Powering growth - Aztech Group Ltd - Investor Relations

14a z t e c h a n n u a l r e p o r t 2 0 0 9o p e r a t i o n s r e v i e wRobotic arms at the plastic injection facility in Dong Guan, ChinaHeat exchange system to provide hot water for the dormitoriesOther ongoing research efforts include the design of cost competitiveproducts for broadband communication and home networking devices andthe incorporation of GREEN feature into our products. We have successfullyincreased the communication speed of our home networking devicesto 1Gbps. We have also explored the use of power efficient electroniccomponent and eco-friendly material, as well as the reduction of powerconsumption when the product is not in use.Improving on Current ProcessesWith the objective of increasing productivity and improving quality, Aztechinstalled robotic arms at the plastic injection facility in Dong Guan, China.This effectively enabled the automatic removal of parts from the machineat a set parameter, giving consistent output as compared to manualremoval by operator.In line with Aztech Green Movement, we have installed a heat exchangesystem to provide hot water for the dormitories instead of burning dieselfor water heating. This is both cost effective and environmentally friendly.China to ensure the teams are focused in their respective core competencyand no duplication of work is carried out. The R&D has also been mandatedto give priority and invest the resources on design and/or developmenttasks where the sales interest from prospective customers was high and forsecured orders. These moves are targeted to improve R&D’s efficiency andinput in the long run.ManpowerIn addition, we strived to keep the staff turnover low so that correspondingtraining costs could be kept to a minimal. To address the issue, we workedto improve the factory workers’ welfare by organising monthly birthdayparties, providing more recreational activities and installing a hot watersystem in their dormitories.Moving ForwardAlthough the economy looks to be on the recovery path, we will continue ourstrategic efforts in the various areas. In addition, we actively seek to bringabout greater product breakthroughs and innovations to power growth.Streamlining Operating CostsAs part of the effort to counter the slowdown in economy, we kept themanpower lean and stayed very focus on our objectives. For instance,R&D activities were streamlined in our R&D centres in Singapore and