PETALING JAYA: Tile manufacturer Guocera Sdn Bhd is accelerating its digital transformation to close long-standing operational gaps and position itself for a more data-driven, globally competitive future, as Malaysia’s manufacturing sector leans into Industry 4.0.
In an exclusive interview with SunBiz, managing director Sally Cheng said the group’s decision to overhaul legacy systems was driven by mounting inefficiencies that began to weigh on speed, visibility and customer responsiveness across its operations.
“Transformation was no longer optional,” she said, pointing to heavy reliance on paper-based workflows, fragmented customer records and knowledge gaps that surfaced when staff transitioned roles.
These structural issues, she added, limited real-time visibility across departments and slowed decision-making, a disadvantage in an increasingly fast-moving global market where customers expect seamless service and rapid turnaround.
Before its digital shift, Guocera’s sales and operational teams worked largely in silos, creating friction that directly impacted performance. Customer data was dispersed across different teams, including commercial, technical and design units, often resulting in duplicated efforts and inconsistent communication.
“At times, teams were referencing different data sets, which affected follow-ups and slowed response times,” Cheng said.
The absence of a unified pipeline view also made it difficult to track deal progression or identify bottlenecks early, leading to stalled opportunities without clear ownership. At the leadership level, reporting remained manual and time-consuming, forcing management to rely on retrospective data rather than real-time insights.
To address these challenges, Guocera implemented Zoho CRM as a centralised platform to integrate its commercial and operational functions.
The results, according to Cheng, have been immediate and measurable.
“We now have a single source of truth,” she said. “Data accuracy has improved significantly, and reports that previously took days can now be generated in real time.”
She noted that order processing cycles and inventory management have also become faster and more precise, while collaboration across domestic and international sales teams, as well as technical units, has improved markedly.
By consolidating workflows into one system, Guocera has reduced duplication and minimised errors, allowing employees to focus on higher-value tasks. The enhanced pipeline visibility has also enabled management to take a more proactive approach in decision-making.
The transformation comes as Malaysia’s manufacturing sector gains momentum, supported by a broader push towards smart factories, automation and integrated data systems.
Cheng said Guocera’s digitalisation strategy is closely aligned with this national shift. “As the industry embraces automation and intelligent systems, we recognised that digitalising our commercial and operational processes was equally critical.”
For Guocera, which exports to more than 50 countries across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas, the move is not just about keeping pace locally but sustaining competitiveness on a global scale.
“Customers today expect speed, accuracy and a seamless experience. Digitalisation enables us to deliver on those expectations while improving agility internally,” she said.
However, Cheng acknowledged that digital transformation is not without its challenges, particularly for legacy manufacturers with decades-old processes.
“Internal adoption is one of the biggest hurdles,” she said, noting that resistance to change is common when teams are accustomed to established ways of working.
Guocera addressed this by adopting a phased approach, starting with basic features before gradually expanding usage. This allowed employees to build confidence while experiencing tangible benefits in their daily workflows.
The company also leveraged Zoho’s low-code capabilities to develop customised applications tailored to evolving business needs, ensuring flexibility as market demands shift.
Support from implementation partner Binary Nexus further smoothed the transition, Cheng said, providing technical guidance and ensuring the system was effectively integrated.
Looking ahead, Guocera sees digitalisation as a long-term business strategy rather than a one-off upgrade.
“The key lesson is that transformation should not be viewed as an IT project alone,” Cheng said. “It is about unlocking visibility, efficiency and agility across the entire organisation.”
She added that with the right platform and partners, the transition is more manageable than many traditional manufacturers assume.
