07/09/09

Pro-Pack Materials had grown from one-man operation to a leader in clean room and electrostatic products with 13 offices around Asia. But Pro-Pack Materials has designs on so much more.

At the beginning of 2009, it faced challenges brought on by the economic slowdown and the shrinking manufacturing base in Singapore. " We were looking for a way to capture a bigger share of the market we were in," says Marketing Director, Ms Angeline Koh.' That was before we turned to Design Engage and reaslised we could do so much better than that!"

Attending a workshop to learn more about the Design Engage Programme, Ms Koh saw the potenital behind strategic design thinking - a term that was new to her. She signed up for the programme, thinking it could help the company to sort through the limitations of its existing product range and identify new opportunites for growth. What she got out of the programme was much more than expected.

"It was an introduction to an entirely new way of doing business for us," Ms Koh explains of the insights learnt. Working with Deign Facilitator for the Design Engage Programme, Ms Koh analysed her business through new eyes, asking questions she had never thought of before. The result? The development of a business growth plan that pinpointed strategic area to work on, an attractive new market to sell to, as well as the capabilities that need to be put in place to get the company going.

Real action was not far behind. In August, Pro-Pack Materials set up PPM Medical to distribute "Multigate", An Australian Brand of IV tubings and medical devices, in Singapore. " This is a very exciting move for us," explains Ms Koh. " We see this as a major growth industry. For us, we are moving beyond our traditional markets, and we are employing a whole new team of people with completely different skill sets and network contacts."

For a better understanding of the needs of its customers, Pro-Pack has also designed new services that complement existing ones. "We used to be very product-oriented but now we introduce value-added solutions to our customers. For example, we manage the supply of clean room materials in the new system called " Total Integrated Solution (TIS)", Providing one-stop solution for their logistics, Warehouse and administrative needs. We also used to just supply Jumpsuits for clean room environment, but now we launder and manage the supply on behalf of our clients too," Says Ms Koh.

It's hard to imagine that all this started only in April. In that short time, Pro-Pack has turned around it business, inrtoduced new services, expanded into new markets and set up a new medical arm. All as a result of changing its perpective through design methodologies - from designing product-based solutions to designing new solutions for all areas of the business.

"Pro-Pack Materials has been very fortunate to have a forward looking management team. Our Managing Director, Mr Tony See had supported the changes implemented through Design Engage, giving new vision to the company and allowing me to see the business in a whole new light," says Ms Koh. Her staff were also involved in the entire changes process. "More than ever, I realised that our people are our most valuable assets and we need their wholehearted input to implement changes in the company. We asked for their ideas and loved what we got back! It's a lot of work, but by employing design thinking, we will get there."