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2 CONTENT At ViTrox, we share one common DNA - and that is our core values, I.A.C.T.G.; Integrity, Accountability, Courage, Trust & Respect and Gratitude & Care. 03 HOW IT ALL BEGAN 08 VITROX CORE VALUES “I.A.C.T.G” 10 THE BEGINNING OF V-CULTURE 16 STORIES ON INTEGRITY 28 STORIES ON ACCOUNTABILITY 38 STORIES ON COURAGE 48 STORIES ON TRUST & RESPECT 66 STORIES ON GRATITUDE & CARE
3 The seed of inspiration to build ViTrox derived from the camera given by Mr Chu Jenn Weng’s mother.
4 “I have a dream of establishing a home-grown high-tech company,” ViTrox’s co-founder, Mr Chu Jenn Weng, said in 1998. The seed of inspiration to build ViTrox derived from the camera given by President & Group CEO Chu Jenn Weng’s mother, which uplifted his interest in photography since he was young. Marvellous things can come from the tiniest of seeds. Despite the family being underprivileged, his mother bought a second-hand analogue camera, knowing that he has always been passionate about photography. The heartwarming gift later inspired him to build his entrepreneurial career. During Chu’s internship at Hewlett-Packard (HP), he was amazed by the use of a camera linked to a machine, which guided a robot to pick up a tiny object and move it with precision from one position to another in a fraction of a second. He later discovered this innovative technology – Machine Vision – which gave him a clear direction of what he wanted to do in the future. Upon the completion of his internship, he was recruited by HP as a permanent employee and later received a training opportunity in the Silicon Valley of California. Through his visit to the HP Garage, he was inspired by the vision of two engineering graduates who started up their business in a garage, which has become a global tech giant. Chu was certain and confident that Malaysian engineering graduates could build the same dream. With that, a budding inspiration to
5 establish a Malaysian high-tech company has been engraved in his mind. Chu had the technical skills to build machine vision devices, but he needed someone to complement his technical skills if he wanted to start a business. Chu then invited Steven Siaw, who is now one of ViTrox’s co-founders, to join his team to provide their first machine vision solutions to a local customer. In Steven’s eyes, he found a fellow engineer who was passionate about technological innovations and equally adept at dealing with the needs of the outside world. Hence, both of them decided to take the entrepreneurial leap to establish ViTrox to develop and supply machine vision solutions. In 2000, the duo BIRTHPLACE OF ‘SILICON VALLEY’ A picture of Mr Chu in front of the iconic garage where the founders of Hewlett-Packard began their dream
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7 founded ViTrox Technologies. The name is a combination of two words, “vision” and “electronics”, reflecting the grand ambitions they had from the beginning. The duo was joined by Yeoh Shih Hoong, a firstclass honours graduate from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), who turned down offers from bigname companies to team up with them. “ He took the risk to join us at the time when we had nothing to show, but only our vision and our determination,” Chu said. Yeoh Shih Hoong joined ViTrox as the first employee and eventually became one of the Executive Directors of ViTrox. ViTrox’s parent company was listed on Bursa’s Mesdaq market in 2005 and on the main board in 2009. Today, ViTrox is a global technology brand – built by Malaysians, sustains for the nation – with more than a million products made each year using ViTrox’s vision technology.
8 ViTrox Core Values ViTrox’s core values, “I.A.C.T.G. - The Power of 5”, represent the fundamental principles of ViTrox’s shared values that guide us to think, talk and do the right things every day in the pursuit of both individual and company greatness. “I.A.C.T.G.” is the acronym for Integrity, Accountability, Courage,Trust & Respect, and Gratitude & Care.
9 Integrity (诚正信实) Accountability (承担) Courage (勇气) Trust & Respect (信任与尊重) Gratitude & Care (感恩与关怀)
10 Ms Su Pek Fuen (right) with YABhg Puan Tan Lean Kee (left), wife of Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow during the officiating ceremony of ViTrox Green on 30 March 2023 The beginning of V-Culture
11 A Story by Ms Su Pek Fuen I joined the company in 2000, together with Chu, Steven and Shih Hoong. When they started, there were no company policies and benefits at that time because they only had very limited capital and resources in hand. Starting from zero, I was in charge of most of the non-technical work by then, including corporate administration, human resources, procurement, facilities and building expansion over the years. After the company was listed on the Main Board, I decided to quit my job and focus on taking care of my four children. During the ten years of working, I worked tirelessly and the company began to be on the right track – most of the company policies and benefits were set and our Campus 1.0 was completed – thinking I could finally step down and enjoy my life. To keep myself occupied with meaningful events beyond family, I began to join the volunteer activities at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation in Penang. That was the turning point of my life. I was introduced to the Tzu Chi’s entrepreneurship programme in Taiwan. I thought spending four days and three nights in Taiwan for the programme would be an enjoyable experience. Little did I know that the trip was eventually extended to eight days and seven nights because I was hospitalised in a foreign land. As a working mother, I was busy arranging working tasks and settling down my four young children before we travelled. I pictured it as a selfrewarding holiday, away from work and kids; but the reality was the programme had a very tight schedule based on Buddhist practitioners’ disciplines. We woke up very early every day and attended intensive courses from day to night. We listened to many touching and inspiring stories regarding humanitarian and charity work shared by Tzu Chi volunteers, which made me emotional
12 and teary. We were served vegetarian food throughout the entire programme. Although I changed my diet to vegetarian after the trip, I could not adapt to the meatless diet at that time. Sleep deprivation, highly emotional mental state and minimal eating exhausted my body. For the first time in my life, I was admitted to the intensive care unit in Tzu Chi Hospital, taken care of by Tzu Chi volunteers. These strangers volunteered to take care of me mindfully as if I were her family member. I suffered from a high fever and wasn’t in an optimal condition to take the flight back to Malaysia. I felt helpless but the care of volunteers shed light on me, which eventually transformed my life. The first few days of the trip presented the picture of amazing volunteer footprints, and the last four days in the hospital were a real experience of how the volunteers put words into action. The Tzu Chi Hospital facilities and interior design make patients feel at home, it does not have the “hospital” atmosphere that always makes patients feel fearful and anxious. There were many volunteers reporting to the volunteer duties every day, accompanying and taking care of patients. The most delightful element was the volunteer musical performance in the common area every day. Sitting in the wheelchair, I was very excited about the scheduled performance and would patiently wait for the show to begin and enjoy the entertainment every afternoon. This experience triggered me to wonder: How can this hospital make patients emotionally feel relieved from suffering? What makes the hospital so unique? Can a company also have this kind of humanistic culture? Culture, the invisible element with a strong existence that brings temperature to an environment. People, those who hold shared values and come together. This is the beginning of V-Culture which covers green living and the spirit of volunteerism.
13 Returning from the trip, I took the first step to renovate a small area in our company, creating a cosy V-Cafe at Campus 1.0. Additionally, I also established special interest clubs which serve as platforms for employees with common interests to get together and volunteer their talents for internal activities and external communities. On this basis, we branched out to design green buildings, facilities and environment as well as implement various programmes all with the purpose of ensuring the well-being of body, mind and soul of our employees. Until today, we have ViTrox Green to promote sustainable green living and connect the dots of ViTrox culture. Through the platform, we provide eco-friendly convenient products and organise programmes with an emphasis on a sustainable lifestyle and social responsibility. Ms Su Pek Fuen Director of V-Green & People Culture
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Ms Su Pek Fuen Director of V-Green & People Culture “We have ViTrox Green to promote sustainable green living and connect the dots of ViTrox culture. Through the platform, we provide eco-friendly convenient products and organise programmes with an emphasis on a sustainable lifestyle and social responsibility.” 15
16 Integrity 诚正信实
Yeoh Shih Hoong Executive Vice President & Executive Director “It's easier to keep quiet than to voice out the truth. Telling the truth is a behaviour of being integrity, yet it takes courage. A truthful conversation exerts its effectiveness in two-way communication.” 17
18 A Story by Yeoh Shih Hoong I am sure you have heard of the folktale “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. None of the officials and citizens points out the truth except for a child who blurts out that the emperor is wearing nothing. Perhaps the child is the only person who practises I.A.C.T.G. values by speaking out their mind. Indeed, I don’t want my team to behave like the Emperor’s subjects. Here is what I always tell them: Don’t let me go out the street nakedly. Tell me the truth. Let’s put ourselves into this scenario. Your manager talks about a project in the meeting, and you have a second opinion. But you stay quiet. Sadly, you fail to practise the following values: Integrity: You do not speak your mind. Accountability: If you are involved in the project, you don’t have the accountability to make sure the project is successful. You just carry out the instructions. Courage: You do not dare to tell your manager your genuine thoughts. Trust: You do not trust that your manager is open to listening to different voices and not retaliating against you in the future. Care: You do not care if the project works or fails. Nevertheless, in order to achieve trust, it takes two hands to clap. If you are a leader and your team members like to keep different opinions to themselves, perhaps it is good to look at yourself and ask why? Have you been too defensive or offensive when others tell you something different? Take a moment to reflect and ask yourself, when was the last time you voiced out opinions
19 although different from others? Which leaders at ViTrox do you have the courage to tell your genuine opinions? Why him/her, and why not other leaders? “Take a moment to reflect and ask yourself, when was the last time you voiced out opinions although different from others? “ Yeoh Shih Hoong Executive Vice President & Executive Director
20 Andrew Yap Jiun Herng Manufacturing Senior Engineer My faith in manufacturing innovation
21 A Story by Andrew Yap Jiun Herng ViTrox is my first career job in engineering. When I came in, my manager gave me an opportunity to lead a small team. It’s not a common responsibility for an engineer to manage team resources and source talents. My manager trusted me and allowed me to carry out additional responsibilities. I have a very clear career direction, I do not work for a job, I work towards a mission. Fortunately, my mission is the same as my supervisor’s mission. As a manufacturing engineer, I work to scale new products to volume production and constantly improve the production process for higher speed, lower price and better quality. We aim to produce a machine faster than China, with better quality than German, and lower cost than Japan. “I have a very clear career direction, I do not work for a job, I work towards a mission. “ INTEGRITY
22 A Story by Mohamad Norhafifi bin Md Hanif Being a Research & Development (R&D) engineer, I enjoy the process of designing things from scratch. I am currently part of the R&D hardware electrical team. To create or innovate something, we draw the wiring diagram, identify the electrical components to be used, lay out the control panel and test the prototype. This is the most challenging but rewarding part because we may fail in our experiments. Usually, when I encounter obstacles, my mentor and team members will voluntarily give advice and suggestions. Redoing our work is very common in R&D projects, and it’s also through the feedback loop I learn the most. One thing I love about ViTrox is the friendly work environment where my team members are not reserved in sharing their knowledge and offering support. Every morning at 9:30 a.m., all R&D hardware team members will get together to share our accomplishments and request for any help needed. The team is always there to support each other, and I appreciate that practice. Unreserved knowledge sharing
23 Mohamad Norhafifi bin Md Hanif Research & Development Engineer INTEGRITY
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25 A Story by Choi Yu Nen ViTroxians will always find me selling vegetables around lunchtime. They may also find me harvesting or planting vegetables at the V-Farm (ViTrox’s in-house farm). However, as a biotechnology graduate, what I do every day is far beyond that. I manage food decomposition and work on experimental on-campus fruit tree cultivation to provide a diet-friendly meal to ViTroxians. With the freedom and flexibility given by my manager, I am able to carry out any experiment. I am also given a chance to collaborate with ViTrox Agritech to provide quality vegetables and manage waste in an environmentally friendly way for our family of ViTroxians. Flexible opportunities to learn Choi Yu Nen V-Farm Executive
26 I wanted to learn about the real needs of customers and deliver better products and services to them Lau Zhi Wei Research & Development Senior Engineer
27 A Story by Lau Zhi Wei In 2012, I stepped into ViTrox for the first time as an intern with the business unit Machine Vision System - Tray based (MVS-T). The experience was rewarding, and the growing opportunity available at the company made me decide to come back to join the ViTrox family officially. I spent four years with the Centre of Excellence for Machine Vision (CoE MV) before I switched to work for MVS-T. The job scope between both departments were different where the former enabled me to develop platforms for business units and the latter gave me the experience to work directly with customers to solve their problems. Dealing with customers is not easy, as I’m a quiet person who doesn’t talk much. I forced myself to be out of my comfort zone to learn how to calmly work with various types of customers, despite their temperaments and levels of expectations. I knew it was a necessary breakthrough in my own personality because I wanted to learn about the real needs of customers and deliver better products and services to them. INTEGRITY
28 Accountability 承担
Mr Chu Jenn Weng President & Group CEO 29 “We strive to build long-term and long-lasting business relationships with our customers with uncompromised integrity, and hence, we act wholeheartedly with I.A.C.T.G. in every dealing and interaction with our stakeholders.”
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31 A Story by Mr Chu Jenn Weng Twenty years ago, we met with a Japanese customer who was interested in our vision inspection system. However, after learning about the system’s capabilities, he expressed that it could not meet his accuracy expectations, despite the attractive price. He informed us that he would not purchase the system unless we could fulfil his inspection requirements using the sub-pixel algorithm and customise the system to fit their production needs. At that time, sub-pixel accuracy was a new concept to us, and we were unsure how to achieve it. Determined not to lose such a valuable opportunity, we humbly sought advice from the customer, who kindly shared his knowledge with us. We let him know that we did not currently have this feature, but we offered to develop the sub-pixel algorithm and customised features he requested within two weeks, without any ACCOUNTABILITY “After many days of hard work, trials and errors, we successfully completed the request within the two-week timeline we had committed to.”
32 additional cost added to the price tag. To our delight, he agreed to our proposal, placing his trust in our determination to fulfil his vision. With the clock ticking, we quickly researched subpixel accuracy by reading numerous books on computer vision. After many days of hard work, trials and errors, we successfully completed the request within the two-week timeline we had committed to. We showed the system to the Japanese customer, and he was satisfied with the result. Subsequently, we received the first purchase order from the Japanese customer. This encounter was one chapter in the tapestry of our journey, spanning over two decades. Time and again, our people and our Sales Channel Partners (SCPs) have embraced the spirit of cando, hard work and accountability. We held true to our promises, doing what we say, and saying what we do. We always stay hungry and stay humble, learning from our customers, competitors, and our own mistakes. These experiences, like forging steel in the fires of adversity, have moulded us into an indomitable force, growing stronger with each passing year.
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34 A Story by Siti Sarah binti Osman Many years ago, I visited ViTrox for the first time through the industrial visit programme as an undergraduate degree student. Seeing the green and open-spaced work environment and harmonious corporate culture, I felt very welcomed. The experience was so impressive that made me want to join ViTrox. I am a proud female process engineer Siti Sarah binti Osman Manufacturing Asst. Manager
35 My first job application at ViTrox was in vain; indeed, there wasn’t a suitable position for my process engineering background. When ViE Technologies opened the first process/quality engineer position several years later, I immediately grabbed the long-awaited opportunity, and it was a dream come true! Over the past ten years, I have set up manufacturing processes after the New Product Introduction (NPI) and solved various product quality issues by finding root causes and implementing corrective and preventive actions. As part of the manufacturing team, we constantly work to enhance the machinery, manufacturing and assembly processes. These enhancements can increase the processes’ capacity, quality and productivity and minimise human dependency. There was once when the product had corrosion and watermark issues, which caused the loss of millions of Malaysian Ringgit. For a few years, our team focused only on solving the problem with other engineering teams. We ran many experiments to redesign all the process parameters, material involvement, etc. During the most crucial time, our team had daily meetings with Mr Chu for progress updates. Despite the massive time and high costs we spent running experiments, Mr Chu never gave up on me; he never gave up on any of us. He constantly provided moral support to our team throughout this journey. The most rewarding experience was indeed also the most challenging. Completing the critical project, we not only eliminated the corrosion and watermark issues of the product but also improved its yield from 40% to 95%.
36 It is a pride to work for a Malaysian company Business Development Senior Engineer Ashwini Ann a/p Davidson
37 A Story by Ashwini Ann a/p Davidson It is a pride to work for a Malaysian company. I spent more than half-decade overseas to pursue my undergraduate and postgraduate studies. When I was there, I observed their patriotism toward their national brands and cultures. They talked about their local brands and were so proud of them. To me, joining ViTrox is the beginning of cultivating a Malaysian pride and brand. Coming back to Malaysia, I wanted to use my Korean language proficiency and, at the same time, realise my passions in physics and engineering. Four years ago, I joined the company as a fresh graduate, knowing nothing about the ViTrox machines. Slowly but surely, I have a good grasp of our machines. Once, a foreign customer demanded a specific feature that our inspection machine was not equipped with. To fulfil their request, we worked really hard with the R&D team to implement a new algorithm for the machine. In the end, we successfully managed to make this new feature available in our system. I felt a high sense of achievement that I contributed to creating a value differentiation for our product. ACCOUNTABILITY
38 Courage 勇气
39 Wee Kah Khim Senior Executive Vice President & CEO “Although being rejected by the customer two times, I still kept on selling, set up another meeting with them, and offered them a better deal from a technology perspective. It's the courage and persistence that help us win the deal eventually.”
40 Venturing into the unknown Steven Siaw Kok Tong Executive Vice President, Executive Director & Co-founder
41 A Story of MVS-T by Steven Siaw I find myself travelling back in time to those moments that ignited the spark of Machine Vision System - Tray based (MVS-T), a business unit that holds a special place in my heart. MVS-T had humble beginnings, brought to life by a group of talented and passionate engineers. These engineers, originally from Machine Vision System - Standard (MVS-S) business unit, possessed a passion for innovation that was evident from day one. Their focus was on semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) 3D inspection capabilities, a domain that held both challenges and promises. I vividly remember the early years when we were all still finding our footing to further grow our product offerings and diversify our customer base. Before 2010, our top management team made a decision that would shape our path. We granted this team the freedom to experiment with advanced technologies in 3D, beyond the confines of a turret-based machine’s vision modules/solutions. Their ambitious and courageous journey led to the creation of numerous prototypes, each exploring larger IC package inspections and pushing the boundaries of what was possible. As a result, in year 2010, we officially rolled out our very first tray-based machine inspection handler for semiconductors. It was more than hardware and software; it was a breakthrough and achievement that aligned with our philosophy of nurturing talents and encouraging innovation. Customers who visited our Campus 1.0 during those early (development and prototyping) days often voiced their scepticisms. “You run the machine slower (on purpose) so that it could run more stably?” remarked a customer, not knowing that our first prototype could only operate at this
42 (fastest) throughput. Little did they know, our first machine, with its modest 8K UPH (throughput), was a step into the unknown. But we did not stop there; we knew that to succeed in the competitive market, we needed to aim higher and do more. Our journey didn’t end there; it was just the beginning. In 2010, we launched our first socalled workable TH1000 Tray-to-Tray vision handler that inspects a wide range of IC packages to our first customer in Taiwan. The response was surreal and beyond our expectations, it was a huge surprise that marked the beginning of our journey. Round after round of improvement followed, we refined our very own invention. And through this process, we realised the decision to spin off into a new business unit, the venture we call MVS-T now, was definitely correct. Looking back, MVS-T is a testament to the meaning of commitment, dedication, innovation, persistency, discipline, sacrifice and team spirit. MVS-T isn’t just a business unit; it is a family of innovators, each one adding a stroke to a masterpiece - ViTrox. From a small team of engineers to a thriving business unit, the journey reminds us that growth comes from nurturing ideas, fostering talent, and embracing the courage to venture into the unknown. “MVS-T isn’t just a business unit; it is a family of innovators, each one adding a stroke to a masterpiece - ViTrox.“
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44 Product Marketing Manager Tan Piet Gek It was rare for some of them to see a female engineer visiting customers all by herself. I talked to them and tried to gain their trust.
45 A Story by Tan Piet Gek Females are not limited to non-technical roles; we are capable of managing engineering jobs. I was an engineer before transitioning to the business development team. When I joined the company 12 years ago, there were less than five female engineers in the team. Over the years, I see more and more females joining the rank, no matter in R&D, manufacturing or technical support. I had the experience of travelling overseas frequently when I held the role of technical marketing. I encountered customers who had doubts about me representing the company for site support. It was rare for some of them to see a female engineer visiting customers all by herself. I talked to them and tried to gain their trust. I even told them that there were many other female engineers in my team. Ultimately, I managed to prove my capabilities in solving their problems! Being a woman in tech is definitely not easy, as we may have to go through the journey of being a mother. Many new mothers struggled in the first few months of returning to work. It’s normal. I felt quite lost at first and found it difficult to juggle my work and breastfeeding schedules. Thankfully, my leader communicated with me and provided huge support to me, making me feel comfortable to take time for readjustment and gradually find the balance among various responsibilities. COURAGE
One small step for the team, one giant leap for me Wong Ting Lik Vice President of MVS-T 46
47 A Story by Wong Ting Lik I am the 12th employee of ViTrox. Back then, the company was still a first-year startup with a small team. As a fresh graduate, I wasn’t assigned to the key team but was asked to explore various things. This arrangement gave me the freedom to learn different things without any pressure. For two to three years, I worked on various projects and sharpened my industry knowledge and people skills. It was in 2004, my third year at ViTrox when I reached my career milestone. A senior engineer who was the key player that handled products for our major customer resigned out of the blue which gave us a hard time as those projects were critical to us. The management team was worried because it was hard to find a good fit to cover those urgent projects in a short period of time. That was the time I decided to step forward and take on the challenge to solve the issue. I told our current President & Group CEO, Mr Chu Jenn Weng, “If you trust me, I can do what is left over. I can solve the problem.” In a team, there are main players, but when the main players go off stage, the ones on the bench must step to the fore. I spent about two months working on the project and finally had my first experience of visiting a customer site. I am grateful that I was allowed enough time to grow and develop during the early stages, which gave me the courage to take on challenges and eventually gained the trust of the whole team to solve the problem. COURAGE
48 Trust & Respect 信任与尊重
Stephen Covey Author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People 49 “Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships.”
50 A mistake many years ago... Wee Kah Khim Senior Executive Vice President & CEO “I emphasised that trust is one of our core values and will improve myself by practising it.”