FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY

HO CHI MINH CITY CAMPUS

---------***--------

MID-COURSE INTERNSHIP REPORT

Major: International Business Economics

THE PROCESS OF SELLING CROSS-BORDER

PRODUCTS ON THE TIKI MARKETPLACE

Student: Ho Van Minh Nhat

Student ID: 1801015603
Class: CLC3
Intake: K57
Supervisor: Doctor Le Trung Thanh

Ho Chi Minh, August 2021

 FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY
HO CHI MINH CITY CAMPUS
---------***--------

MID-COURSE INTERNSHIP REPORT

Major: International Business Economics

THE PROCESS OF SELLING CROSS-BORDER

PRODUCTS ON THE TIKI MARKETPLACE

Student: Ho Van Minh Nhat

Student ID: 1801015603
Class: CLC3
Intake: K57
Supervisor: Doctor Le Trung Thanh

Ho Chi Minh, August 2021

This page is intentionally left blank
FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
HO CHI MINH CITY CAMPUS Independence - Freedom - Happiness

MIDTERM PROFESSIONAL REPORT REMARKS

Student’s full name: Ho Van Minh Nhat Student code:1801015603

Name of the report: THE PROCESS OF SELLING CROSS-BORDER
PRODUCTS ON THE TIKI MARKETPLACE................................................................
Assessment of compliance with regulations, progress, and work ethics
(Maximum of 1.0 point, with one decimal number):..........................................................
Remarks (circle the appropriate one):
1. The student has completed the report properly under the guidance of the
supervisor. The supervisor is responsible for the title, purpose, subjects, scope
and research method(s), and chapters’ titles, and main headings of the report. (3
digits): 0.8-1.0 point(s)
2. The student has failed to carefully follow the supervisor’s instructions. The
supervisor is responsible for chapters’ titles, purpose, subject, scope and research
method(s), and titles and main headings of the report. (2 digits): 0.5-0.7 point(s)
3. The student has failed to carefully follow the supervisor’s instructions. The
supervisor is not responsible for the report: 0.1-0.4 point(s)
4. The student has totally failed to follow the supervisor’s instructions. The
supervisor rejects the submission of the report: 0 point
Ho Chi Minh City, August 20th, 2021

Supervisor
 STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

Except where reference is made in the text of the report, this report
contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a
report by which the author has qualified or been awarded another degree or
diploma. No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in
the report. This report has not been submitted for the reward of any degree or
diploma in any other tertiary constitution.

Ho Chi Minh City, August 2021

Ho Van Minh Nhat

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ABBREVIATION...............................................................................I
LIST OF TABLES.............................................................................................II
LIST OF FIGURES...........................................................................................II
PREFACE............................................................................................................ 1
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO TIKI CORPORATION.....................3
1.1 General information of Tiki Corporation.................................................3
1.1.1 Formation and development..............................................................3

1.1.2 The organizational structure of Tiki Corporation..............................5

1.1.3 Business performance of Tiki Corporation from 2016 to 2019.........8

1.2 Internship duties.......................................................................................9

CHAPTER 2 ANALYZING THE PROCESS OF SELLING CROSS-
BORDER PRODUCTS ON TIKI MARKETPLACE....................................12
2.1 The process of selling cross-border products on Tiki Marketplace........12
2.2 Detail analysis of the process.................................................................12
2.2.1 Hunting seller..................................................................................12

2.2.2 Listing products...............................................................................13

2.2.3 Managing........................................................................................15

2.3 Comparison between practice and theory..............................................17

2.4 Assessment of the process of selling cross-border products on Tiki
Marketplace.....................................................................................................18
2.4.1 Strengths.........................................................................................18

2.4.2 Weaknesses.....................................................................................19

CHAPTER 3 INTERNSHIP REFLECTION AND RECOMMENDATION

ON THE PROCESS OF SELLING CROSS-BORDER PRODUCTS ON
THE TIKI MARKETPLACE..........................................................................20
3.1 Skill and knowledge acquired, and Career Orientation..........................20
3.1.1 Skill and knowledge acquired.........................................................20

3.1.2 Career Orientation...........................................................................21

3.2 Recommendations on the process of selling cross-border products on

Tiki Marketplace..............................................................................................22
 3.2.1 Constantly enlarge the market, both consumer and seller...............22

3.2.2 Maintain the critical advantage of Tiki – Technology.....................22

CONCLUSION..................................................................................................23
REFERENCES..................................................................................................24
APPENDIX........................................................................................................25
 LIST OF ABBREVIATION
Abbreviation Full word
API Application Programming Interface
BD Business Development
KAM Key Account Management
VPM Vendor Performance Management
SKU Stock-Keeping Unit
 LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Basic information of Tiki Corporation....................................................3
Table 2: Internship duties....................................................................................10

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Tiki Corporation organizational structure..............................................5
Figure 2: Tiki Accumulated Loss, 2016 - 2019.....................................................8
Figure 3: The process of selling cross-border products on Tiki Marketplace......12
Figure 4: Listing SKUs process on Tiki Marketplace.........................................14
Figure 5: Campaigns proposing workflow..........................................................16
 PREFACE
With the constant development of technology, the presence of new business models
utilizes the technological breakthrough is inevitable, and e-commerce is the leading
discovery that is deemed to innovate the world. Unlike the traditional retailing
model in which customers come to a store to choose and buy the product, e-
commerce simplified the procedure to swipes of fingers. Because of its simplicity
and convenience, e-commerce has won the preference of global customers,
especially the young and trendy generation. The strike of the COVID-19 pandemic
has increased the demand for e-commerce at an all-time high when people cannot go
out due to quarantine restrictions. When the pandemic hit, Vietnam’s e-commerce
market grew by 18%, reaching $11.8 billion, accounting for 5.5 percent of national
total retail sales of goods and services, according to advertising agency Adsota.

The emerging of e-commerce forces many firms and industries to go online to

accommodate the emerging need. According to a mid-2016 study by
Google/Temasek, the ASEAN online economy from 50 billion USD in 2017 is
forecast to have a great leap forward, increasing to 200 billion USD by 2025. The
online economy includes four service groups: ride-hailing, online food ordering;
online communication; online travel booking, and e-commerce. With such rapid
growth, Vietnam is expected to become Southeast Asia’s leading “hot piece of
cake” for e-commerce.

Tiki Corporation, widely known as Tiki, is one of the most significant players in
B2C e-commerce. The midterm internship at Tiki Corporation, Ho Chi Minh City
Office, has offered the author an excellent chance to experience the multi-millions
industry and experience the professional working environment in one of the best
places to work in Vietnam. The author also has the opportunity to learn new skills
and apply the theoretical knowledge in actual work. Realizing the upcoming surge
of e-commerce in Vietnam, the author has immersed himself in the reality of the
industry and presenting the research on the topic “THE PROCESS OF SELLING
CROSS-BORDER PRODUCTS ON THE TIKI MARKETPLACE.”

The report is divided into three main chapters:

 - Chapter 1: Introduction to TIKI CORPORATION
- Chapter 2: Analyzing the process of selling cross-border products on Tiki
Marketplace
- Chapter 3: Internship reflection and recommendation on the process of
selling cross-border products on the TIKI MARKETPLACE
For the fulfillment of this report, the author wishes to express the deepest
gratitude and sincerest thanks to Mrs. Tran Nhat Vy – Cross Border Business
Manager, Mr. Doan Duc Khuong Duy – Cross Border Key Account Senior
Executive, the Cross Border Department, the People Operations Department as
well as other departments of Tiki Corporation, Ho Chi Minh City Office, for their
precious time and effort to guide the author throughout the internship. Last but
not least, the author shows great appreciation to Doctor Le Trung Thanh, the
Supervisor, for his dedication and devotion to this paper.

Due to the limited time and insufficient knowledge, this report cannot fully
satisfy all the standard requirements, and shortcomings are unavoidable. Hence,
the author is looking forward to detailed and contributive feedback from the
Supervisor for better performance.
 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION TO TIKI CORPORATION
1.1 General information of Tiki Corporation
1.1.1 Formation and development
Table 1: Basic information of Tiki Corporation

Legal name (EN) TI KI CORPORATION

Legal name (VI) CÔNG TY CỔ PHẦN TI KI

Company name in Abbreviation TIKI CORP

Enterprise code 0309532909

Founding date 06/01/2010

No. 1, Lane 29, No. 4 Street, Group 3,
Head office address Ward An Khanh, Thu Duc City, Ho
Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Logo

Website https://tiki.vn
Email hotro@tiki.vn
Phone 1900 6035

Legal representative TRẦN NGỌC THÁI SƠN

Retail sale via mail order houses or

Business Activity
Internet

(Source: National Business Registration Portal)

Tiki’s beginning was just an online bookselling website. However, in March

2012, Mr. Soichi Tajima, CEO - Chairman of CyberAgent Ventures Inc, decided
to invest in Tiki. With this capital contribution, CyberAgent Ventures Inc will
hold a 20% stake in Tiki. With this investment, Tiki gradually expanded into an
e-commerce platform. Remarkably, Tiki surpassed Vinabook and became the
leading book dealer in Vietnam in the same year.

From 2013 to 2014, Tiki expanded its business with many other industries. At
this time, in addition to more than 51,000 books, shoppers can find all kinds of
items from stationery, necessities to electronics, electrical appliances, etc., at
Tiki. At this stage, Tiki began to operate a warehouse with an area of up to
3,000m2, starting to dominate the rapidly growing e-commerce market in
Vietnam.

In 2015, Tiki entered the top 5 most prominent e-commerce websites in Vietnam,
marking its name and proving the influence of Tiki on the e-commerce market
and Vietnamese consumers. In 2016, Tiki became the second-largest e-commerce
company in Vietnam, present in 63 provinces and cities.

In March 2017, after seven years of establishment, Tiki marked a transformation

when switching to Marketplace form, attracting more sellers to join Tiki’s
website system, expanding to dozens of categories with more than 300,000
products.

In June 2019, Tiki raised about $100 million from a funding round led by
Singapore-based private equity firm Northstar Group. Initially, it was expected to
raise only $75 million, but then the funding round scaled up thanks to the support
from Korean startup e-commerce investors.

Right now, Tiki is currently the top 2 e-commerce site in Vietnam and the top 6
in Southeast Asia, offering hundreds of thousands of products in 10 categories:

 Book
 Phones – Tablets
 Digital equipment – Digital accessories
 Electric Appliances
 House of life
 Beauty – Health
 Stationery equipment
  Toys – Souvenirs
 Fashion
 Mother and baby

1.1.2 The organizational structure of Tiki Corporation

Figure 1: Tiki Corporation organizational structure

Board of Directors
(BOD)

Commercial Marketing Technical Operations

Department Department Department Department

Customer Business Finance - People

Logistics Growth Legal
Support Development Accounting Operation

(Source: Onboard training materials)

Board of Director: they are the stakeholders of the company, leading by the
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), which play an advisory role in building the goals
and strategies, as well as implement the plan at the company scale for the sake of
the organization’s growth.

Commercial Department: Business Department performs and managing

activities related to the business performance of the company. Their primary
duties are creating additional value during each step in the product life cycle and
ensuring that its business runs smoothly and efficiently. These are the main
functions of the Business Department:

- Business Development: As a B2C e-commerce enterprise, the clients (sellers)

are the backbone of the company value chain, and the Business Development
division overlooks them. This division’s primary goal is to extend the business
by looking for new clients, persuading them to cooperate with the company,
supporting clients to sell products on the marketplace, and managing daily
commercial activities.

- Growth Department: As the name suggested, this division is responsible for

business streamlining, ensuring sustainable growth of the company. They closely
analyze and assess the data from various sources, define the issues and
insufficiencies, and propose strategies and actions to keep the company right on
track.

- Logistics and supply chain: If the seller is the backbone of a B2C e-commerce
company, then the logistics and supply chain are the veins, ensuring that the
products are delivered at the right place, at the right time. The logistics team
works with third-party supply chain partners like Ninjavan, GHTK, etc., to
provide quick and safe delivery service for the customer. They also manage Tiki
warehouses to accommodate the need for fast and flexible shipping of the
customers, which is the company’s foundation, with the TikiNow product.

- Customer Support: On the other hand, Tiki Care – Tiki’s dedicated customer
support team deals with the aftermath of the value chain. Coordinating with other
divisions, they dealing with customer questions and complaints, settling those
problems with desirable solutions, and ensuring customer satisfaction is at an all-
time high since it is the pivotal factor in customer returning decisions. And as the
80/20 principle has suggested, 20% of the customers, the ones who love and are
loyal to Tiki, will be the source of 80% of the company’s revenue.

Marketing Department: Marketing has always been the core of any business,
communicating company vision and value to their customer. Nowadays, the
importance of Marketing had emerged to be the spearhead of the enterprise in the
redundant information era, when competitors tried to engrave their identity in
customers’ minds. The Tiki Marketing team has developed the image of the Tiki
brand as one of the leading e-commerce platforms on the market and raised their
awareness on each commercial event on the platforms. Their responsibility is to
build a desirable brand image and gain public recognition via public relations,
media platforms, collaborations with KOLs and projects, and Tiki’s marketing
campaign. Some of the recent media campaigns Tiki has launched are the
appearance of various pop music videos with the tagline “Đi cùng Tiki” or the
collaboration with KOLs like Chi Pu, Bich Phuong, Duc Phuc to endorse for the
monthly sales campaigns. Customer feedback is positive, proven by the
familiarity and love from the groups of customers.

Technical Department: Tiki is considered the next unicorn in Vietnam because

of the core competency – technologies. It is fair to say that Tiki’s Technical
Department consisting of the best humans in this industry, prominent in the
backend, front-end, or full-stack information technology development. They
commit to constituting the superior technology foundation for the firm, providing
business solutions to enhance the company’s value chain further, and delivering
the best buying experiences for the customer. The primary jobs are: building the
architecture for Tiki Marketplace and its subsidiaries; developing the user
interface, user experience, application programming interface (API); re-innovate
the algorithm accommodating the sophisticated needs of the platform; maintain
the website and other internal digital assets to assure its security and efficiency.

Operations Department: Apart from the Business and Technical Department,

the Operations Department is the company’s back office, acting as a catalyst in
the whole company’s operation. The main functions of the Operation Department
are:

- Finance & Accounting: They supervise the cash flow of the company, making
the decisions on capital and expenditures based on company financial status,
recouping and settling on the outstanding balances, and making the financial
reports.

- People Operation: The People Operation oversee the process of recruiting,

training, tracking employee performances and making the assessment, building
company culture and value. They also ensure the compensations and benefits of
the employee such as remuneration, bonuses, parking, snack pantry, and other
internal activities.
- Legal: They deal with any files of claims against the company, updating the
national legislation to adapt the company policy accordingly, controlling the
quality of products on the marketplace, building the contracts and any other legal
documents, and process the documents on behalf of the company representative.

1.1.3 Business performance of Tiki Corporation from 2016 to 2019

Figure 2: Tiki Accumulated Loss, 2016 - 2019

2016 2017 2018 2019

0
-41
-200

-282
-400

-600

-800 -757

-1000

-1200

-1400

-1600

-1800 -1765

-2000

(Source: VNG Annual Financial Report)

According to the annual financial report of VNG Corporation, one of the most
significant stakeholders of Tiki, Tiki is currently operating at a loss. The
accumulated loss of Tiki from 41 billion VND in 2016 skyrocketed at 282 billion
VND in 2017 and 757 billion VND in 2018, and double in 2019. But compared
with other competitors in the industry, Tiki’s loss is in line with two other big
names in this field, Lazada, and Shopee, with losses in 2018 of VND 1,773
billion and VND 1,901 billion, respectively.
For the small investors, Tiki’s financial status appeared to be not so promising
when they occur loss for four consecutive years, indicating of somewhat subpar
performance of the company. But when looking closer into other competitors like
Shopee and Lazada, it may seem that the downturn can be explained as the
fundamental characteristic of the e-commerce industry.

First, the profit margin of e-commerce is not high. These e-commerce sites must
offer an attractive promotion to attract new customers, often with relatively high
discount rates, so the profit margin is generally only 5-10%, even lower.

Second, e-commerce is the race for money spending, and the last one hold up is
the winner. Regardless of the business results, these businesses all have to spend
vast amounts of money on operating systems, all kinds of advertising,
communication, marketing, promotion, and sales expenses. They want to save
but can’t because they also have to burn cash to keep their market share when
their competitors burn money.

Third, due to fragmented market share and low switching costs. Consumers have
too many options to buy a product under the surge of online sales and affiliate
marketing. We see that the buying trend of online shops and personal sellers is
increasing, but customers are easy to drive out when finding out a site with better
promotion. The trend is rising while the traffic on each e-commerce site, such as
Lazada, Shopee, and Tiki, decreases.

Fewer customers, low profits, and burning money are the reality of the “big
guys” in retail e-commerce. It is a physical competition; competition with the
potential to fall off the horse is a scenario for those who do not have enough
financial resources. It is the rules of the market rather than insufficient of any
company. Contradict these numbers; experts place a bet on Tiki to be the next
tech unicorn of Vietnam after the reign of VNG.

1.2 Internship duties

In the internship, the author position at Tiki Corporation is Key Account Intern,
Cross-border Department, managing the Automotive & Motorcycle, Book &
Offices Supplies, and Sport – Travel category. From the first step into a
professional career, the author has gained the knowledge and skills in a
completely new e-commerce field and understands a professional’s etiquette and
manners. This experience has shaped the view of the author on e-commerce
career and future orientation.

Table 2: Internship duties

No. Duration Tasks assigned Outcomes

Joining training sessions for 90% completed.

onboarding employees and - Remembering and

acquiring terminologies
14/6/2021
related to e-commerce. Get
1 -
used to the working interface
25/6/2021
and the database. Handling
the translation quality check
understanding majority basic
information, the process, and
finishing all training courses;
- Having difficulties when
using the database and app for
completing the task
70% completed.

Proposing the 7/7 campaign - All in charged sellers joined

for the seller. Hunting deals
28/6/2021
for the upcoming 7/7
2 –
campaign. Translating the
9/7/2021
product titles. Support sellers
to be ready for the event
the 7/7 campaign. Two third
of sellers exceed the sales
target.
- Having difficulties when
working with sellers since
they only talk Mandarin.
No. Duration Tasks assigned Outcomes

100% completed

- Request to translate 200

12/7/2021 Translating the product titles.
product titles
3 – Supporting the sellers on
- Immediately assist the sellers
23/7/2021 daily activities
when needed

80% completed

- All sellers have joined the

8/8 campaign. Hunted and
Proposing the 8/8 campaign
submitted over 300,000
for the seller. Hunting deal
26/7/2021 deals for the main event and
4 for the upcoming 8/8
- Now other subsidiaries.
campaign. Follow the
- Having trouble in handling
subsidiary campaigns.
all tasks at once, since the
workload is enormous with
tight deadlines

(Source: The Author Internship)

 CHAPTER 2 ANALYZING THE PROCESS OF SELLING CROSS-
BORDER PRODUCTS ON TIKI MARKETPLACE
2.1 The process of selling cross-border products on Tiki Marketplace
In general, there are three main steps involving in the selling process, with each
of the main steps covering several sub-steps:

Figure 3: The process of selling cross-border products on Tiki Marketplace

Hunting for potential sellers

Make proposals and pitching
Hunting Signing contract
seller

Market research
Listing Listing potential SKUs on Tiki Marketplace
products

Proposing campaigns and deals for the seller

Monitoring and make reports
Managing Supporting sellers on the day–to–day operation

(Source: Cross Border Instructions)

2.2 Detail analysis of the process

2.2.1 Hunting seller
The hunting seller process will be mainly in charge by the Business Development
team

2.2.1.1 Hunting for potential sellers

The Business Development team will look for sellers or seller groups with a large
capacity and diverse product portfolio when hunting for new sellers. These
sellers must meet specific criteria to be eligible for doing business in Vietnam,
renowned retailers, or having excellent performance on similar marketplaces to
be categorized as potential sellers. Right now, BD’s primary targets are sellers
from countries that close to Vietnam, such as China, Taiwan, Singapore, or
Australia

2.2.1.2 Make proposals and pitching

After shortlisting potential sellers, the BD team will contact individual sellers and
propose to them about Tiki Marketplace. Pitching session often takes place via a
video conference to accommodate for the distances between parties. The
proposal will cover the basic information of Tiki Marketplace, marketplace scale,
source of growth, successful seller examples on Tiki, terms and policies,
recommendations on strategy and operation if they decide to operate on Tiki.

2.2.1.3 Signing contract

Suppose the seller finds these terms attractive and asserts corporate goodwill, the
BD will sign the contract. The contract will regulate the length of the
corporation, the requirement of performance when doing business, rights and
obligations of parties, and other related articles.

When this step is completed, BD will connect the seller with the corresponding
warehouse partner, request to open a new shop on the marketplace, and notify the
onboarding of the new partner. At this step, the seller will be able to start their
business on Tiki Marketplace.

2.2.2 Listing products

The listing products process is mainly managed by both Business Development
and Vendor Performance Management team

2.2.2.1 Market research

VPM team will research the market based on the database of sales and keywords
from other platforms’ cross-border products and domestic-traded products on
Tiki Marketplace. Hence, they can depict an overview of the market, customer
trends, and insights to predict which products and categories will be the hot
sellers on Tiki.

Based on these findings, VPM will choose the potential SKUs to propose to the
sellers. If seller inventory has these products, they will be asked to list the
product on Tiki or replenish the stock to meet the demand. Else, BD will inquire
the seller whether they can find a supplier to add the product to their inventory.

2.2.2.2 Listing potential SKUs on Tiki Marketplace

The BD team will introduce the seller to basic operations on the Tiki seller
dedicated platform – Seller Center on the first day of onboarding. The seller can
keep tracking their daily process on Tiki: listing new SKUs to the marketplace,
receive and perform the order, make and receive payment, running ads, joining in
promotion scheme, etc.

The seller can now list the SKUs on the Tiki marketplace via Seller Center.
Sellers may choose to list products one by one or mass import the SKUs to the
platform using a form containing required information for each SKU. If they
have a similar store on other e-commerce platforms, they can use the API -
Application Programming Interface to copy the portfolio into Tiki.

After listing the SKUs on Seller Center, these SKUs will go through the
censorship procedure before appearing on the Tiki marketplace. This process is
designed to weed out any inappropriate and misleading products to ensure the
highest quality product on Tiki.

Figure 4: Listing SKUs process on Tiki Marketplace

Products uploaded by the seller

Specifications filter

Legal team

Artificial Intelligence

Content team

Product listed on Tiki Marketplace

(Source: Cross Border Instructions)

First, the legal team will check each SKU to ensure that the products are allowed
to be circulated according to Vietnam legislation and comply with Tiki terms and
policies. The artificial intelligence then filters out any SKUs that slip through in
the previous step. Finally, content teams will scan through the product’s
description to ensure consistent and relevant product information. If the SKUs
successfully pass those steps, they will be displayed on the Tiki page and begin
to generate revenue; otherwise, the sellers will be informed of the reason for
rejection. The sellers will have the option to modify these denied SKUs and
reupload them again or abandon the products. BD and VPM team will assist the
sellers with any problems that arise from this process.

2.2.3 Managing
The seller managing process plays a crucial role in building the long-live
relationship between Tiki Marketplace and the sellers. Managing the sellers is the
main responsible of the Key Account Management and Onsite – Merchandising
team.

2.2.3.1 Proposing campaigns and deals for the seller

The e-commerce market is synonymous with abundant sales campaigns and
discounts to increase sales and gain market share by focusing on the demand for
the low price nature of the customer. Some renowned campaigns are the same-
day-and-month sale (July 7th, August 8th), the single day (November 11th), Black
Friday, Valentine’s Day, etc. These campaigns are the chance for the marketplace
like Tiki and the sellers to recruit new customers, thrilled them with numerous
sales schemes at a competitive price, and ultimately, persuade them to make the
order. Since the boom of e-commerce, monthly “sales hunting” has become one
of the customer routines, especially among the young and dynamic segment.

Two key factors that drive a successful campaign of an e-commerce marketplace

are the assortment of products on that marketplace and the price of those
products. Hence, it is crucial to propose the seller’s key takeaway and actions to
prepare for these campaigns.
 Figure 5: Campaigns proposing workflow

Promotional schemes proposed by

Marketing Division

Onsite - Merchandising team

Key Account Mangement team

Sellers

(Source: Cross Border Instructions)

Weeks before the campaign, the Marketing Division will propose an anticipated
plan for the upcoming event, covering promotional schemes for the sellers to
attend. The Onsite team of each category will report back that information to
their team and manage the campaign progress of its category. In a nutshell, the
Onsite team connects each category and Marketing Division in the campaigns.

The KAM team will take the information and approach the sellers to introduce
them to the upcoming campaign, notable promotion schemes, and step-by-step
actions to prepare for the event. KAM division will also recommend the deals
that they should take with the background of each seller, which products should
be uploaded to the shop to fulfill customers’ demand, and which SKUs stock
should be uplift to ensure the shop performance when the campaign is on air.
KAM team will guide the seller through these steps, keep track of the progress,
and report back to the Onsite team.

2.2.3.2 Monitoring and make reports

When operating on a third-party platform, the biggest concern of the sellers is
whether or not their business is doing well and making money. It is closely
related to the decision to continue investing in the platform or cease operating for
another lucrative channel. As a trading marketplace, the operating sellers are the
company’s backbone; having a tight grip on this relationship is pivotal to the
growth of the enterprise.
Apart from the monthly campaign, the daily tasks of the KAM team are tracking
the sales and other performance indexes like Net Merchandise Value, Product
Display Page View, Conversion Rate, Cancel Rate. With these data on their
hands, the teams have to analyze the trend, where does the seller doing great and
where it is not; the reason behind these trends; and the plausible solutions to keep
the business running. It might be introducing a new range of products suitable for
emerging demand, running daily sales to increase shop traffic, working with the
logistic division to resolve the cancelation.

When KAM teams found a significant fluctuation, they will have to consolidate
that information to a comprehensive and visual message for seller
communication, often monthly reports. It must be persuasive and practical, make
the seller believe, take actions accordingly, and eradicate any possible negative
intention.

2.2.3.3 Supporting sellers on the day–to–day operation

Since the KAM division connects Tiki and the sellers, they also assist the sellers
with any unexpected problems. They might support pushing the operating
procedure, translating information, providing information relating to the
business, debugging system errors, etc. It is not only helping the seller with the
business but further enhances the strong business relationship between Tiki and
its clients.

2.3 Comparison between practice and theory

The knowledge from this internship can be related to the theory of e-commerce
on the E-commerce module at Foreign Trade University. The internship at Tiki
Corporation provided the author a chance to rectify and apply the knowledge he has
gained from theory into practice.

The author has observed some of the e-commerce terminologies and processes and
their appliance in the industry itself. The author also realized that the practices are
very different from the theory in a more specialized way. The discrepancy is self-
explanatory by the fact that the modules provided overviewed the industry and its
mechanic. It might be helpful if you are planning to build your own e-commerce
business on a small scale. But for the reality of a big company in the industry, the
employer will require a more focused knowledge and skillset to complete the job, so
it may not seems familiar to the author. In the end, both practice and theory provide
a certain level of industry knowledge and could be helpful if the author planning or
pursue this career

2.4 Assessment of the process of selling cross-border products on Tiki

Marketplace
2.4.1 Strengths
First, selling cross-border products is exceptionally logical and concise, with
three main steps followed by a classified division. As a result, the
implementation would go smoothly and effectively, allowing Tiki to save time
and money and immediate intervention when problems arise. Let say the seller
contact the KAM division reporting an issue in listing the product. According to
the process above, the KAM division can quickly identify who is in charge of the
VPM division in this case. Therefore, the KAM division can contact VPM to
immediately support the sellers, diminishing any damage within the cross-check
time.

Secondly, the collaboration between teams and function are vigorously

connected. With the help of communication services like emails and chat apps,
the communication step is made clearly and promptly for swift response in any
circumstances.

Finally, the utilization of the latest technology by Tiki is at an all-time high. As

one of the potential tech startups in Vietnam, Tiki constantly integrates
technology into the customer experience and the procedure and operation of the
company. In the process of selling cross-border products on Tiki Marketplace,
the integration of technology can be found from a dedicated platform for sellers
to handle the product, or a data visualization studio for data reimbursement and
analysis, and the technology in communicating between employees. It can ease
the workload for each employee with computer-based tasks and enhance the
competency of Tiki in the e-commerce market.
2.4.2 Weaknesses
As logical and concise as the process can be, there were still obstacles in the
performance of the process, mainly due to the shortage of human resources. In
certain situations, especially near the sales campaign, the workload is enormous
and tight deadlines. Hence, if any problem arises within this timeframe, there will
be no man to swiftly handle it, causing other problems or congestion in the flow
of the procedure.

Moreover, the Cross-border category contains another level of sub-categories

with numerous products, unlike other sorts, which primarily focus on a particular
type of goods. Hence, the KAM team’s workforce is divided into smaller units,
in which an employee will manage two to three categories. This structure is
optimal for handling the task since they usually involve fewer employees. Still, it
might create a communication barrier since every individual only cares about
their job. It may also make noise in communication to the seller, as some seller
groups have more than one category in the inventory. Simultaneously asserting
the seller with tasks but identically with each other may create confusion in
receiving the information and may risk missing some of them.
CHAPTER 3 INTERNSHIP REFLECTION AND RECOMMENDATION
ON THE PROCESS OF SELLING CROSS-BORDER
PRODUCTS ON THE TIKI MARKETPLACE
3.1 Skill and knowledge acquired, and Career Orientation
3.1.1 Skill and knowledge acquired
Although the internship period does not last long, as the first impression of a
professional career, the author has gain for himself some exceptional
experiences:

First, in terms of knowledge, the author has had his first contact with the e-
commerce industry, particularly the B2C e-commerce industry, and has a
preliminary understanding of the operation and characteristics. Besides, the
author had the opportunity to learn about e-commerce terminologies such as the
Gross and Net Merchandise Value (GMV&NMV), Product Display Page View
(PDP View), Click Through Rate (CTR), etc. These terms are applicable not only
for B2C e-commerce companies, but also relevant for several other industries, for
example, Digital Marketing.

Second, in terms of skills, the author has gained an analytical thinking and data-
driven mindset derived from the scope of data that he worked with. In the era of
Big Data and the Internet of Things, having these skills under the belt is a critical
competency in the future career path, enabled the author to handle complex and
challenging obstacles in the profession, and become more appealing under the
eyes of the recruiters. In addition, with the unpredictable scenario of the COVID-
19 global pandemic, the author has the chance to sharpen his ability to work
individually and under high pressure in work from the home interim. These skills
seem to be underrated at the executive level since teamwork skills are preferred.
But at the associate and higher tiers, it is essential to master this skill set since the
managers usually work individually. Nonetheless, the teamwork skill of the
author has also been enhanced in this internship when working with not just one
team but many teams from different functions in the company. It represents
teamwork in a professional scenario, and people have to work with teams from
many positions and levels.

Finally, in terms of etiquette, the author has gained professional manners such as
being punctual, responsible, and supportive. A proper attitude separates a good
employee from a suitable one in a world where knowledge is saturating among
candidates. A punctual employee will always be professional and reliable, a
forward-looking employee will find their way out of any troubles, and the
colleagues will love a supportive employee. The author needs to temper his
manner to be an excellent team player, a valuable asset. Moreover, the author
also realized that being proactive is the best way to gain in the workplace. When
people have their motivation and are eager to learn, to improve themselves, they
will learn faster and go further.

3.1.2 Career Orientation

With this first experience with e-commerce, the author has had the opportunities
to grow and clear out the vague of the future career pathway, based on the own
assessment on the internship performance.

- The author has a passion with data and love to work with the number.
With the analytic and skeptical mindset, the author will suit the best as a
business analyst or business intelligence, who works with data to develop
solutions for the company’s problem and drive the organization forward.
This characteristic is also suitable for a consultant who works as a
contractor to clarify and settle a client’s issues.
- On the other hand, the performance in negotiating and tracking the seller
of the author can be deemed somewhat insufficient, regardless of the
language barrier. It suggests that the author might not be suitable for the
job that directly handles the clients/customers; therefore, positions like
sales or accounts may seem overwhelming.

In conclusion, the author is orienting himself toward market research and the
business analyst industry with a high level of intelligence. Hence, these
predictions are somewhat preliminary and can be changed in the future,
depending on the individual skillset and the volatility of the labor market

3.2 Recommendations on the process of selling cross-border products on

Tiki Marketplace
3.2.1 Constantly enlarge the market, both consumer and seller
In Vietnam, Tiki has proven its dominant position in the fierce e-commerce
battlefield. But as the market is gradually saturating, Tiki must find a new call to
thriving in the scenario of emerging globalization, where Multi-national
Corporations dominate the global market like Amazon and Alibaba. Before the
market became saturated, Tiki should use its technology and intrinsic value to
take a firm grip on the international marketplace. When the author was working
on this report, Tiki announces their approach to the Singapore market. The author
believes that in the future, Tiki will continue growing out of South East Asia and
become one of the next unicorns of Asia

With the uprising demand for products, Tiki should also consider broadening the
seller pool to other countries to enhance the assortment of products on Tiki
Marketplace. Right now, the main hindrance to implementing this movement is
transportation costs. Hence, in recent years, Tiki only focused on China sellers
for their proximity. But promising future with a new form of logistic solutions,
an interconnected web of national transportation, and the decline of
transportation costs will enable Tiki to surge the global market.

3.2.2 Maintain the critical advantage of Tiki – Technology

For ten years in the market, Tiki has been considered one of the most successful
startups and so-called “unicorns” of Vietnam. The catalyst that drives Tiki to this
establishment is identical to other renowned startups globally – innovative
technology. The rules of the playground have been set, but they will not last
forever. In recent years, numerous creative players have rewritten that rulebook,
and it is coming for e-commerce. Tiki must maintain that technology through
intensive investment and development and integration into the company value
chain to keep pace.
 CONCLUSION
Tiki Corporation is a company operating in the B2C e-commerce industry.
Currently, Tiki is constantly thriving and expanding as one of the most prominent
e-commerce companies in Vietnam. The achievement results from the persistent
commitment to improving customer value and experience, derived from the
exceptional advancement in technology. With globalization’s emerging, fierce
competition with global e-commerce empires will be inevitable, and Tiki has to
find its way to remain on its throne. From the author’s research, Tiki will have to
diversify their market at both ends – supplier end (sellers/client) and consumer
end (purchaser). Moreover, Tiki also needs to have a good grip on their main
technology weapon to survive the international powerhouses.

The author has had the priceless chance to be a Key Account Intern at Tiki, in
charge of managing key client performance. The author has been acquainted with
practical knowledge and experience of a professional executive perspective and
gains lessons about the industry and future career orientation. Although the
internship does not last long, the author has realized his strengths and weaknesses
as an employee to continue striving and adjusting his career.

Once again, the author would like to express his sincere gratitude to Mr. Le
Trung Thanh - internship supervisor and lecturer at Foreign Trade University Ho
Chi Minh City Campus, and all the wonderful people at Tiki Corporation who
helped the author complete this mid-course internship report.
 REFERENCES
1. Ministry of Planning and Investment (2021), National Business
Registration Portal. [Viewed on August 4th, 2020]. Available from:
https://dangkykinhdoanh.gov.vn/
2. Tiki Corporation’s People Operation Division, (2021), Onboard training
materials.,
3. Tiki Corporation’s Cross Border Department, (2021), Cross Border
Instructions.,
4. VNG Corporation, (2016), Annual Financial Report.,
5. VNG Corporation, (2017), Annual Financial Report.,
6. VNG Corporation, (2018), Annual Financial Report.,
7. VNG Corporation, (2019), Annual Financial Report.,
8.
 APPENDIX
1. Listing SKUs process on Tiki Marketplace
2. Tiki Cross Border May Report
3.
APPENDIX 1: LISTING SKUS PROCESS ON TIKI MARKETPLACE
APPENDIX 2: TIKI CROSS BORDER MAY REPORT