2009 Annual Report - ChartNexus

Operations Review
Engineering Services
The cornerstone of any successful automotive company
ultimately rests in the company’s engineering prowess.
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It is the foundation that drives product development and innovation which are integral to
enabling an automaker to not only survive but to thrive in this ever-challenging operating
environment.
Based on this premise, PROTON has remained committed towards advancing its engineering
capabilities during the year under review. This was achieved via a steadfastness to
pushing the envelope in developing new models and refreshing existing products, while
continuously making progressive headway in research and development (R&D) as well as
technical aptitude.
Knowing Our Markets
While PROTON continued efforts to shorten its learning curve on the engineering front,
we were also mindful of keeping our customers’ needs in mind as we invested our energies
in strengthening the Company’s engineering capacity. But no matter how good our
engineering abilities, PROTON cannot develop a successful product without understanding
our end-users.
As such, throughout the past year, the Group deployed several teams of R&D engineers
and technicians to key export markets, namely the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia
and China. The mission was to garner as much end-user details as possible including driving
habits, road and weather conditions, as well as the needs and preferences of the individual
markets.