TWI Dubai Bulletin
31 January 2010
Theodor Wille Intertrade (TWI)
Volume 1, Issue 2
TWI USA - Open for Business!
TWI Dubai launched
a competition to
rebrand the Dubai
Office…...
In late December of 2009, TWI opened its US Headquarters! While several cities were
considered for the US Office, in the end it was decided to open TWI USA in Plymouth
Meeting, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia.
Strategic considerations for choosing Philadelphia as the location for TWI USA?
Philadelphia is home to the Defense Supply
Center – Philadelphia (DSCP), TWI’s current
primary customer organization for both the
Subsistence Prime Vendor (SPV) and MRO
Business Units. Choosing a location just 20
minutes away from DSCP helps demonstrate
TWI’s commitment for continual growth and
expanding our support and dedication to this
key customer. Philadelphia is also only a 90
minute train ride from Washington, DC which
is home to many US companies and US
Governmental Agencies operating in the
The above map shows the short distance
commercial and defense industries.
between Philadelphia and DC; a strategic
location that puts TWI in good proximity to
What are the core functions of TWI USA?
support existing business and pursue future
TWI USA has two primary purposes The First: Business Development - identifying business.
Turn to page…4
Inside this issue:
2
Freight Forwarder
Transition in Turkey
What is BPA?
2
Prequalification
Process
3
Dress for Success
3
TWI Core Values
4
And the winner….
4
new opportunities to grow TWI’s business
within both the US Government and commercial
industries. Once an opportunity is identified and approved
for pursuit, the US office will coordinate with TWI’s
operational and technical experts in Dubai and Germany
to develop winning proposals.
The Second: Program Support – provide US based support
for TWI’s ongoing programs. This function includes
multiple potential tasks such as periodic liaison visits to A picture of Patrick Malcor, Fred
the DSCP as well as site visits to existing and potential Conner, and Jay Scoggin. Jay and
U.S. suppliers and partners.
Fred are the two key personnel
from the TWI USA Office.
Upcoming Visits
We have Patrick Malcor (Managing Director) Jake Frazer (Chief Operating Officer) and Jay
Scoggin (VP, Business Development & Program Support) visiting us from 31 Jan through
4 February. It will be a full week of meetings covering 2009 year in review, and also the
financial and execution plan for 2010.
A few additional topics to be discussed include Strategic Sourcing, TWI Dubai Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and All Hands/New Hands Presentation. We are planning
the All Hands/New Hands for Thursday, 4 February and will be ordering a catered lunch
for everyone!
Page 2
TWI Dubai Bulletin
Freight Forwarder Transition in Turkey
On 28 December 2009, TWI elected not to utilize Agility’s Warehouse and Freight
Forwarder Services to support the Mersin, Turkey Consolidation Platform for Iraq and
Afghanistan shipments. This decision came as a result of market changes in the
region with the intent to obtain better pricing and support capabilities to support TWI
customer base.
EFE Projects
realizes the fast
paced world of
logistics and
evolves according
to the innovations
of the
transportation
world
TWI Management went out on the Turkish Market to identify additional companies that
could provide the necessary level of operational support required, while allowing TWI to
remain transparent with our customers. While the transition in Turkey was something
that management was determined to execute, the focus during this time period was to
prevent delays in delivery performance to our valuable customers. As with any
significant change in an operation, the goal is to mitigate any negative impact to the
customer in supporting their mission.
In the end, EFE Projects was selected as a company representing great value to TWI
and significant experience and capabilities supporting similar operations in Iraq and
Afghanistan. They have their own assets, which in turn allowed them to offer TWI
competitive rates. They can also provide In-Transit Visibility (ITV) through a
sophisticated GPS tracking system, which allows TWI access to each trucks location as
it travels from the point of origin to end destination.
As the saying goes things happen for a reason. By switching our freight forwarders, TWI
Logistics will be able to reduce freight costs to Iraq and Afghanistan, while still
maintaining the great delivery capabilities. In the end this will strengthen our
performance and enhance our competitiveness.
Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA)

What is a
BPA?

Who is
WILMS?

What do they
provide?
BPA stands for Blanket Purchase Agreement. A BPA is a purchasing type agreement
established between the Seller and the Buyer, with the intention to guarantee firm and
fixed pricing for various types of equipment or materials for a specific period of time.
TWI Dubai Procurement issued a BPA for Wilms Heaters and Spare Parts. This BPA will
be directly with the manufacturer “Hans Wilms GmbH & Co” from Germany. The Period
of Performance includes a base year and two additional, one-year option periods.
Prices will be firm-fixed until the expiration of the base period and will be subject to renegotiation before excercising either of the option periods.
This BPA with Wilms will provide a competitive advantage for TWI in supporting current
and future projects in Afghanistan. Given the harsh climate of the country, these
heaters are truly considered to be a hot “commodity“ and are very much
sought after by soldiers and contractors alike. By having pricing
established upfront, TWI can guarantee our clients competitive rates for
an extended period of time. This BPA with Wilms is considered to be a
Strategic Relationship, and will be a great selling point for TWI in
Afghanistan as well as other potential locations in the future.
Volume 1, Issue 2
Page 3
Supplier Prequalification Process Begins!
As mentioned in the first ever TWI Dubai Bulletin, 2010 marks the implementation of a new,
focused, and deliberate sourcing strategy! A key theme of this strategy is focusing on the
quality over the quantity of our vendor base, with emphasis on sourcing as close to the enduser destinations as possible.
While identifying potential suppliers is a key component in the sourcing process, the actual
qualification of a potential supplier is just as important. Whenever doing business with
companies in which we have no sales history, it is important that we ensure all of the
information they represent to us is true and accurate before we place any purchase orders.
The supplier prequalification process begins with each prospective supplier submitting
enrollment forms, a company profile, and any additional documentation as appropriate.
These documents are then reviewed by TWI Management, who identifies a risk level (High,
Medium, or Low) for that particular supplier. There are many factors that go into the risk level
determination, including complexity of the commodity, location of the supplier, estimated
value of the order, and acceptance to TWI Terms and Conditions.
Based upon the assigned risk level, procurement personnel will go through the necessary due
diligence steps required for supplier qualification. The higher the risk level, the more steps
are necessary. In general, this involves phone interview, reference checks, and doing basic
background checks on the company. By doing all of this work upfront, we can ensure that we
are dealing with only the best companies in the industry.
“The
automated
system will help us
in proposals and
act as one central
place to store all
information.
The online system
will make vendor
qualification and
due diligence fun
and a great time
saver”
With such diverse product requirements and clients operating in various locations, the road
ahead for supplier qualification will be a long one. The good news is that TWI IT is developing
an automated system to make the process more simplistic and efficient. Dubbed
“SuPPortal” (Supplier Portal), this portal will be a primary interface between TWI and
suppliers. There will be more to follow on this initiative as it becomes available, however the
initial feedback is that it looks very good. Stay tuned for more at a later date…..
Dress for success: A Business Casual Dress Code
The phrase business casual itself can be confusing because of the various ways it is
interpreted. Aim for a classic and understated look when selecting casual business wear. Pick
clothing that is comfortable, yet communicates a professional image for our customers,
potential employees, and other visitors. In any given day our attire should be appropriate
even for a chance meeting with a CEO.
Certain days can be declared dress down days, generally Thursdays. On these days jeans and
more casual clothing can be worn unless an important meeting is taking place.
This is a general overview of appropriate business casual attire. No dress code can cover all
contingencies so we must exert a certain amount of judgment in our choice of office clothing.
Remember that the appearance you project at work is a reflection of how serious you take
your job.
TWI General Guidelines for business casual days (Sunday thru Wednesday)
MEN
* Dress pants or khakis (no jeans)
* Collared shirts (dress shirt or polo shirt)
* No sandals or sneakers
WOMEN
* Dress pants, dresses, skirts
* Appropriate shirts
* No sneakers
DRESS DOWN DAYS (Thursday)
* T shirts, sneakers are discouraged
DRESS FOR
SUCCESS
You only get
one chance
to make a
first
impression!
Core Values
Theodor Wille
Intertrade
Aside from a vision, an Organization must rely upon its
core values to serve as a basis for acceptable
behaviors, decision making, and delegation.
Building 2, Office 1-03
Dubai - UAE
TWI Core Values
Phone: +971 4 4230922
Fax: +971 4 4230921
Website: www.twipv.com
Since 1844

Integrity: We are trustworthy with ourselves, our
customers, our suppliers.

Respect: We are professionals. Both internally
and externally, we treat others with fairness and
equity.

Communication:
Information is free. Take the
mystery out. Reciprocate: be informed and inform
others.

Responsibility: We all take responsibility for
what’s right in our organization. We alone are
accountable for our success.

Initiative: We seek out improvement and
efficiency. We are bold first movers yet flexible
enough to adapt to changes. Take the hard right
over the easy wrong.

Added Value: We focus on the genuine value we
add to customers, partners and to each other. We
create value through knowledge, service and firstpass quality.
TWI rebranding competition
Thanks so much to everyone who sent in their suggestions, we received some really wonderful entries.
The winning entry and name of the winner will be announced at Thursday’s “All Hands Meeting”
Hold your breath……..only FOUR more days to go!