Phil Xu, vice president at 4flow consulting in 4flow’s Shanghai, China, office, has been active in supply chain for nearly 20 years. In this interview, he talks about the similarities between supply chains and video games and shares advice for working in international teams.

You studied mechanical engineering before starting in supply chain. How did you make that jump between specialties?
I started my career as a mechanical engineer. In 2006 I joined an American life science company and worked in a business unit responsible for medical devices. I was responsible for helping them transfer part of their manufacturing from the US to China. The department I was in changed its role from manufacturing localization to global sourcing, where I helped my US colleagues find the components they needed from China. My responsibility changed from mechanical engineer to sourcing engineer.

And you’ve focused on sourcing ever since?
Right. From 2006 onwards, my career was focused on sourcing and procurement. It wasn’t a change I expected or planned, but I found I really enjoy working with all the different suppliers. If you’re a buyer, you have a lot of interactions with suppliers, and working with people makes me enjoy the job. It’s satisfying to work together and create value for the customer.

What’s your role at 4flow like?
Now, at 4flow China, I lead our procurement area in consulting. I like to work with clients on a day-to-day basis to understand their pressing issues in procurement and other areas. I enjoy solving problems and bringing supply chain capabilities to the next level by working together with clients. To me, that’s the best part of being a consultant.

What would you be doing if you hadn’t found your way to supply chain?
I think now, if I weren’t working in supply chain, I’d be working for a gaming company to help them develop a video game that mimics all the supply chain tasks. I think supply chain is very practical – it’s not like the textbooks teach you, because in reality things might not be the same as in theory. But I like to get my hands dirty! The most interesting video games are the ones with lots of unexepected issues you have to deal with. If you know every single detail, that’s not very appealing.

In video games, you often have special tools to help you do your tasks and reach new levels. Has there been a supply chain technology that has been especially helpful in the same way?
I’d say supply chain visibility tools – the reality is, getting full visibility is challenging because the supply chain is complicated and there are so many people in the game. Especially in procurement, you work with a lot of suppliers and multiple tiers. For me, getting visibility is part of the game – you work through all the day-to-day practical tasks to reach your goal. Supply chain software that enables visiblity helps tremendously. And the result forms the basis to optimize your supply chain system and improve performance.

How would you “win” your supply chain game? What would that look like to you, personally?
Developing a strong sourcing and procurement line across our 4flow locations. I’m motivated to share my experience, and I think there’s nothing more exciting than that goal.

Going back to your first job in supply chain, it sounds like you’re very familiar with working in international environments. Do you have any advice for collaborating across borders?
I do have quite a lot of experience working with international clients and colleagues, mostly in Southeast Asia. I’ve learned that when working in a multinational environment, you have to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and understand their situation. You also have to understand the history and the mindset of where they’re from. People have different opinions, and it’s very important to understand why people might think the way they do. There’s always a reason in the background. The more you understand why, the easier the communication gets.