Since Spring 2020, a sudden Coronavirus epidemic situation became the greatest concerns nationwide. Enterprises from home furnishing and household electric appliances took actions one after another by making material and money donation and supporting Wuhan. They gathered their support and efforts to the frontier combat the COVID. Furthermore, they provided support by providing building materials, household electric appliances and construction for medical institutions in Wuhan, and they have become a significant strength to coordinate with governments to combat against the COVID, support the frontier and fight nationwide against the virus.
Meanwhile, to encounter the changes, the home industry took an active part in adjustment to its strategy to ensure brand development; cost more to guarantee employees’ livelihood; and extended contact ways to resolve consumer demands. In this regard, Zhu Xiaobang specially planned the column "Salute to the Future", and fortunately, he linked with Lu Jinhui, vice general manager of ARROW Home Group to jointly discuss about changes in the home industry as well as confidence and orientation in the future.
Q: As a home enterprise active in the support action, could you introduce the situation at that moment?
Lu Jinhui from ARROW Home Group: After the outbreak of the COVID, ARROW Home Group immediately responded to the call of the nation and social demands. While we were working hard in our internal epidemic prevention, we were positively involved in the support to nationwide epidemic prevention and control, actively performed corporate social responsibility and conveyed positive energy to the society. Moreover, during the overall plan for nationwide rescue materials. We made adequate mobilization of various resources of our Company going all out to coordinate with warehousing, logistics and service so as to ensure that all rescue materials could reach the frontier within the shortest time and have them installed. In this way, we could provide healthy and safe sanitary guarantee for the workers at the frontiers combating the COVID.
Q: Some people say that “corporate responsibility” is the auxiliary embodiment of rights and obligations, and others say that “corporate responsibility” is the foundation for large-scale development of an enterprise, but what do you think of the significance and role of “corporate responsibility”?
Lu Jinhui from ARROW Home Group: As an outstanding and great enterprise, it must dare to assume more social responsibilities. To assume corporate social responsibilities is a necessary condition for the sustainable development and everlasting existence of an enterprise, which is beneficial to the improvement of the reputation and image of the industry. Therefore, after the outbreak of the COVID, ARROW Home Group immediately responded to the call of the nation and social demands. While we were working hard in our internal epidemic prevention, we were positively involved in the support to nationwide epidemic prevention and control, actively performed corporate social responsibility and conveyed positive energy to the society.
Corporate responsibility is a force for business development, which should be penetrated into every link of business operation. Just like “humanistic sanitary ware” always promoted by ARROW, it is such a humanism force that impels ARROW to continuously develop state-of-the-art manufacturing technology, innovative R & D technology, humanistic care product experience and brand service while persisting in taking public good activities to provide consumers with more high quality sanitary ware products and experiences. Furthermore, as a national brand, it is our corporate responsibility and national mission to endeavor to work with brands in the same industry to improve the status of domestic sanitary ware brands.
Q: The COVID will be over at last, and life must be continued. Some people from the industry worried that the COVID would affect the subsequent economic environments of the industry. Do we also have such concerns? What countermeasures have we planned to cope with that?
Lu Jinhui from ARROW Home Group: Within a short term, the COVID will have some adverse effect on economy. For industry and manufacturing, it is mainly embodied in the increase in industrial costs (including end dealers) and rise in labor costs, room rental costs and inventory costs caused by work and production suspension. Due fixed costs and expenses must be paid, but sales were reduced. Therefore, benefits will be certainly affected. We are working in the industry, so there will be some effect on our resumed work, but our Company has been working for upgrading production intelligence trying to minimize the dependence on labor.
Secondly, we have considerably safe inventory to ensure the supply of products. In view of the current epidemic situation, we have also made adjustment to the time for production resumption based on the instructions of the nation and the government, and we delayed the resumption of production until March 1, which also coordinated with national prevention and control requirements to the greatest extent and guarantee the life safety of employees on the people-oriented basis. Then, after work is resumed, we will, as the case may be, control production capacity, reduce inventory, focus on advantageous products, shorten product lines, perform cost reducing and efficiency increasing activities in the Company and control product and operating costs on the basis of steady business operation and reduction of liabilities.
Next, we will carry out scientific prevention and control as required by the State and Government in the light of current epidemic development. Every production base of the Group has made emergency plans against 2020 Coronavirus epidemic prevention and control based on government instructions. Meanwhile, we will take our positive marketing actions to offer more support to dealers and service providers to tide over the difficulties.
Q: We have read some prediction papers online : the epidemic situation does not only bring unity, but also it brings enlightenment. Does it also bring new enlightenment and impact to the future planning and development orientation of our products?
Lu Jinhui from ARROW Home Group: We can see that in the period against the epidemic situation, temperature measurement patrol robots appeared, and intelligent technologies such as UAV patrol temperature measurement have been used. The application of intelligent products have effectively saved manpower and helped avoid cross infection of people. Robots, UAV and other technological products are also based on the Internet, artificial intelligence, big data and other cutting-edge technological applications, to further infiltrate and expand into various fields such as public life, enterprise management, government management, education and training. At present, after the outbreak of coronavirus, people's demand for intelligent products in health and sensing may increase. Therefore, the application of Internet, artificial intelligence, big data and other cutting-edge technologies, which is further penetrated into public life, business operation, government administration, education and training and other fields. After the outbreak of the COVID, everyone of us will probably have increasing demand for intelligent products in terms of health and sensing. Therefore, the application of leading technologies such as Internet, artificial intelligence and big data, etc will also be penetrated into home life. From the perspective of research, development and manufacture of products, intelligence, health and youthfulness is still the mainstream consumption trend. ARROW Home Group performs product layout, and build “smart home ecological chains” on the basis of intelligence and customization. It insists on “continuous improvement of life quality in sanitary wares” as its own duty to help improve people’s happy lifestyle.
After the end of the epidemic situation, the society and governments will strengthen the construction of medical and health infrastructure, and it is likely that they will make large-scale investment. There will be more construction of nationwide medical and health infrastructure. Therefore, works in this aspect will be increased accordingly, which will also provide us with some market opportunity.
Q: Finally, have you got any words to be said to people from Wuhan or from all over the country?