Doing logistics and transportations businesses can be very profitable, yet competitive. Many companies have tried to do these businesses but failed because they don’t (didn’t) have reliable knowledge, preparation, and ability to do so. These two businesses could be successful not only from the products but also based on the routes/destinations that are chosen as well as the fast delivery. And the tariffs, to be sure, are also competitive in line with excellent services that will attract customers.

Furthermore, the efficiency and skill of Human Resources at the back office are the key to success in transportations and logistics businesses. Even though drivers/couriers/third parties have important roles too in doing deliveries, back-office administrations to make the deliveries succeed, make sure of customers’ satisfaction and control the smooth of businesses’ operation.

It is similar to whats have been experienced by PT. Bahana Indo Global (BIG Group) where they have faced many challenges in doing their business. However, by having skillful Human Resources and networks in several big cities in Indonesia and some regional areas, all challenges can be managed by several accurate solutions

To know deeper of BIG Group and some of their business to reach their dreams, Cargo Times got opportunities to interview Mr. Nasra Motofi, CEO of BIG Group.

Next are the interviews:

CT: Can you explain in detail the names of subsidiary companies and the businesses they are handling?

Mr. Nasra:

1. PT Bahana Indo Global (BIG Cargo)

Carrying the brand of BIG Cargo handles the Domestic and International airfreight businesses including courier services.

2. PT Bianglala Gunatama Trans consist of:

a). Carrying the brand of BIG TRANS handles Domestic and International seafreight businesses, truckings and warehousings.

b). Carrying the brand of BIG JAZIRAH TRAVEL handles Travel Bureau that focuses on Umroh, Holy Tour, and Domestic Religious Tour.

c). Carrying the brand of BIG TRANS AVIATION ACADEMY handles training/education business focuses on aviation in the business fields such as airports, warehouses, airlines, and others.

3. PT Rep Transindo Servis

This company, particularly, does General Sales Agent (GSA) business and still handles GSA Cargo Delta Airlines in Indonesia.

CT: What are the pre-eminences from each subsidiary?

Mr. Nasra:

1. BIG Cargo is a specialist in airfreight, we are the appointed agent for some Domestic and International airlines like GA, SJ, TG, QF/3K, FX, QZ, VJ, WY, 2Y, 7L, BI, and others.

Our pre-eminences are to give full customer services and full handling so that our customers may sit nicely to see the movement of their cargoes from the pick-up place to the loading process into the freight. The last service is after flight service where we always update our customers’ cargoes by email and whatsapp as well as online (internet)

2. BIG TRANS is a specialist in sea freight, trucking, and warehousing. BIG TRANS has had experiences for more than 2 years in handling truckings and warehousings that have been carried out by its main vendor PT Localcube Indonesia (Store King), an Indian-based digital logistics platform.

3. BIG JAZIRAH TRAVEL is a specialist Domestic and International Tour packages. We were preparing legal infrastructures and licenses prior to the covid outbreak subsidies at the end of 2021 so then we could prepare our umrah congregation once Saudi Arabian opened their door for Umrah and Hajj. Besides the Umrah Package to Saudi, we also offer Holy Tour to Jerusalem via Egypt or Israel. The other featured packages that we were preparing were Domestic Tours like City Tour and Religious Tour for Moslems, Budhist, and Hindu.

4. BIG TRANS AVIATION ACADEMY is our featured business at PT Bianglala Gunatama Trans. In the middle of 2021, we focused on opening a training class at the Surabaya branch office located in the Juanda Airport area. We hope, in early 2022, Jakarta’s Headquarter will be able to do the same as Surabaya’s office.

5. REP TRANSINDO SERVIS is a specialist in General Sales Agent (GSA), our team has served GSA Cargo Turkish (2013-2015), SilkWay (2012), and Delta Airlines (2011-now). Currently, we are focusing on giving services to GSA Cargo Delta Airlines with 24 hours full support.

CT: All strategic decisions for logistics business can be managed by the same management; what about the other businesses that are unrelated like Travel and Academy?

Mr. Nasra: Because BIG Jazirah Travel and BIG Trans Aviation Academy are under PT Bianglala Gunatama Trans, therefore the solid management can make a strategic decisions anytime and anywhere.

CT: What cities are BIG Group’s representatives? and how many employees are in BIG Group?

Mr. Nasra: Currently, BIG Group has representative offices/partners from Aceh to Papua and some are abroad. Meanwhile, BIG Group owns offices in Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, and Bali.

The total number of employees we have are 15 people.

CT: How is the legality for Jazirah Travel and Aviation Academy to make the candidates of clients/training participants trust the corporate when they want to join/follow the activities?

Mr. Nasra: Recently, PT Bianglala Gunatama Trans that oversees BIG Jazirah Travel and BIG Trans Aviation Academy, while running the business, has managed to process the business license in the Company Deed to issue the NIB by OSS. We are also processing a license to the related ministry as Umroh Travel to the Ministry of Religion and Aviation Academy to the Ministry of Transportation.

Besides the legal standing, the following things can be the basis for a client candidate for travel or a training participant to trust the management of BIG Group. One of them is to prevent fraud as done by FT, AT, and other scam agents. Jazirah Travel agent is different and profitable. Here, the clients of religious travel will be embarked first, and the payment will be charged after in Indonesia according to the agreement.

For Aviation Academy, there are 2 sectors - Aviation Security and Ground Staff. After following training for several months (training and practice), AVSEC participants will get National certificates from the Ministry of Transportation, here is Aviation Safety Directorate - Air Transportation General Directorate. And, Ground Staff (cargo, pax, travel, and others) will get local Certificates from Aviation Academy that are valid nationally.

CT: Special to BIG Cargo, according to you, do you prefer to compete or collaborate with other forwarder companies to improve the national logistics?

Mr. Nasra: An interesting question, if we don’t compete, then our businesses will never grow and compete with other countries. On the other hand, a collaboration is an inevitability in the digital era, and as a logistics company will be left behind if we never change our conventional way of work to any digital ways. Collaboration makes our operation cost cheaper and efficient as we don’t do many investments in unnecessary things.

CT: With business diversification in BIG Group, what is your big dream to achieve?

Mr. Nasra: My dream, all the subsidiaries can take part both in Domestic and International as reliable companies for stakeholders and all customers.