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CONTENT BUILD BY THE NATION, SUSTAINS FOR THE NATION 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 HOW IT ALL BEGAN VITROX CORE VALUES “I.A.C.T.G” STORIES ON INTEGRITY STORIES ON ACCOUNTABILITY STORIES ON COURAGE STORIES ON TRUST & RESPECT STORIES ON GRATITUDE & CARE
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 hightech company,” ViTrox’s co-founder, Chu Jenn Weng, said in 1998. The seed of inspira�on to build ViTrox derived from the camera given by Managing Director/President/CEO Chu Jenn Weng’s mother, which upli�ed his interest in photography since he was young. Marvellous things can come from the �niest 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 heart-warming gi� later inspired him to build his entrepreneurial career. During Chu’s internship at Hewle�-Packard (HP), he was amazed by the use of a camera linked to a machine, which guided a robot to pick up a �ny object and move it with precision from one posi�on to another in a frac�on of a second. He later discovered this innova�ve technology – Machine Vision – which gave him a clear direc�on of what he wanted to do in the future. Upon the comple�on 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 inspira�on to establish a Malaysian high-tech company has been engraved in his mind.
5 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 solu�ons to a local customer. In Steven’s eyes, he found a fellow engineer who was passionate about technological innova�ons 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 solu�ons. In 2000, the duo founded ViTrox Technology Sdn Bhd. The name is a combina�on of two words, “vision” and “electronics”, reflec�ng the grand ambi�ons they had from the beginning. BIRTHPLACE OF ‘SILICON VALLEY’ A picture of Mr Chu in front of the iconic garage where the founders of Hewle�-Packard began their dream
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7 The duo was joined by Yeoh Shih Hoong, a first-class honours graduate from Universi� Sains Malaysia (USM), who turned down offers from big-name companies to team up with them. “He took the risk to join us at the �me when we had nothing to show, but only our vision and our determina�on,” Chu said. Yeoh Shih Hoong joined ViTrox as the first employee and eventually became one of the Execu�ve 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 na�on — 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', represents 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 and Respect,' and 'Gra�tude and 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 � Integrity 诚正信实
11 Yeoh Shih Hoong Execu�ve Vice President and Execu�ve Director, Centre of Excellence “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.”
12 Andrew Yap Jiun Herng Manufacturing Senior Engineer My faith in manufacturing innovation...
13 A Story by Andrew 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 addi�onal responsibili�es. I have a very clear career direc�on, 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 produc�on and constantly improve the produc�on process for higher speed, lower price and be�er quality. We aim to produce a machine faster than China, with be�er quality than German, and lower cost than Japan. ����� “I have a very clear career direc�on, I do not work for a job, I work towards a mission. “
14 � Accountability 承担
15 “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.” Mr Chu Jenn Weng President and CEO of ViTrox Corpora�on Berhad
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17 A Story by Mr Chu Jenn Weng Twenty years ago, we met with a Japanese customer who was interested in our vision inspec�on system. However, a�er learning about the system's capabili�es, he expressed that it could not meet his accuracy expecta�ons, despite the a�rac�ve price. He informed us that he would not purchase the system unless we could fulfil his inspec�on requirements using the sub-pixel algorithm and customize the system to fit their produc�on needs. At that �me, 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 customized features he requested within two weeks, without any addi�onal cost added to the price tag. To our delight, he agreed to our proposal, placing his trust in our determina�on to fulfil his vision. With the clock �cking, we quickly researched sub-pixel accuracy by reading numerous books on computer vision. A�er many days of hard work, trial and error, we successfully completed the request within the twoweek �meline we had commi�ed to. We showed the system to the Japanese customer, and he was sa�sfied with the result. Subsequently, we received the first purchase order from the Japanese customer. This encounter was but one chapter in the tapestry of our journey, spanning over two decades. Time and again, our people and our SCPs have embraced the spirit of can-do, 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, compe�tors, 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. ����� ACCOUNTABILITY
18 � Courage 勇气
19 Wee Kah Khim CEO and Execu�ve Vice President of Automated Board Inspec�on (ABI) “Although being rejected by the customer two times, I still kept on selling, set up another meeting with them, and offered them a better and better deal from a technology perspective. It's the courage and persistence that help us win the deal eventually.”
20 Product Marke�ng Manager Automated Board Inspec�on (ABI) Tan Piet Gek “They doubted my ability; I proved it to them”
21 A Story by Piet Gek When I joined the company 12 years ago, there were less than five female engineers in the team. Star�ng my career as a test engineer, I have tried several posi�ons in engineering before transi�oning to business development. These experiences include applica�on technology engineering, technical marke�ng, customer service and support, business development, and current product marke�ng. While holding the role of technical marke�ng, I got to travel overseas solo frequently. There were some customers who had doubts about me represen�ng the company for site support. For some of them, it was rare to see a female engineer visi�ng customers all by herself. I confronted them and proved my capabili�es by solving their problems in their face. Through communica�on, I was able to gain their trust and respect. I even told them that there were many other female engineers in my team back in our headquarters. Over the years, I see more and more females joining the rank, whether in research and development (R&D), manufacturing or technical support. Even though some engineering roles require the day-andnight standby and physical strength for fixing machines, these are manageable tasks and should not be a roadblock to female engineers. �����
22 � Trust & Respect 信任与尊重
Stephen Covey Author of 7 Habits of Highly Effec�ve People 23 “Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships.”
24 A mistake many years ago... Wee Kah Khim CEO and Execu�ve Vice President of Automated Board Inspec�on (ABI) “I emphasised that Trust is one of our core values and will improve myself by prac�sing it.”
25 A Story by Mr Wee Kah Khim Many years ago, I made a mistake. For years, our team proved our ability to advance the AXI technology, support, commitment and responsiveness to customers. It was a triumph when we were listed globally in a US-based �er-one contract manufacturing company's Approved Vendor List (“AVL”). Good �mes don’t last long. Our compe�tors began to drop their prices to win deals. We were reluctant to do so because we believed that our ability to help customers solve problems was the main competency. Nonetheless, the convincing power of our Sales Channel Partners (“SCPs”) and my overlook of prac�sing trust and respect led me to make the decision — to drop the price for this par�cular region. The vice president (“VP”) of the contract manufacturing company was furious when he found out that I broke the pricing agreement and put us on hold of AVL for five months. By that �me, I knew I had made a colossal mistake. Five months later, the company representa�ve from the United States was finally willing to meet up. Without hesita�ng, I bought a flight �cket and went to meet him face-to-face. I was ques�oned and cri�cised throughout the mee�ng. The VP was upset and said, “What you have done could break our trust. Once trust is broken, I would not be able to work with you for the long term.” I apologised sincerely for overlooking this ma�er and promised him that this wouldn't happen again. I emphasised that Trust is one of our core values and will improve myself by prac�sing it. Gratefully, the VP gave us a second opportunity. Since then, we have con�nued prac�sing trust and respect values in ViTrox. Though some�mes we lost to the compe�tors, most of the �me we won. �����
26 “I am the first Malay engineer at ViTrox” Junaidy bin Ariffin Manager, MVS-CM (TS)
27 “They hired me not because of my performance but because they believed in my poten�al and ability to grow. “ A Story by Junaidy I am the first Malay engineer at ViTrox. Back in 2008, I was looking for an engineering posi�on at ViTrox. I could recall during my first interview, the hiring manager asked many difficult technical ques�ons; luckily, I managed to ace the interview by responding perfectly. I could tell from his expression that he was sa�sfied with how well I performed in the interview. In the second interview, I met one of our founders, Steven Siaw. Unlike the first interview, he posed several simple ques�ons about the vision system, but I was unable to answer them because I had no knowledge and related experience in this field. I failed to answer all ques�ons regarding the vision system and felt very down a�er the interview. TRUST & RESPECT
28 Surprisingly, I received a call from ViTrox two weeks later, informing me the good news of a job offer. I officially joined the company as a technical support engineer. I s�ll had doubts about why ViTrox would s�ll hire me as I felt I didn’t do well during the second interview, A�er some �me, I found out that they hired me not because of my performance but because they believed in my poten�al and ability to grow. As the first Malay engineer at ViTrox, I had a unique experience among my Chinese colleagues. Before se�ling down, I stayed in a lounge room located at the cafeteria of ViTrox Campus 1.0 for around two months. A�er working hours, there were usually two to three groups of people huddling in the cafeteria. Once, when I came out from the lounge room, our colleague Low Teck Wong called my name and asked me to join them.
29 When I walked to them, I realised the whole group immediately changed their conversa�on from Mandarin to Malay. They respected my differences, included me in the conversa�on, and genuinely treated me as part of the family. The prolonged trust and respect is why I am s�ll here a�er 14 years. �����
30 I.A.C.T.G. washed away my aggressiveness Leong Chee Yeong (Gary) Senior Director of Business Development Analy�cs Intelligence Solu�ons (AIS)
31 A Story by Gary Leong I didn’t have an orienta�on like others on the first day of joining ViTrox. I received a call from then-ABI General Manager Wee Kah Khim, who is now our Chief Business Development Officer; he asked me to book a flight �cket to China. In fact, my whole family had just moved back from China a week ago as I finished the last assignment with my previous job in China. Some of our belongings were s�ll on the way to Penang while I flew to China again to handle an urgent deal on behalf of ViTrox in November 2012. From there, I began my enriching journey with ViTrox… I loved the open office concept the moment I stepped into ViTrox’s campus. It was a very fresh experience for me because where I came from everyone stayed in their own cubicles and offices, and we hardly talked to the top management. For seven years, I had been immersed in an aggressive culture where the bosses would shout at employees in mee�ngs. The work culture was very fast-paced to the extent that mee�ng un�l 2 a.m. in the morning was a normal prac�ce. Customers would o�en ques�on us in a bad-tempered manner about the late delivery and product issues. To succeed in ge�ng the deals, we had to stay aggressive but at the same �me not behave aggressively towards our customers. When we went back to talk to the technical personnel or R&D engineers, we channelled the anger we received from the external (customers) to the internal (coworkers). We tend to give others what we receive. The most extreme behaviour I had shown was when I received a stressful call in the hotel lobby; as a result of that, I shouted at the innocent front desk personnel.
32 ����� TRUST & RESPECT Was there any mutual respect? No. I brought that characteris�c to ViTrox unavoidably. At work, I was aggressive and argumenta�ve to many people, including Lim Wei Yee who was later the Chief Opera�ng Officer. One day, Mr Wee talked to me in a one-on-one mee�ng, which made me realise my problem. I began to put in effort and tone down my temperament. At the same �me, I observed how Mr Chu and Mr Lim Wei Yee behave and interact with others. It took me about one year to assimilate into ViTrox’s I.A.C.T.G. culture. From my experience, the core values we embrace aren’t just a poster on the wall or the first two presenta�on slides; instead, the company's leaders prac�se the values and walk the talk.
33 “In a high trust environment, we don’t need to build many checkpoints in our operation to ensure the excellent quality of our services and products. We are confident that everyone strives for the best in their job.” Mr Chu Jenn Weng President and CEO of ViTrox Corpora�on Berhad
34 “I felt touched when Mr Wee told me about his aspiration of growing a local company and making the local business successful. He asked me to join him in realising the ambition,” Lee Yi Loong Director of Manufacturing
35 A Story by Yi Loong The Great Recession of 2008 was precipitated in the United States and ensued in nearly half of all countries around the world. In Penang, Malaysia, manufacturing engineer Lee Yi Loong, who worked in a mul�na�onal company, began to feel the tension in the air. There were rumours about layoff and retrenchment in his community. Among all industries, the manufacturing industry was affected the most. He seemed to be in the centre of a tornado—calm with extremely low pressure—yet the rota�ng columns of air had already destructed many in the surrounding. Plenty of his colleagues received the offer of voluntary separa�on schemes and le�. The company announced pay cuts and closed down a business unit. At the end of the year, Penang state had the highest number of unemployed workers, voluntarily and involuntarily. INSPIRING V-STORIES
36 “Would I be the next one?” Yi Loong was worried. He had been working in the Automated Board Inspec�on (ABI) manufacturing industry for [how many] years. It’s a path he hoped to con�nue pursuing further. Blessed with good luck, the company offered Yi Loong to work for another business unit. Despite being the survivor who got the lifeboat of a drowning ship, he found it hard to adapt to the culture of the new business unit. One day, he met Ooi Song Wah, who was then a __ at ViTrox, at the company. Upon knowing how Yi Loong felt uncomfortable with the recent internal change of job, Song Wah went straight to the point and asked if Yi Loong had an interest in joining ViTrox. A chance to return to the assembly line of AXI products? Sounded appealing. He decided to give it a try. Just a few days later, Yi Loong received a call from ViTrox. The interview was smooth, and a job was offered to him quickly. However, Yi Loong felt disappointed immediately a�er looking at the compensa�on and benefits. It was incomparable to what a mul�na�onal company gave, so he rejected the job offer. Shortly a�erwards, Wee Kah Khim, then [job �tle at that �me] at ViTrox, buzzed Yi Loong to learn about his reason for rejec�on. The plot twisted a�er this phone call. “I felt touched when Mr Wee told me about his aspira�on of growing a local company and making the local business successful. He asked me to join him in realising the ambi�on,” said Yi Loong. The [Wee’s job �tle] had a similar career journey as Yi Loong, in which they both worked for a mul�na�onal company for many years. “That was also the first �me trust was generated between both of us.” Despite the uneasy process of persuading his family, who had high expecta�ons of him to work in a mul�na�onal company, Yi Loong took the courage to move on a new path in his career life. �����
37 “We don't live on an island; we interact with our fellow contributors and colleagues. That's why having good behaviour and attitude is very important to make things work, and that will set the right foundation for us to achieve great breakthroughs and success.” Steven Siaw Kok Tong Execu�ve Vice President, Execu�ve Director & Co-founder
38 A Story by Si� Sarah Many years ago, I visited ViTrox for the first �me 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” Si� Sarah bin� Osman Manufacturing Asst. Manager, ViE Technologies
39 My first job applica�on at ViTrox was in vain; indeed, there wasn’t a suitable posi�on for my process engineering background. When ViE opened the first process/quality engineer posi�on several years later, I immediately grabbed the long-awaited opportunity, and it was a dream come true! Over the past nine years, I have designed manufacturing processes a�er the New Product Introduc�on (NPI) and solved various process issues by finding root causes and implemen�ng correc�ve and preven�ve ac�ons. 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 produc�vity 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 �me, our team had daily mee�ngs with Mr Chu for progress updates. Despite the massive �me 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. Comple�ng the cri�cal project, we not only eliminated the corrosion and watermark issues of the product but also improved its yield from 40% to 100%. �����
40 GRATITUDE & CARE
41 ����� ����� We wanted to create a company where everyone feels like a member of the family, who supports one another wholeheartedly and works together in one vision, one voice, and one team. We believe that we should always live with uncompromised integrity, have the courage to do the right thing and be accountable and stand by with our decision and ac�on. We should treat one another with gra�tude & care, trust & respect. We should also be accountable for our customers’ success and have the courage to pursue ambi�ous goals in life with uncompromised integrity.
42 � Gratitude & Care 感恩与关怀
43 “Compassionate innovation is at the core of our approach. It embodies the spirit of love, care, empathy, and altruism.” Mr Chu Jenn Weng President and CEO of ViTrox Corpora�on Berhad
44 “The number you have dialled is unreachable.” I don’t remember how many �mes I received the same response from the automated phone system a�er dialling this number. People told me I should stop hoping for him to return my calls, but they didn’t know how much he meant to me. He was my sifu, my mentor, who had been a strong influence throughout my career. “Missing my sifu... ” A Story by Edwinz Teo Yong Kher (Edwinz) Execu�ve Chef
45 Nineteen years ago, I met my sifu Yoshiyaki Ito, a front sushi counter cuisine master with over 40 years of culinary experience in Japanese cuisine. Every day, he taught me the philosophy of Japanese food and cooking skills, such as preparing dishes for the sushi bar. It was a gainful appren�ceship experience when I was in Brunei for five years. One day, I lost contact with my sifu, who lived in Hokkaido. I kept calling him, but the number has been unreachable ever since. I asked my previous Japanese manager about sifu’s whereabouts, yet it was in vain. “A record-breaking megathrust earthquake struck Japan in March 2011, triggering a powerful tsunami which washed away many buildings and lives. The disaster recorded 19,747 deaths, and more than 2,500 are s�ll missing.” This was the news I received. I could hardly believe the truth un�l today. I miss my sifu, and I feel so grateful to have the opportunity to learn from him. Without him, I won’t be able to realise my passion for cooking delicious Japanese food today. �����
46 Story behind a forklift Johnny Leong Chee Kwan Director of Supply Chain Management
47 A Story by Johnny Whenever I see a forkli�, it reminds me of an accident that happened in the warehouse many years ago. A worker of our supplier was cri�cally injured. We rushed the injured worker to the nearest hospital. His condi�on was cri�cal, and the doctor said an immediate opera�on was needed. Hearing that, without any hesita�on, Mr Chu and Ms Su took out their personal credit card to pay for the medical fees. This incident happened during my third month at ViTrox. A�er witnessing what happened, I couldn’t hold back my tears while driving back home. I felt deeply touched by our senior leaders’ sincere care for a supplier’s worker who is not a ViTroxian. They put their care into ac�on by helping him to get immediate medical a�en�on and also visited him a few days a�er the opera�on. The feeling endures un�l today, and it has always been a story that reminds me how to show genuine care. ����� “A�er witnessing what happened, I couldn’t hold back my tears while driving back home. I felt deeply touched by our senior leaders’ sincere care for a supplier’s worker who is not a ViTroxian.” GRATITUDE & CARE
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49 If you asked me to join any volunteering programme two years ago, I would definitely reject it.... Aman Nazarri People Culture Engineer Joy of volunteering INSPIRING V-STORIES
50 A Story by Aman Joining ViTrox as an intern was a bit of a “culture shock” for me, as the company places a strong emphasis on volunteerism. At first, I only par�cipated in the V-Meal Serving programme as a way to relax and unwind a�er work. However, volunteering has since taken on a much deeper meaning for me. As a ViTroxian, I feel a desire to “repay” the kindness that ViTrox has shown me during my �me here. It is not easy for a company to provide such extensive benefits solely for the well-being of its employees, especially given the associated costs. Therefore, I believe that if ViTrox is willing to go above and beyond for its employees, it is only fi�ng that I do the same for the company. Many of the volunteering programmes at ViTrox align with my personal beliefs, as they hold a deeper meaning beyond just an ac�vity. For instance, the ViTrox Academy Open Day is not only aimed at promo�ng academic courses but also provides an opportunity for students who may not have the means to posi�on themselves in the industry. This is a significant challenge for the younger genera�on today, and I felt a sense of sa�sfac�on when I volunteered for this program, knowing that I contributed to this purpose. Perhaps most importantly, volunteering has given me a sense of purpose and belonging. By helping others, I feel needed and valued, which is a powerful an�dote to feelings of emp�ness and worthlessness. Furthermore, I have come to realise that many people are in need of help from others. In a world where we o�en compare ourselves to others, it is important to remember the value of giving and taking. I truly believe that when we help others, we create a posi�ve ripple effect in the world that may one day bring good things back to us.