If I Was The Boss of Proton: An Unemployed Man's Craze

See I told you this issue will come out. I actually wrote the whole thing, then later split it into 2 issues to further increase readership in this lousy little blog. But if you're reading this, I thank you. 


Anyway let's get on with the rest of this mad man's senseless craze on having to take over a multinational company and reforming it. After discussing corporate structure and positioning the company, we now look at how we shall allocate and maximize the potential that is existing in the company, and where we shall go from there in order to grow and strengthen as a global corporation. 


Direction
Scrap the Campro. This VTEC-wannabe is not boding well for us, and it doesn't help that we just bought an expensive MIVEC technology. Switch over to MIVEC, and start using the 2 engine on all upcoming models. All except for the Saga, which will always need to be paired with a 1.3l engine. The Saga represents value, so this new 1.3l engine will need to be a whole lot more efficient than what it is now. Having less engine variants in the brand means being able to maximize cost-efficiency on replacement parts and maintenance. It also means it is easier to manage supply chain. We will also need to learn how to make these MIVEC engines, so we can ultimately make our very own engines and make them well.

Then there's the issue on transmission. The world is giving out 7-8 Speed auto boxes, and here we are still using 4 Speed ones built using technology from the Renaissance. May I also stress that the 4th Gear is actually an OverDrive. Then there's the thing with other generic technologies like Push Start and Pedal Shifts. They add tremendous value to our products and we need to ensure we are able to at least provide these basics.

Because we have Lotus (which if it was up to me, I would not sell anytime soon because we've barely even scratched the surface of what the Lotus can give us) we shall focus on handling and sportiness. Because we also have team S2000 we can leech off the experience and know-how of these people and make our cars more reliable under extreme conditions. We could also research turbos and use them on our models in the future. I know some of these things are already being done right now, and that just means the existing company is not all crap. So think of us making Malaysian versions of Mazda6s.

It is imperative that we have an identity, anything is better than nothing. And what's worst if we've been in the industry longer than Kia and Hyundai, and that we've been government-backed all these while.



Bread and Butter
Every product across all industries in the world have bread and butter ranges. Although we are always excited to design and engineer the most advanced technologies, we need to understand while the general public are as enthusiastic about it as you are they have limited resources and their criteria for choosing a good car includes boring things like Practicality and Safety and The Number of Seats. This is the one reason why cars like the Panamera and Rapide were born. Even super car makers need to make money.

I will make all my car models official so I do not have to get my staff to constantly come up with new car names, and that they may accidentally name a car Proton Syphilis. So the range will be:

Saga
Urban zippy little cars sell very well. The City and Vios immediately became favorites. I can't imagine why the Saga will not sell, not considering external forces at the moment.

Persona/Inspira
Personally I prefer the Persona, simply because it's not somebody else's design. What is worst that having a butt-ugly car? Having an Inspira. But we shall speak of this at a later time.
This range, provided it is carefully priced, will sell like hot-cakes. It's the single most balanced segment for the Malaysian and many other markets world-wide.

Perdana
Like all brands, we need a medium-sized luxury sedan, and frankly the Perdana has long outlived it's lifecycle. This segment is important as it creates a flagship for the brand. It is the model people will look to in absolute marvel, and then buy a Persona because it's a little out of their budget. Then they will imagine driving a Perdana while in their Personas. If you're a car enthusiast you will understand what I just said.

Satria and Putra
I will maintain the Satria, constantly building on it and improving it. The Satria is a very well-balanced car, and I believe it's capabilities are very well under appreciated. Also I will reintroduce the Putra, because what is a car brand without the coupe!
These 2 models will feature the most advanced in motorsport technology the brand is capable of. What use is an S2000 team when none of the expertise are being channeled to good use? These 2 models are the flagships of performance, the 2-doors many would have bought if it wasn't for their families.

Exora
Who would argue the practicality and versatility of an MPV ( it's so rhetorical I will just put a PERIOD at the end of this sentence). And also a MINI-MPV. Or better yet, maybe come up with a Hyundai Starek equivalent. Them, Alphard and VelleFire seem to be doing well in their little niche.

SUV
This is a must. But we will probably need to do some extensive research on this highly specialized segment before making yet another SUV that can only be used on roads (flashback X6).

All these models will only have a lifespan of maximum 6 years. All models, save the sports, will have only one face-lift on the 4th year. All models exceeding 6 year of age will have to be chopped immediately to make way for new ones. We need to first be seen as an innovative and refreshing brand to be able to compete in an innovative and refreshing industry.

Conclusion

Proton was initially a man's greed. But it has become an entity. It has become the ambassador of our nation. Proton has become a part of all our lives. It is the reliable cars that we usually like to own, but it is the problematic ones we usually have special relationships with. Proton has had numerous chances at glory which they failed miserably at grasping and making full use of, but this does not make it any less potent than other companies. If I ever become the boss of Proton all this will change. Because the pride of this nation is at stake, and I believe we will do everything we can to protect it.

Everything in discussion over the past 2 weeks are just an unemployed man's dreams, and none of them hold any truths. His intentions is to merely spark the thinking side of the readers' minds, and to remind himself he can still dream of the impossible.

If I Was The Boss of Proton: A Hypothetical Dream

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proton_(automobile)

Before I begin, I would first like to point out that today's post is hypothetical. I have absolutely no intentions to snub the great minds that have been shaping the greatest conglomerates in Malaysia, nor do I have any intentions to raise any issues that will anger certain families. In contrast, I have utmost respects for them. All I want is to dream. All I want is to imagine for one brief moment I am capable of running a Multi-National Company, a company that brings along with it to the whole world a summary of Malaysia's achievements. All I want is to close my eyes and imagine what would I do if I was the boss of Proton.

I was a proud owner of a Proton. My household owned a total of 3 Proton cars, and even though we have had to pain-stakingly deal with issues of power windows and Milo-tin bodies and parts that just come off whenever they feel like, most of us can agree that the up-to-300%-tax levied on imports ensured every household a chance at owning a national car, and having a sentimental story or two to share.

In this post I will not regard Proton as an automobile company because of my limited knowledge in the industry, rather a company in distress and in dire need of reformation. Here's a little insight on my plans:

The Structure

When a company is trying to survive for over 25 years, it's apparent that there is something wrong with its administration, the company structure. This is what we need to address foremost before anything else.

At the core of a successful organization is an efficient and effective system. Efficient that it does not contain any unnecessary parts that will only slow the company down. Effective that after strip-downs it will perform better than before. Think of it as a Cayman R and a stock Cayman. The R is more efficient and more effective than the stock. Because it has a little more here and a lot less there.

Then we believe that all these while Proton never had a Mission Objective and Motto besides 'Let it Be Known That Malaysia Make Cars!' set some 28 years ago. Ever since then it has always been 'Let's Not Die On Me Now!' Well we need to change that. We need a proper direction now, actually we needed one 15 years ago.

Car companies have a passion. Some thrive on their knowledge in performance, others on their practicality and reliability. Some work to optimize their fixed costs by using similar parts on almost all models, in order to reduce costs on maintenance while not compromising on performance.

You see performance and reliability is usually at both ends of one line, whereby you'd usually either have more of one or the other. The only way for space-age technology to become cheap is when production increases to a point where the fixed cost is insignificant. Brands like Peugeot and Volkswagen thrive on this ideology. They build an expensive to maintain technology, plant them on all of their upcoming models over the next 6 years, then build enough market in the world to compete with each other in terms of supply and demand, and ultimately bring the price down dramatically.

Toyota brags their method to maintain a lean organization is through efficient management, JIT. Honda gives you sports performance in even their most luxurious cars. Mazda sells you design art alongside flawless handling, allowing you to fully maximize all given horse powers.

So what will Proton be? We know we have Lotus DNA in all our cars. Heck we managed to make the Inspira handle way better than the fellas at Mitsubishi could. Okay that's just me in denial. Maybe they just kept their skills for the EVOs. We also have super crappy, VTEC-Wannabe Campros that tend to lose so much power over the years it will not be able to move before it hits 10 years old.Then there's the issue of us owning such an expensive blueprint: the latest Lancer. But let's not rant about the past, and focus on the future.

Positioning
The most vital part of knowing what to make is to know who to make it for, and to know who else makes them for these people, and to know who are the better ones at making them. Right now Proton is sadly at the Uber Crap range in all automobile Hall of Fame. We have to change this, by having a direction. 

1. Pricing
AFTA needs to be implemented, and this means there will no longer be any protection. We need to bring our car prices down further while dramatically increasing quality. The only way to do this is through Economies of Scale: for it to sell in all corners of the world to reduce fixed cost. Work with the most competitive suppliers to reduce marginal costs. Ultimately a Persona needs to be as good as a Kia Forte, at RM 25,000 a piece.

2. Find a Market
Competitors equal market. Market equal opportunity. We must place ourselves with a competitor. I say we try to cope with Kia and Hyundai. For starters everything will need to be competitive, from design to technology, from supply chain to pricing. We must be in all countries these companies are in. We must breathe down their necks and occasionally scare them with our wits.

3. Find a Mentor
All companies have some other company they've always wanted to be or beat. Proton needs one of that. Maybe we try assessing Mazda, but only in terms of company ideology. Mazda is one of the few companies still building cars out of passion and not just money. The idea here is to absorb from Mazda design and technology know-how, and their luxury.

4. Fix All Flaws
Before we move forward and compete with the giants, we first need to open up all the closets and remove all skeletons. This includes bucking up on quality control and eradicating the power windows problem. We also need to move our company out of the budget mindset and stop making cheap cars. We need to phase out all old models and not try to milk them until they dry up. Only after all these are cleared up can be actually begin to stand up and fight.

5. Originality
An ugly car is prettier than somebody else's car. Not only did Proton thrived off the old Lancer and Mirage designs, they now bought another Lancer. And this time they didn't even spend half a thought on redesigning it to look original. It is very embarrassing to see that even after so many years being in the industry one can't even come up with the most basic requirements of a car maker: an original car.

6. Safety Standards
From now on all Proton cars will have a 5-Star NCAP rating, along with basic equipment like the ABS, SRS, EBD, CVT and tC. These are the most basic a car maker can provide for its consumers, and we shall not deprive our consumers of them.

7. Stay Competitive
Give the people what everyone else is giving: at the moment pedal shifts, 6-speed boxes, efficient engines and luxury. Then stay competitive by at least matching everything in terms of technology and luxury with competitors.

7. No More Stupid Spending
Seriously like all companies, we have limited resources to work with. We should focus on more pressing matters and stop chasing after our personal goals. Spend wisely and in areas that actually need the money. Lotus is still a stupid buy, simply because Proton hasn't even tried to extract half of what Lotus is capable of.


Next round I will be discussing issues of company direction, laying out all available resources and planning the next move with them. Then we will also be looking into the finalized ranges Proton will be making, and how we can comfortably enter new market and immediately stay competitive. Don't worry, this time the next issue will most definitely be posted next week. It's already finished, and set it to post sometime next week. There won't be another failed mini series here.

Why Shouldn't We Use Plastic Bags?

Source:  http://dikelantan.com/2011/01/01/no-plastic-bags-on-saturday/

Everyone tells everyone not to use plastic bags and to bring their own totes while shopping. But to be honest many of us don't really know why, nor do we question this trendy inconvenience.

Here's why we'd better not be using too many plastic bags:

http://www.haileycityhall.org/HELP/PlasticBagFacts.pdf

So actually the problem is not just with us demanding for these plastic bags, but also how they are being handled after we dispose of them. And, would it be quite stupid that we do not accept plastic bags from supermarkets but then buy rubbish bags to store and dispose of household waste?

Maybe scientists can stop trying to discover the God Particle and find a way to convert energy using plastic bags to power a city. That way there will be good use for them after all.

Media Sabotage

Source: http://www.textually.org/ringtonia/archives/cat_radio_phones.htm

Why do radios always have something bad to say about Malaysians? Why is it that I always get complaints from the radios saying we Malaysians are not considerate, rude on the roads, uneducated, over educated, and so on? If everything we do is so wrong, then what constitutes as a good Malaysian?

Here are few of the things I hear over and over again regarding the problems we as Malaysians are to ourselves and others. And my points turn to possible reasons as to why we behave as such

We are bad drivers. 
I love how this topic will send your else-placid mind into a sudden frenzy. Every day we encounter the most unusual of drivers, like nobody is more educated and more civilized than you, and nobody knows decent common sense like you do. And what happens next? You do the exact same because 'since everyone else are doing it why can't I?' 


Here are some reasons why we have so many bad and rude drivers in town. Rude drivers actually hate driving. They dread the moments when they have to drive to and from work every day, but they do it because they're not given options. Once they get on board, they want to get home as soon as possible. That is why they appear rude. Fact is, they're more often in a panic because they only see chaos in traffic congestions and that makes them very uneasy. Do they have a choice of taking the public transportation (kindly refer to my previous post titled Rapid Decline)? 


Other reasons include extremely irritating weather, bad traffic and trees that love to grow right in front of road signs. 


Malaysian Standard Timing?
Most of the events that require attendance on time must be done at 7:30pm for some reason, in the middle of rush hour. How do you expect someone to leave office at 6, go home, look good for your event and reach on time?


Then there's a problem with two traffic lights that can never synchronize with each other, making it impossible to traverse a road with 8 lights without stopping at all 8 lights. And also highways that are always built in Ring formats (eg: Outter Ring Road, Middle Ring Road, Inner Ring Road, KESAS, LDP) which means people will have to make big circles around so many townships when traveling. 


What is worst, when you define this constant lateness so officially you allow everyone to think that it is okay to be late all the time. Standard mah! 


Double Parking
Most developments are supposed to have a balanced ratio between number of shops/houses and number of parking lots. Developers see shops/houses as money and parking lots as waste of money. So they negligently under-provide parking, which will also increase its value when they wanna sell out the parking facilities since lack of supply increases demand and therefore price to attain this commodity. Then we have the crappiest of public transport system in the known world.


Some of you guys can wait until the traffic is not so bad to do your shopping and banking. For the rest of us, we don't get much choice, so we double park. 


Our Bad Ethics?
Seriously, have you been To China? India? Indonesia? What kind of bad ethics do we have that even the 'civilized and supreme' whites don't? We drive in the emergency lane and get it clogged up which ultimately prevents Ambulances from reaching the people who are causing the traffic jam in the first place? It happens in the most 'white' of places too.


I am not being racist here, but we have to stop worshiping the westerners and think they will not steal, kill, rob, rape, litter, spit in public and drive like complete assholes, because they do! In fact they do them more professionally than most of us. 


Know Our Festivals?
I am Chinese, suppose to be a Buddhist, and I don't even know how many birthdays Guan Yin has in a year. Seriously, not knowing about festivals celebrated by other ethnic people does not make us any less Malaysian. If you like to play the Blame Game, point fingers to the education system. I believe it is crucial that all of these should be properly taught in schools, if you think it more important than Hang Tuah Lima Sekawan.  


And if you haven't noticed, we have a tonne too many holidays a year. I say this because I think holidays are detrimental to the efficiency of the economy, and our economy runs at snail speed mostly. There is a history behind Hari Gawai and Wesak Day and I bet a lot of us have forgotten, if we were ever even educated in them. And do you know Deepavali is not the Tamil New Year? 


And in case you don't know, there are 16 festivals that Malaysians celebrate nationally. I can't even remember 16 phone numbers in my Contacts list. 



Only Talk About Food?  
Why can't we talk about other things? Why must we introduce ourselves as the Food People? Why can't we talk about beaches and mountains and Proton Colliders (not associated to the car maker whatsoever) and Derivatives of DYs and DXs? Of movements of the tectonic plates, and bonds and swaps and futures? I don't remember ever saying Hi to a friend and asking if he/she has eaten, unless I was hungry and wanted company.  



 Snobbish Society
Why don't we help others in need? Why don't we stop at the side of the roads and help a fellow Malaysian in need of a tyre change? Why don't we talk to each other when waiting in line in banks? Why do some of us older Malaysian try to cut queue whenever possible in banks? 


Because most of the time the people in need are out to scam and rob us out of desperation, we have too much worry in our heads and have no mood to engage in conversations with strangers, and most banks don't have special lanes for Senior Citizens despite advertisements. 


Are we all also racist?
As far as I know racism in this country has always been sparked by certain people to keep the people fighting with each other while they get what they want: power and money. We are beyond tolerance; we celebrate each other's festivals, adopt children of different ethnicity, work in multi-ethnic companies, and respect each other's beliefs very well. No problems.  



What actually makes us Malaysians?

Color? Race? Religion?


Or the fact that we are all born in the same country, speak the same rojak language, and eat various versions of food we don't remember its origin? Who else in the world would know what Gostan meant? Can't we be Malaysian and have annoying fake Australian accents? Can't we be Malaysian and not know how to be early for appointments?  


  We are a globalised society, and our involvement in the world can not be underestimated. I would really appreciate that radio stations, in their feeble attempt to promote this mythical creature known as 1Malaysia, at least associate us with a little more pride. The world can tune in to our radio stations. Remember that when you insult and embarrass your fellow country-people.


By judging ourselves so quickly and negatively, we show the world we are a very shallow society and we have too much hate for each other. Let this end shall we.

The Failure

Many of us spend our lives trying to keep up with expectations. Expectations set by ourselves, and expectations given to us by those around. With expectations come failure. These are my list of failures for as long as I can remember.

I failed to cause complications during birth. The labor took so long the doctor had to have me pulled out with a clamp to the head.

I failed to keep from crying out loud in restaurants and during my first flight. I know I was very young back then, but some babies don't seem to have problem keeping their mouth shut.

I failed to look at my first day at the kindergarten with positivity, unlike my brother. It says a lot about a person, I was told. And I was constantly reminded of this and many other shortcomings compared to my brother.

I failed to finish my food at the same pace as the rest of the world. There is a set time one is require to finish all his food, and this cannot be changed.

I failed to be able to understand Math and recite the multiplication tables without pausing every now and then.

I failed to be able to talk efforlessly like everyone else.

I failed to come home with straight As on my report card. Keeping it all blue was itself a giant task.

I failed to find myself useful in any form of sports, like every physically active son would. I couldn't run, I couldn't jump, I couldn't handle the handball. I couldn't even hop in a sack.

I failed to take criticism well. I constantly review everything I did, and told myself to never repeat again when I did something wrong. And I would be pretty hard on myself. So when other people told me the same thing, I had problem handling the stress.

I failed to keep a cool head at all times. I tend to overreact to situations, good or bad. I'd then find those reactions very very embarrasing.

I failed to lead and inspire anyone.

I failed to find the correct group of friends who'd stay in libraries and study, and talk about Sengir Vampires and why Neutrons don't have to pay for their drinks in bars.

I failed to start smoking, I failed to not teach people how to smoke, I failed to stop my brother from smoking.

I failed to keep the family in one piece. I failed to keep the both of them from constantly fighting and throwing chairs and fists at each other. I failed to step up and yell at the both of them when I could.

I failed to live up to my family's tradition. I can't read and write, and I can't speak the two most important dialects of my ancestors. Those that I can speak are 'pasar' standard.

I failed to remember all the fishing knots and practices. I failed to remember how to unhook fishes. I failed to remember how to be safe when fishing. Even after years of fishing, I failed at everything.

I failed at not losing anything. My house keys, my dad's watch, my house keys, my handphone, pens, pencils, bags, books.

I failed at not crashing anything into everything. My bike into a motorcycle, an SUV along the side of a car, and a car onto a column.

I failed at getting even the most decent set of scores in my exams.

I failed to choose the area in which I wanted to advance my studies. I failed to not waste their savings on my stupidity.

I failed to get a decent self-respecting job that would've paid me good and given me handsome benefits. I failed to understand the importance of being with majority.

I failed to have a decent relationship with any woman without everything falling apart after only months. Every time.

I will fail to give my parents grand children. Partly because there are too many skeletons all around, and I think it's best to have them buried with me.

I will fail to accept critisicm properly because I will always be very hard on myself for fucking things up again and again.

I will fail to succeed in life because I don't always follow through with my plans.

I will fail to understand unconditional love because I don't believe it exists.

I will fail to accept God because there hasn't been anything Godly in this world as far as I know.

I will fail to understand the sanctity of humanity because I think humans are the most barbaric and uncivilized of all races living on Earth.

I will fail to make anyone proud because that would make me hate myself.

I will fail to be the model person who has absolutely no credit card and car loan debts overdue by the months.

I will fail to get a decent self-respecting job that will pay me for doing just what I should.

I will fail to settle.

I will fail to be smart and experienced, because before I become smart enough in an area I move on to something else I'm completely idiot in.

I will fail to live until the age of 75 with 3 kids and 9 grand kids and a loving wife and a big bungalow with a big land and 3 dogs running around the green lawn.

So far I can say I haven't succeeded in anything expected of me. Yes I got into drugs and street gangs too. I stole. But no killings and rapings and robbings. That's not enough for the society. They expect model samaritans with a constant smile on the face and a perfect hair cut. They want ties and suits, they want absolute conformity.

I will fail at that too, conforming for the sake of conforming.