Our Story
Steady Operations Start with People Who Know the Ground
Tanjong Forge was formed by advisors who spent years inside distribution networks before moving into consultancy. We understand where the friction actually sits.
Back to HomeWho We Are
Advisory Shaped by Time on the Floor, Not Just at the Desk
Tanjong Forge began with a simple observation: most logistics consultancies arrive with frameworks built elsewhere and try to fit them around Malaysian operations. The result is advice that reads well on paper and lands awkwardly on the warehouse floor.
We took a different approach. The founders had each spent a decade or more working inside supply chains in southern Malaysia — in roles ranging from procurement coordination and inventory management to inbound freight planning at the port of Johor. When we moved into advisory work, we carried that experience directly into client engagements.
The business was registered in Johor Bahru because that is where our work is concentrated, and because the logistics environment here — shaped by the Johor–Singapore corridor, the manufacturing clusters along the coast, and the distribution networks serving both domestic and export flows — requires advisors who understand it from the inside.
Today, Tanjong Forge works with trading companies, light manufacturers, and distribution firms at different stages of growth. Some are managing their first proper stock review. Others are scaling distribution across multiple sites and need a clearer map before committing to new systems or processes. We serve both, with engagements sized to fit.
Our Mission
To give operations teams in Malaysia practical, ground-level supply chain guidance that they can act on without needing to first spend weeks decoding a report.
Our Approach
We observe before we advise. Every engagement starts with listening — to the people managing the flow day to day — before we form any view on what needs changing.
Our Values
- Directness: We say what we see, without softening findings to make them easier to hear.
- Proportion: We match the scope of our work to what the situation actually needs.
- Continuity: We write recommendations that your team can carry forward without us in the room.
The People
Advisors with Roots in Malaysian Operations
Zulkifli Ariffin
Principal Advisor
Spent twelve years in inbound freight coordination and procurement planning across Johor and Selangor before founding Tanjong Forge. Leads the Logistics Operations Programme engagements.
Lim Hui Shan
Inventory & Vendor Specialist
A background in FMCG distribution and contract manufacturing supply chains. Leads Inventory & Vendor Review engagements and handles supplier relationship mapping.
Raj Narayanan
Flow & Process Advisor
Brings experience in warehouse design and last-mile delivery operations from work with a regional third-party logistics provider. Leads Supply Flow Check engagements.
How We Work
Standards We Hold in Every Engagement
Client Confidentiality
All business information shared during an engagement is used solely for the agreed advisory purpose and is not disclosed to any third party. NDAs available on request.
Written Scope Agreement
Every engagement starts with a written scope document that defines what is included, what the deliverables are, and when the work ends. No ambiguity in what you're paying for.
Evidence-Based Findings
Our recommendations are drawn from direct observation and data review, not from assumptions. We note what we saw and where the evidence comes from.
Structured Handover
At the close of each engagement, we walk through findings with the relevant team members to make sure the work lands clearly and questions get answered in the room.
Defined Timelines
We agree a schedule at the start and communicate promptly if anything affects it. Clients are not left waiting without explanation.
No Dependency by Design
We write deliverables so your team can act on them without continued advisory support. Our aim is to be useful, not indispensable.
Expertise & Perspective
Supply Chain Advisory in the Malaysian Context
Malaysia's distribution landscape has developed rapidly over the past decade. The corridor between Johor and the Klang Valley carries significant freight volumes, and businesses operating within it face a specific set of challenges: supplier lead times shaped by port scheduling at Tanjong Pelepas and Port Klang, a mix of formal and informal vendor arrangements, and distribution networks that often evolved through growth rather than design.
Tanjong Forge focuses on the operational layer that sits between strategic decisions and day-to-day execution. We work with operations managers, procurement leads, and logistics coordinators to examine how goods flow from supplier to end point, and where that flow breaks down or becomes more expensive than it needs to be.
Our advisory work does not involve software sales, system integration, or procurement brokerage. We maintain independence from vendors and platforms so that our observations remain focused on what the data and direct observation show, rather than on what any particular tool is designed to address.
Supply chain advisory at the scale Tanjong Forge operates is most useful to businesses with annual revenues between RM 5 million and RM 80 million — large enough to have meaningful complexity in their operations, but not yet at a scale where a large consultancy engagement makes commercial sense. Our fee structure is designed with this segment in mind.
Talk to the Team
We're happy to hear about your operation before you commit to anything. Use the contact form and we'll follow up within one working day.
Get in Touch