line that improves product value while maintaining unique tea ingredients.  

 A year later, we received a request from the Tea Association of Shizuoka Youth (靜岡茶業靑年團). They said that they wanted to visit AMOREPACIFIC Group on their sightseeing tour of Korea in order to see how a Korean company made a tea production line, given that it was not so long ago that it was asking Japanese tea makers for advice. So, we invited them and introduced our campus. They were surprised when they saw our production line and said that a processing line of such high quality is rare even in Japan. That was the ‘aha’ moment when I realized, ‘We can do it!’

Q. Yes, ‘Together We Can’ do anything and everything. Lastly, what kind of leader do you wish to become?

A. I have been lucky to have a wide variety of experiences since I joined AMOREPACIFIC Group. Such diverse experiences have served to broaden my thoughts and views. It is still a pleasure to work together with many members for a better overall future. It is a great blessing to be here. To repay my co-workers who have given me such a blessing, I made a promise to myself the year I became team manager: the promise was to extend this blessing to future leaders. The implication is that I should be a leader who nurtures future leaders to practice Our Values for the sustainable and long-term vocation of AMOREPACIFIC Group.  

 At the GIANT TF, I work on creating a future neural network, which is to say the ABC platform supporting Global Operations. Future leaders are those who make the world beautiful for global customers through the neural network of the Beauty Republic. This might sound a bit abstract, but what I am trying to figure out is the capabilities that are demanded from future leaders, what training they need and how an organizational culture should be in order to nurture them. In fact, GIANT is making small attempts at this right now, like ‘creating a horizontal organizational culture.’  

Q. Please, tell us about the goal that GIANT TF wishes to accomplish by the end of this year. 

A. The second phase of GIANT is starting this October. It is now time to give shape to what we came up with - the standard for the most efficient process. From the design step, we exchanged views with AP Group members at the working level. But, the more we talk, the bigger our goal becomes. The key is to bring all this down to the level of AP Group members working on site.    

 We will sort out standards applicable for all 26 offices and branch-specific standards and then begin building the system. The implementation phase will be carried as fast as the design phase. I have nothing but gratitude towards all members of GIANT bent on establishing the neural network of AMOREPACIFIC Group. All GIANT members are working hard to make AMOREPACIFIC Group a true global company and I’d like to ask all of you to do the same. Thank you. (I forgot: I need to make sure that by the year-end I have granted all GIANT TF members leave before the project ends.)