ASIA FOCUS : ENTREPRENEUR VIEW

Design and R&D to meet customer needs

A Malaysian company has successfully developed capabilities in design and R&D, while its product innovation has also affected customer relationships

Cass Technology is a Malaysian company specialising in the design and development of security systems. It was set up in 1995 by a distributor of door access systems for the local Malaysian market.

Now a leading maker of security systems in Asia, the company has used its design and R&D capabilities to tailor its products to customer needs and to differentiate itself from the competition.

After tapping the collective industry experience of senior consultants and business partners, the company chose security systems as its core business and began building competence in design and R&D.

It built a manufacturing plant, acquired and developed infrastructure and talent to facilitate R&D, and invested in information technology to enable efficient product design and to implement quality and cost control.

The company has also used IT extensively to improve communication among employees and interact with current and prospective customers.

To find the right people to implement this move up the value chain, Cass Technology has tapped its networks, as well as used headhunters. The company headhunts entry-level engineers and relies on its network's recommendations for senior management candidates with proven R&D and business development expertise.

Cass Technology has achieved low rates of turnover even at entry-level positions, thanks in part to the training and professional development provided to all employees, as well as clearly defined career paths.

Drawing on its competence in design and R&D, the company has developed a wide range of security systems, including patent pending weapon control systems, biometric access-control systems and an alarm-monitoring system.

A recent innovation is a fingerprint-based identification system that scans a lower skin layer, enabling use with injured, contaminated or aged skin.

To ensure that its innovative products truly meet customers' requirements, Cass Technology emphasises frequent interaction with its dealers and distributors, through whom its products reach end users. The company conducts training sessions for its distributors every month and provides after-sales and technical site support.

Beyond channelling a monthly sales incentive to all dealers and distributors, the company rewards high-performing customers with attractive margins.

Having established strong relationships with dealers and distributors in more than 20 countries, Cass Technology now adopts a "pull" strategy for marketing its products. The company seeks to raise its profile by participating in awards and competitions, trade shows and seminars, and by working with local government authorities.

Cass Technology aims to draw on its design and R&D capabilities to become the world leader in the design and manufacture of security systems in the next 10 years.

On the Net: http://www.castle.com.my

Bangkok Post
Sunday February 11, 2007