Flex has a diverse workforce of over 18,000 employees and is the largest hirer of people with disabilities in the local electronics industry.
Whenever industries undergo transformative changes, workers end up fearing that new technologies will render them replaceable or obsolete.
Such concerns have only grown with advancements in automation, robotics and generative artificial intelligence (AI) brought about by Industry 4.0 (I4.0).
But, the reverse is proving to be true. The technology that drives growth across various manufacturing sectors actually needs more technically-skilled workers, not fewer.
This is the case at Flex – an end-to-end manufacturing partner that helps market-leading brands design and build products.
The company employs over 140,000 people across 100 facilities in 30 countries.
In Malaysia, it has sites in Penang and Johor, in addition to a regional office in Selangor.
It is one of the largest employers in the country, with a diverse workforce of over 18,000 employees that include people with disabilities (PwDs).
At the helm is Flex’s chief operating officer Hooi Tan, a Johor-native whose three decades of experience affords him unique foresights.
Tan says that Flex’s investment in I4.0 will help the company obtain real-time information so operators can better manage factories.“This new era of manufacturing will provide ample opportunities for innovators and problem solvers.
“In particular, we’ll need more technically-skilled workers who can interpret and act on data-driven insights.
“They will need to have problem-solving skills to keep advanced machinery running smoothly, ensure quality of products and resolve issues quickly,” he said.
However, the biggest challenge is bridging the skills gap that exists between available workers and growing industry demand for skilled professionals.
This is crucial because digitisation has transformed how companies design, build and deliver products to customers, said Tan.
Digitisation, he explained, has influenced supply chains, manufacturing processes, integration of automation and robotics as well as the use of advanced simulation technologies.
The evolution has spurred growth in Malaysia’s tech sector.
This is especially so in the high-tech manufacturing areas of capital equipment, semiconductors, renewables, infrastructure and health solutions equipment.
A steady supply of talent is vital to sustain the momentum of this development.
“At Flex, we’ve been investing in the I4.0 transformation.
“It enhances efficiency, productivity, quality, safety for workers and decision making.
“This will result in standardisation of data and help us obtain real-time information so operators can better manage and monitor our factories,” he pointed out.
But all this would grind to a halt without human capital.
Tan said technical schools and colleges alone cannot be responsible for providing the number of skilled employees needed.
“To build and run the factories of the future, we need to proactively create opportunities for workers to develop skills and pursue fulfilling career pathways.
“At Flex, we do so by fostering a culture of inclusiveness, collaboration, purposeful execution and ongoing development.
“By giving our workforce meaningful opportunities for learning and growth, they’ll be better equipped to harness the advanced technologies of tomorrow,” he continued.
Tan cited the example of Flex’s Capability Acceleration Programme which trains employees around the world on a broad range of disciplines and skills related to I4.0.
Courses cover topics such as automation, simulation for future-stage modelling, extended reality and more.
These have benefitted over 9,000 personnel over the past three years.
Within Malaysia, the company also partners with 14 institutions such as Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to deliver upskilling programmes.
To date, over 2,000 employees have enhanced their credentials.
They include 54 with a master’s degree and 53 with a bachelor’s degree.
Tan’s own life story would serve as inspiration for anyone keen to forge a path in science, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM).
Born to an engineer father, he became well-acquainted with how things are built from an early age.
Though initially passionate about films after seeing Star Wars, he realised that the manufacturing and technology industries would offer lots of opportunities.
He went on to obtain an electrical engineering degree from Purdue University in Indiana, United States.
He then joined Solectron in 2000 as a test engineer at its site in Milpitas, California.
When Solectron was later acquired by Flex, Tan moved to sites in China in 2003.
Rising up the ranks, he became general manager of facilities at Suzhou, Nanjing and Shanghai.
In 2017, he moved to Singapore to lead Flex’s Asia Pacific operations.
In 2022, the company’s entire global operations came under his purview.
Today, he oversees global manufacturing, procurement, supply chain, IT, operational matters and quality control.
He aims to scale Flex’s manufacturing and drive quality, efficiency and productivity.
“Looking back, I would say one needs to have stamina, tenacity and the desire to learn for a successful career in manufacturing.
“Every quarter, the clock resets and you find yourself in a brand new race.”
And, while constant learning is key to success, he found that the views and contributions of different individuals were equally important.
This was why Tan ensured that diversity and inclusion were key pillars in Flex’s operations.
With its ranks comprising more than 280 PwDs, most with hearing impairment, the company is the largest employer of PwDs in the local electronics industry.
“We recognise that our strength comes from the dedication, talents and experiences of diverse employees.
“Beyond hiring PwDs, we also promote their development through on-the-job training programmes and in-house systems that ease transition into work responsibilities.
“For example, to diminish communication barriers, basic sign language classes are offered to all production supervisors, department admins and human resource business partners.
“We also put in place access to professional sign language interpreters,” Tan said.
Flex in Penang also set up its own learning and development centre where various programmes are conducted for PwD employees.
For instance, over 200 benefitted from USM’s Kanita initiative which trains PwDs on soft skills.
Such efforts saw Flex honoured by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry as a “PwD Friendly Employer” whose 1.4% PwD employment rate surpasses the government’s policy benchmark of 1%.
Malaysia’s TalentCorp also recognised Flex for providing a safe and equitable workplace for all employees irrespective of gender, ethnicity and ability.
“Specific to our sustainable and responsible practices, doing the right thing has always been one of our values at Flex.
“We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards,” Tan added.
The company is a founding member of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and works in compliance with its Code of Conduct to ensure that working conditions in the industry are safe and workers are treated with respect.
Meanwhile, Ethisphere also recognised Flex as a “World’s Most Ethical Company” for the second year in a row in 2024.
In Penang, six of its sites excelled in simultaneous RBA and ISO audits with zero non-conformities in areas of employee health and safety, ethics and supplier sustainability.
Tan also pointed out how Flex aims to improve the well-being of communities in which it operates.
Since 2019, it has contributed over RM1mil towards Penang STEM programmes, Penang Math Platform and Tech Dome Penang.
This benefitted over 20 schools and 25,500 students, teachers and working adults.
In July 2021, Flex opened its doors to the first batch of vaccine recipients at its H1 facility in Bukit Minyak, Penang, under the public-private Covid-19 Industry Immunisation Programme.
About 13,500 Flex employees and counterparts from 90 other nearby factories were vaccinated.
The facility continued as a community vaccination centre for a year.
Flex also won “Company of the Year” at the Sustainability and CSR Awards 2024 where it was recognised for Environmental, Social and Governance, and Corporate Social Responsibility.
Flex was also named an “All-Star Achiever” by the American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) in 2023.
