January’s – ‘The Positivity Issue’ – Download Now
Sustainable practices and vegan product lines have enabled Kibsons to grow from strength to strength under the guidance of Halima Jumani, Director of Finance and Operations.
How does your morning routine set you up for success?
I love my sleep so much and can be a slow starter, but when I’m finally up, I’m ready for action.
Being passionate and dedicated to your mission is the key to staying positive and focused. Of course, it’s also about great time management skills to prioritize and achieve as many things as possible on the “to do” list. Ultimately, it’s about doing the right thing without compromising on ethics while trying to achieve your long-term goals, I believe integrity is a huge underlying element of success.
How has your role evolved at Kibsons over the last ten years?
In one word; organically. With my background at KPMG, I started my career in Kibsons as Head of Finance. After my MBA and a Six Sigma Certification at GE, I started managing and building the operations which worked well because leaner operational processes made the finance and numbers side look stronger. The next step was tech, working with a team of IT engineers to develop our new ERP systems purely with the intention of enhancing our operational processes along with developing our financial systems. Eventually, data-driven statistics led me to a corporate turnaround strategy and I soon became the founder and director of the Kibsons e-commerce division, which we all know as Kibsons home delivery.
What are the core values of Kibsons?
The core values are ethical, sustainable and responsible. After being born and raised in the heart of the fresh produce industry, Kibsons is truly passionate about ‘healthy eating’ while making it convenient and affordable for everyone.
Do you see any trends in ordering in terms of produce?
People are moving towards healthier, more organic and perhaps even more vegan choices than ever before. There is a growing trend of people being more cautious about the ingredients they bring home. For example, people want to understand and if possible, avoid the bad e-numbers when they select food items as part of the regular grocery shopping chores. There is a gradual yet steadily increasing demand for products with less sugar, low calories, low-fat content, low carbs, gluten-free, and even no additives and preservatives. At Kibsons, we are so pleased to be a part of these healthy lifestyle choices.
How do you approach scaling a business and client retention?
One step at a time – by truly understanding customer needs and expectation which is the first step. Then building the right infrastructure which is at the core of the business is so critical to protect those promises which we make to our customers. Once we have the right structure at the core, surrounded by the required skills and expertise that set us apart, that gives us the core competitive advantage. With the undying passion of a beautiful team, that not only dreams but also works hard to see those dreams come alive, we’ve got the fighting chance to aim and achieve the desired customer retention and ultimately customer loyalty.
Customer experience is paramount – how do you ensure this is consistently delivered to such a high standard?
We never take any business including customer orders for granted. Every online order is just as important to us as it was when we started the e-commerce segment four years ago. Every step in the process at Kibsons, whether its procurement, supply chain, operations or IT – is thoughtfully crafted and designed keeping the customer expectation and satisfaction in mind. Consumer empathy is key in how we set things up internally and how we practise honesty and transparency in all our forms of communication. It’s about developing a relationship with the customers so we can truly deliver peace of mind to all.
Which sources of positivity would you recommend?
It is important to recognize and appreciate the true hero’s in real life regardless of whether you find them in your own office, in your circle of family and friends or so many amazing SME’s in the city you live in. Personally, when I’m feeling low, I like to read Humans of Bombay, it’s a platform that shares some incredible stories of real-life survivors that make my problems look smaller and my blessings look bigger. That positive mind shift uplifts me and helps me move on with my mission to add positive value – however I can.
This is ‘The Positivity Issue’ – how do you stay positive?
A good night’s sleep solves the majority of my problems. My world is definitely more positive in the morning than at night. On the other hand, gratitude is one of the most powerful thoughts that keeps me positive. I am grateful that I have a family, and that they are beautiful, compassionate, healthy, happy and safe. It’s also not about blood family only, it’s the bigger family in spirit that has grown over the years, all around me, all over the planet – it’s all about perspective and how you choose to see things, isn’t it?
