As part of its efforts to strengthen after-sales services in East Malaysia, Proton announced in November last year the launch of a new Regional Parts Center (RPC) in Kuching, Sarawak. According to the automaker, the brand new facility can reduce lead times for parts deliveries by at least 30%.
Located in the Bintawa Industrial Estate, RPC covers approximately 28,000 square feet and can receive up to six containers of parts on site at once, currently processing an average of 17 containers per month, including direct shipments from overseas. As a result, Proton said RPC is making the most of its ability to store up to three months of inventory.
“As customer demand has increased over the past four years, Proton’s previous warehouse facility in East Malaysia was overstocked with parts and operating inefficiently due to space constraints. The new regional parts center in Kuching is three times larger than its predecessor, and should the need arise, It will serve as a parts distribution center for aftermarket parts and assemblies in Sarawak and Sabah,” said Proton deputy chief executive officer Rosslan Abdullah.
“The added space also allows Proton to increase deliveries by 50% from 3,000 orders per month to 4,500 orders per month, with a maximum capacity of 6,000 orders per month if required. This allows us to achieve more parts throughput volume, and as of today, we are rapidly clearing our dealer and customer backlogs,” he added.
In the same press release, Proton said vehicle sales in East Malaysia will account for 15% of the company’s total sales in 2022. Contributing to this growth is the market share also increasing from 10% in 2018 to 20% in 2022 with the launch of the X70.
The Saga’s popularity has also helped Proton gain a foothold in East Malaysia, as it was the best-selling model there last year with 10,242 units sold. It was followed by the X50 with 4,181 units and the Persona with 2,605 units.
“Proton sold 7,697 units in East Malaysia in 2018, but sold a total of 19,844 units last year, which equates to a 158% increase in sales. Achieving higher volumes,” comments Roslan.
“Customer satisfaction remains our goal and we know that Proton still has work to do to improve our after sales service. Every positive step we take brings us closer to our goal and we remain committed to delivering high quality products and the same A high level of after-sales support,” he concluded.