Don't be a problem causer
Lite-On became a global company early on, opening a factory in Tianjin, China, 18 years ago, followed by others in Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, and then starting branches in Europe and North America; nevertheless, its nerve center has always stayed in Taiwan. In 2003, Lite-On opened its new world headquarters in Taipei's Neihu Technology Park. The 23-story building, resembling a pair of clasped hands pointing heavenward, is the company's global center for business, R&D, information and finance.
Already there's a clear outline for the future of Lite-On's global structure: manufacturing will take place mainly in China, with Mexico and Thailand as secondary bases. Marketing, after-sales service and data collection will be handled mostly in Europe and the US. The investment in Mexico will be in preparation for entering the North American market, while Thailand will supply the European market. Moreover, Lite-On opened a factory and a branch office in the Czech Republic to get ready to enter the emerging markets of Eastern Europe.
Following the fast pace of reengineering and the rapid expansion of the company's business scope, Lite-On's upper management is faced with daunting tasks. From the placards on their desks- "Are you here with the solution or are you part of the problem?"-you can see the expectations that Lite-On places on them.
Soong recalls that after Lite-On's four-company merger, managers often asked him, "Where shall we set up a new plant?" Soong would always reply, "You're the ones who should be answering this question." After taking on the heavy responsibility of heading the Lite-On Group, he had the placards specially made for his employees. It's his conviction that employees not only create value for the company, but also create value for themselves.
Soong has another expectation for Lite-On: to become the first OIM (original idea manufacturer) company.
"Although Lite-On doesn't have a private brand, the company doesn't fall short when providing customers with good ideas. For example, Lexmark's three-in-one multifunction printer was Lite-On's idea," says Su. Within the company there are two channels for career advancement: one for the professional managers dashing around in the field, and the other for the R&D personnel who quietly immerse themselves in their work. In the industry pyramid, R&D and management are at the top in terms of value, and as such are irreplaceable.
(right) Finger Amusement, winner of the silver prize in the 2007 Lite-On Innovation Awards, changes the method of operating of a computer mouse. The user doesn't need to move the mouse around; instead, the pointer is moved by a finger sensor for greater ease and efficiency.