From market expansion to nurturing new talent, Beckhoff Automation Malaysia looks back at 10 years of membership with MGCC

It is often said that when organisational culture is strong, it is palpable. That was certainly the case for Beckhoff Automation Malaysia when the Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MGCC) team stepped into their Kota Damansara office to commemorate the German company’s 10th membership anniversary with the Chamber.

Led by the effervescent managing director Daniel Tay, a quick office tour provided more insight into the Beckhoff culture and values more effectively than any poster or clever PR campaign.

For instance, upon learning that the automation leaders were makers of the EtherCAT, the world’s fastest communications protocol, we were told that its founder Hans Beckhoff believed in making the technology open to all industry players. In other words, any company can ride on this technology to build their own devices, Tay shared.

There is even a running joke about Beckhoff Japan selling these chips to their competitors only for them to make their way to Malaysia and around the world to compete with the very firm that makes them.

“That is the playground for open platforms – Mr Beckhoff wants users to feel unrestricted,” he said.

A true visionary, we were told that Mr Beckhoff promoted the idea of Industry 4.0 and IoT back in the 1980s which raised a few eyebrows.

“In that sense, Mr Beckhoff is a visionary, he envisioned that this would be the trend that can sustain automation users,” Tay gushed.

Commenting on the Malaysian market, Tay said machine users in Malaysia are bold enough to explore and experience new technologies and despite complaints of high prices, the market here understands that investing in cutting-edge machines can set their products apart from others out there.

What sets Beckhoff apart from other automation companies is their Building Management System (BMS) that can control HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems, lighting systems as well as reroute air handling units which makes safety a top priority.

“Our BMS shuts down gradually and auto shuts down when an emergency happens.

“I am glad to say that since Covid-19, many Malaysian companies started implementing safety features by adopting the BMS,” said Tay.

Spurred by a focus on safety, Beckhoff’s BMS technology came to the forefront during the pandemic when the company was inundated with requests from hospitals across Malaysia who asked their experts to assist with rerouting the air handling unit to segregate Covid patients and non-Covid patients.

“Our guys had to wear the whole suit and travelled as far as Langkawi to manage the ducting changes. That’s one application example for Beckhoff,” Tay recalls, adding that Beckhoff had the intention of supporting public hospitals in Malaysia that were not equipped with this automated function during Covid-19.

Ten years ago, Beckhoff Automation Malaysia decided to join the MGCC network to increase brand awareness among the German business community like Infineon, Mühlbauer and, B. Braun who were their customers but may not have known about their presence.

“When we joined, we got to know more about the customers and partners and I would say the Chamber has indirectly assisted us all these 10 years,” Tay said.

In the process, Beckhoff Automation Malaysia also introduced their customers to join the MGCC network when they were asked about their membership experience.

“We raved about the networking opportunities and no surprises, the Sundowner, especially the Penang Sundowner is the most relevant for the manufacturing partners so we look forward to that every year,” he said, adding that he hopes there will be more Penang editions of MGCC’s signature networking event.  

Looking back, some memorable milestones in the past 10 years were the opening of branches across Malaysia.

“It is always very tough to convince our headquarters to open up offices, the justification has to be there but thanks to the team and the results, we managed to assure our headquarters.

“The expansion of Beckhoff in Malaysia and Brunei is very memorable for me because of the trust HQ gave to us,” said Tay.

Today, Beckhoff Automation Malaysia has four offices in the country – Kuala Lumpur, Batu Kawan in Penang, Johor and Kuching which also supports the Brunei office.

Unlike the rest of the world, Beckhoff Automation Malaysia has successfully tapped into other industries such as palm oil, rubber and semiconductors to offer its solutions which Tay considers an achievement.

They are currently looking at expanding their team in Penang as well as Malacca to support increasing customer activity.

As automation leaders, the subject of future workforce was bound to take place and like any organisation these days, attracting top talent can be a challenge.

The first step is to change mindsets and Beckhoff Automation Malaysia does that through a hands-on internship programme that provides real-world work experience.

Tay said promoting a fun workplace using social media can only do so much to attract talent so it’s imperative to have an effective internship programme. The programme rotates interns in each department to provide them with a clear understanding as well as debunk any preconceived assumptions.

“This showcases how an engineer goes about their day and the interns have a first-hand experience of how we conduct our business,” he said.

Lee Yen Hong, who heads the sales and marketing department, said most students do not have a clear idea of what automation companies do so it makes sense to allow them to experience each department.

“Even for sales, it requires a lot of engineering know-how so that they have technical knowledge when they meet customers.

“They are completely overwhelmed when they are being exposed to what automation companies are doing so this is our way of sharing career prospects with them by giving them industry exposure,” Lee said.

The work-based learning programme runs for one year in collaboration with Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) where the student’s final year will be completed in Beckhoff Automation Malaysia doing projects.

Headed by senior manager for operations Michelle Lim, the initiative is a highlight for the company having never launched a programme as such before, unlike their German counterparts.

“We have interns who come back to tell us they would like to join us when they are done so that is one way to build the future workforce,” Lim said.

As part of the visit, the MGCC team presented Beckhoff Automation Malaysia with a 10-year membership certificate to commemorate the incredible milestone along with our signature goodie bag that features beloved Malaysian and German treats.

This article marks the start of a special series for MGCC members who have been with us for 10, 20 and 30 years.