Proton CEO Li Chunrong leading weekly ‘war room’ meetings to solve spare parts shortage problem

Proton CEO Li Chunrong leading weekly ‘war room’ meetings to solve spare parts shortage problem

Proton has experienced strong growth over the past few years; that’s a fact. Proton is experiencing some growing pains at the after-sales side, where lack of parts for accident repairs and scheduled servicing have caused unhappiness among customers. That’s also a fact, and a fact that the carmaker has acknowledged.

Acknowledging and taking stock of the issues at hand is the most crucial first step in solving a problem, and Proton is well aware of its after-sales woes, which if not checked might chip away at sales (not happening yet, bookings are still strong) and cause permanent damage to its reputation.

This seriousness was highlighted by Proton deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah when paultan.org met him last week for a chat about the carmaker’s after-sales problems. It’s no secret that sales growth has been the main focus of Proton and its CEO Li Chunrong, but the chief, which the company refers to as Dr. Li, is now personally leading the after-sales battle with a ‘war room’.

Proton CEO Li Chunrong leading weekly ‘war room’ meetings to solve spare parts shortage problem

“We take it seriously on finding what’s the root cause, what makes these customers unhappy, and what makes the customers not get the parts on time,” said Roslan, who is also the Proton Edar chief.

“We take it seriously, not just at the level of operations, but including myself as well as Dr. Li. Currently Dr. Li actually chairs a meeting on a weekly basis, what we call a war room. We spend in a week minimum five hours just for after-sales. Last week, I think we spent almost 10 hours just on after-sales,” he revealed.

These ‘war room’ meetings have been happening since January 17. “Not just involving after-sales alone, but involving all areas, even procurement, quality and manufacturing, not just (those areas) under Proton Edar. Just to ensure the vendors deliver the parts, and the parts from Geely come on time,” Roslan said.

Proton CEO Li Chunrong leading weekly ‘war room’ meetings to solve spare parts shortage problem

That’s a lot of time spent on one issue for individuals tasked to run a carmaker. What goes on in the war room? Roslan said that firefighting takes up a fair bit of time. That means managing the complaints that they receive and what they read on social media. Beyond that, Proton is putting in place long-term plans to ensure that the parts shortage problem is resolved.

He said the company is targeting to have adequate stock of fast moving parts by the end of June. “What we define by adequate stock is three months of stock at the dealership, three months stock at our warehouse and certain amount of months stock at our vendors,” he said.

Earlier this month, Proton officially announced that it has implemented a mandatory requirement where all dealers are required to have at least three months holding stock of 22 fast moving parts. This first step also extends to the carmaker’s central parts centre. With this requirement in place, it is hoped that waiting times for customers will be reduced.

These are excerpts from a long chat we had with Roslan to get to the bottom of Proton’s parts shortage issue. A more detailed story will be coming soon.

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • AI-generated Summary ✨

    Comments express frustration over Proton's ongoing spare parts shortages and delays in vehicle deliveries, highlighting the effectiveness of the recent 'war room' meetings led by CEO Li Chunrong as a positive effort to address these issues. Many feel that despite these meetings, solutions are slow or ineffective, criticizing management and after-sales service quality. Some comments acknowledge global supply chain disruptions affecting Proton, noting that other automakers face similar problems. Overall, there is a mixture of skepticism and cautious optimism, with some appreciating the CEO's proactive approach, while others remain doubtful about the company's ability to resolve longstanding problems efficiently. The sentiment suggests that the strategy of holding meetings is recognized but not yet translating into tangible results for customers.

  • Mau berak baru korek lobang. What else is new ?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 36 Thumb down 12
    • Darren on Mar 25, 2022 at 12:03 pm

      LOL! Dr Li & Mr Roslan has achieved so much more accolades than any of the keyboard CEOs here. The aftersales & parts shortage crunch is just a result of their overachievement to bring proton up again but too many of their suppliers could not keep up the demand, could be bad planning or forecast, could be spike in omicron cases here, could be from pandemic lockdowns in China, could be the part shortages around the world. Whichever the case, it is indicative that proton is coming back up.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 42 Thumb down 13
  • Welcome back on Mar 24, 2022 at 7:19 pm

    Finally, after two years, proton have stepped up resolving chip problems. Awesome proton

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 13
    • stranger on Mar 25, 2022 at 11:59 am

      Will take another 2 years to have proposal how to solve. plus 2 years to plan for implementation. Then only can start solving. First X70 buyer must have sold their car already.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 10
      • X70 Buyer on Mar 25, 2022 at 2:20 pm

        According to Hafriz latest video, he still has his car buddy.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 2
  • Malaysian culture. Meeting meeting meeting. Problem still nit solved. Can you imagine meeting for 10 hours since January till now? Still not solved.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 26 Thumb down 8
  • Lulla singh on Mar 24, 2022 at 7:33 pm

    Ceo even knows v well inside story of y parts prblm that’s y he have room meetings where by he could yell n curse at maximum,of stupidities of staff due to which this prblm arise

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 2
  • ROTI CANAI on Mar 24, 2022 at 7:43 pm

    war room, cos we all know the old proton management leftover are hopeless and he needs to deal with those prima donnas

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 26 Thumb down 5
    • DonkeyKong on Mar 25, 2022 at 9:17 am

      The CEO is no better. Only focusing on sales volume. Don’t care about QC, customer satisfaction and SC performance until the crap has hit the fan all over social media. Just ask any Proton insider and they’ll tell you…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 27 Thumb down 6
      • When you are employed to do sales, do you look into services instead? The CEO’s only task was to turn the company from red to black. Without increasing sales, there is no point in improving services.

        Proton has many crony suppliers in their chain of supplies. It takes time to whip them into shape, or get replaced. Of course, people like you think you can do a better job like many keyboard warriors.

        Solving problems needs to be done step by step. Trying to solve multiple things at the same time is why, many had failed. Time for you to attend management course, like all the previous politically appointed CEO.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 35 Thumb down 7
      • Bob_B78 on Mar 25, 2022 at 12:35 pm

        At least the new CEO is doing something. Previously meeting rooms are teh tarik rooms

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 27 Thumb down 1
      • DonkeyKong on Mar 25, 2022 at 3:56 pm

        LOL management course ka! Hello you’re just qualified to sell karipap la. Focusing on sales without focusing on delivery and customer retention = good CEO habit? Focusing only on obtaining new customers without focusing on churn = good CEO habit? Go and work at director level at MNCs before you tokkok about taking management course…

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
  • Imelda Marcos Rosmah on Mar 24, 2022 at 8:53 pm

    If Dr.Li has to have war room meeting on after sales service,there is something seriously wrong with the DRB dudes.
    That China man works 12 hours six day a week.
    His work ethics is on par with the Japanese.
    I wonder what the local DRB kapitans are doing.
    Imagine your boss got to chair meetings on tasks already delegated to his subordinates.
    Can you imagine PM Sabri chairing meetings on the education ministry shortcomings like shortage of teachers etc.
    Just doesnt add up.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 40 Thumb down 7
  • I ordered my standard x70 in Dec 2021..and was told today I m not getting it as Proton has stop the std and premium x production line.. I was told to change the variant. Is this fair for a customer who waited 4 months? Booking is made and should be honored!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 4
    • Mr. Sotong on Mar 25, 2022 at 9:54 am

      Then obviously you did not read the fine line in the purchase that you signed. They reserve the right to change specifications, prices etc… If you don’t agree you can always call of the deal.

      Cars are not something you purchase off the shelves and expect it to be 100% of what you want. Situation changes and the pandemic has caused much chaos so we have to accept what it is and just move on.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 25 Thumb down 24
  • Muhammad Najmi on Mar 24, 2022 at 10:00 pm

    At least you guys are serious about this and hopefully you guys working hard for it ! Come on Proton be better than before !, hope for the best

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 8
  • Tahir Mahmood on Mar 24, 2022 at 10:36 pm

    Dear Mr CEO
    I hope you will also discuss the on going issues of delay in delivery of Proton X 70 in Pakistan, your local partner started booking of vehicles in December 2020 with promise of delivery of Vehicle in August 2021 onward but not a single CKD unit has been delivered so far but has revised prices with exorbitant unjustified increase without any definite delivery dates. Protests across pakistan from customers are going on and customers are also planning to go court to get relief. Proton was taken as gift from Malaysian PM and well received by prospective customers but the brand has disappointed the customers and resulting into bad name for the company. Kindly also look into this plight of Pakistani Customers.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 1
    • Ajibkor on Mar 25, 2022 at 5:04 pm

      Aiyahyah…Go buy nuclear powered cars from Putin.Malaysia let u syioksyiok for a moment.At home ,spare parts like bumpers also no stock,u want a SUV without front n rear bumpers?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • DonkeyKong on Mar 24, 2022 at 10:39 pm

    Semua wayang sajalah. They don’t even bother collecting any customer satisfaction data from any of their customers. To them, right after a car is sold, “not my problem anymore, buddy. Sales figure is all that matters”. So.. I doubt this guy is working hard at all.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 22 Thumb down 8
    • Unknown on Mar 25, 2022 at 4:34 pm

      Dude, collecting customer survey is JD Power job. Oops! They have left the region after many question their skewered reportings. Best survey is from FB and many are happy for their cars.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • Newme on Mar 24, 2022 at 10:40 pm

    Wow… took you long enough to admit parts problem. Stop sending minions to deny the problem.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 2
  • helmi on Mar 24, 2022 at 10:56 pm

    Booked Proton X50 Executive since October last year. Until today still haven’t received it. My SA said maybe have to wait until mid April or so and he also not sure. That means waiting time is more than six month. Really frustrated with Proton for this uncertainty.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 1
  • Aura89 on Mar 25, 2022 at 12:37 am

    Honestly this is not just a Proton thing, it’s not even a Malaysian thing but a global issue with many or perhaps nearly all carmakers everywhere today facing parts shortages due to Corona & now Russia-Ukraine war.

    Some brands have known to reduced the specs of newly sold cars or even making deliveries with some features & parts missing which they will fit in at a later date.

    So it is a big deal for Proton to admit such and opened themselves to the media on their course of actions to mitigate this global phenomena. It is a strange world we live in today but everyone is struggling, big or small. Global giants Toyota & VW are not spared either so only time will tell when things will get better.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 25 Thumb down 5
  • Firdaus on Mar 25, 2022 at 7:27 am

    Proton Need to Upgrade after Sales Service… U need to become a customer.. visit your own sc and u will khow your problem proton.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 1
  • I can relate to this in my recent experience. I was in the market for a new car. To cut the story short after reviewing the ownership cost and test driving all the cars in the same category, I narrowed my choices down to Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8V and Proton X50 1.5T Flagship.

    I went online and read all the reviews about both cars. Yes! There’s plenty of mentions about spare parts problem. I also have a relative who can vouch for this. She had her car parked in Proton service centre for weeks because of the lack of spare parts.

    Of course, Corolla Cross can’t beat the X50 for looks. But when it comes to reliability Toyota is way ahead. I drive a 10-year-old Toyota Fortuner long distance every week. I only had once breakdown up till now. I only send it for service in Toyota service centre. Of course, full service record helps the technicians in service decisions too. They just know what part to change due to it’s life cycle. But that is not the case with another family member who drives a 7-year-old Peugeot.

    Why not the new Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, if you ask? No doubt, there’s an 8-year warranty on the batteries, but I’ve discovered in the reviews about Toyota users having to fork-out extra for the inverters, regenerative braking and other hybrid component parts which are not covered. This extra cost incurred erases the savings you get from the fuel consumption.

    But in all honesty, all cars do have problems, but in my experience, Toyota gives less of a headache. For most people, they only want peace of mind.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 21 Thumb down 4
    • Mr. Sotong on Mar 25, 2022 at 10:01 am

      The 8 years warranty does cover batteries, inverters and other hybrid components. Don’t always believe what you read on the internet.

      https://toyota.com.my/aftersales-services/warranty

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 1
    • Unknown on Mar 25, 2022 at 10:13 am

      Good luck waiting for your Corolla Cross, that has a 6 mth waiting list as of today. You probably get an X50 sooner.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 17
      • Corolla Cross waiting list will be cutting down soon

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 0
      • biarBetul on Mar 25, 2022 at 4:25 pm

        Seriously, its a global shortage. Not just proton. Now logistic pun banyak backlog. Lets see if proton will deliver faster than toyota or European car brands or not. I think Proton will solve their problems faster.
        Be patience la. Global crisis now. Malaysia kira doing well already.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • At least u can still be upgraded one step up to Executive to get the car rather than one step down to nowhere. Plus the freedom to cancel for full refund if u cannot wait.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Sembang on Mar 25, 2022 at 8:04 am

    Malaysian mmg suka meeting lama without any solution

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 2
  • Sembang

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 0
  • Pritchard Paul on Mar 25, 2022 at 8:53 am

    I am really proud of the management’s commitment

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 7
  • newme on Mar 25, 2022 at 9:01 am

    War room apa? The only different is they replace karipap and kuih koci with yau char kueh and siao loong pau to be served on the meeting table.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 19 Thumb down 5
  • Mohd Suhaimi Ismail on Mar 25, 2022 at 9:38 am

    Hello Proton,
    There is no need to show us your lingerie. People want results. Solution to problems. Th have lots of other options. We can live without Proton.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 4
    • azlan on Mar 25, 2022 at 10:38 am

      I wish Proton is Nora Danish then.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
    • Dong Gor on Mar 25, 2022 at 10:51 am

      Yes, there are many other options but at probably 50% costlier with the same spec. Those who chose Proton (x50/ x70)for its value…so honestly at the same price, there is no other choice that come close.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • Anonymous_C on Mar 25, 2022 at 10:07 am

    Key words:
    1) “We take it seriously… ” mentioned 2 times
    2) “These ‘war room’ meetings have been happening since January 17…” while focusing on so many aspect

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • The multiples meetings is due to penggunaan Bahasa Melayu sepenuhnya in the meeting just as our PM ask to.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 5
  • alldisc on Mar 25, 2022 at 10:55 am

    If I am the CEO, I will remove the General Manager of After Sales and redesignate the After Sales Director to a different division.

    Apparently they don’t know what they are doing and obviously not fit for the job. Poor DRB.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
  • Radzi on Mar 25, 2022 at 11:03 am

    better close shop lah Proton! Menyusahkan current owners.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 5
  • Not Toyota Fan on Mar 25, 2022 at 11:40 am

    It’s about time. This fracas has been going on far too long. SC cant give an answer when parts not instock during regular service.

    One year ago (X70 @ 40k service), 3 items no stock. Six months ago (@ 50k service) 2 items back in stock. Today (@60k service), still no stock of the item that was supposed to have been replaced at 40k service.

    SC was supposed to call / text me when item back in stock but didn’t do it. To be fair, where got time to manually look through so many invoices to see what stock item & who to call. There should be an automated system in place that can track & text owners when items back in stock.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0
  • Customersright on Mar 25, 2022 at 1:28 pm

    Proton didn’t even bother to reply to my complain. Really bad after sales service. Never buy a proton!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • David on Mar 25, 2022 at 2:12 pm

    After many years still talking..sell 10 cars, parts must be available for 10 unit of car. That’s how world class management. Not like this

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Mr Mar on Mar 25, 2022 at 2:47 pm

    Perodua 200k vehicle per year but not heard any spare part issue ? Learn from them lah

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • Don’t forget to give training to your SA. Some SA I asked questions and they reply Don’t Know.. Tak tahulah.. I Don’t Know lah.. Don’t Know ayoyooooo

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • hazri on Mar 25, 2022 at 4:14 pm

    fuh lega tak beli x50

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Sheraz Ghafoor on Mar 27, 2022 at 4:43 am

    Aslam O Alikum
    My Booking #4000016-34-22
    Here In Pakistan Proton X70 has worst situation, deliveries pending from Jan 2021, Al Haj Group Hike the price. Customers are in court and on protest every day. Proton losing image and trust in Pakistan market, consumers looking other brands available in the market.
    If Proton can’t solve the problems, so please shut down your business, and the return the money to customers

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Meeting from January still no solution in sight. What a joke lol. Problem is still the same, no local production of spare parts becoz geely want china to get all the money from parts.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Rayan on Mar 29, 2022 at 6:40 pm

    War room funny room. Bunch of incompetent organisation as a whole who does only care about dollars and cents. If at all JD Power still in place you will know your actual position in the market in terms of CS and customer loyalty. In customer point of view Proton is just another Geely’s distributor in Malaysia similar to the rest. Probably you are the Mega dealer. You cannot be called OEM. Dr. Li better don’t be shock sendiri calling the brand OEM. There’s no creditability when comes to customer services and loyalty.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • kupusamy on Dec 14, 2022 at 5:52 am

    fuk comminis ceo. go away

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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