FOUNDATION15 min3 min read

Choose Suppliers Who Will Not Disappear — Build Reliable Networks When Everything Is Unstable

Ma Su Mon coordinates purchases for a small hardware distribution company in South Dagon, Yangon. She has used the same steel supplier for three years — U Kyaw Tun, a friendly man she met through her uncle. They never signed a written agreement. Prices were discussed on Viber and confirmed with a handshake. In February 2025, U Kyaw Tun's business collapsed due to currency fluctuations. He disappeared overnight — no warning, no final delivery, no refund for the advance payment Ma Su Mon had sent. She lost 4.2 million kyats of company money. Her boss was furious but could not recover the funds because there was no written contract, no alternative supplier on file, and no documentation of terms. Ma Su Mon was not fired, but she was removed from purchasing duties and moved to data entry at half the responsibility. She had trusted a relationship instead of building a system. In Myanmar, relationships start the connection — but only systems protect it.

Key Takeaway

A supplier relationship without documentation, backup options, and performance tracking is not loyalty — it is a single point of failure that can destroy your career in one phone call.

01

Create a supplier comparison matrix evaluating at least three suppliers on price, lead time, reliability, and payment terms using Google Sheets

02

Identify three warning signs that a supplier is becoming unreliable before a complete failure occurs

03

Draft a simple written purchase agreement in Burmese covering price, delivery timeline, quality standards, and penalty terms using a phone-based template

12 learning cards · 1 quiz

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