In the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent movement control order (MCO) in Malaysia, an on-line survey was undertaken involving 748 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the furniture industry. The main objective was to examine the impact of the pandemic and the subsequent MCO on the various business aspects of the SMEs as well as to make recommendations to the government on supportive measures for the SMEs. The survey found that although all aspects of the business were impacted, the two major concerns of the SMEs during this crisis were the financial management and the supply chain disruptions. Inevitably, it was found that most of the SMEs were operating well below capacity, which was a huge financial strain on their business viability. It was recommended that the government provide measures to help the SMEs manage their cash-flow and ease the restrictions to facilitate supply-chain commencement that is crucial to their business. The survey also revealed that most SMEs acknowledged the importance of automation and the adoption of technologies. Respondents regarded the shift towards Industry 4.0 was inevitable as a means increase their resilience when facing future uncertainties.
The lack of knowledgeable and skilled workers is a major challenge faced by the Malaysian furniture sector. It hinders industrial productivity and its ability to move up the value-chain by adopting high technology. Therefore, in order to assess the awareness and readiness of the Malaysian furniture industry for Industry 4.0, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted with a sample of 778 large-, medium-, and small-sized furniture manufacturers throughout Malaysia. This study is part of an on-going Erasmus+ program funded by the European Commission, initiated in 2018 to develop a university-level education program to train workers capable of handling Industry 4.0 technologies for the furniture and wood industry in Malaysia. The results revealed that manufacturers of wood-based panel and metal furniture were more prepared to adopt automation and Industry 4.0 technologies compared to solid-wood and leather furniture manufacturers. The benefits from Industry 4.0 technologies include increased production capacity, product diversity, cost competitiveness, and workforce reduction. Further, the results of this study suggest that the lack of knowledgeable and skilled workers to handle Industry 4.0 technology is a concern among furniture manufacturers, and possibly the proposed university-level Industry 4.0 program may be beneficial to train workers for the future of the industry.
Automation offers a promising solution to improve competitiveness for the labor-intensive furniture manufacturing sector in Malaysia. This study evaluated the level of application of automation, the factors driving it, and the readiness of the furniture manufacturers towards Industry 4.0. A questionnaire-based survey was targeted to large and medium-sized furniture manufacturers throughout Malaysia, with responses from 312 manufacturers. The results revealed that the panel-based furniture manufacturers were more responsive towards the adoption of automated technologies than other types of furniture manufacturers. The machining centers and finishing operations within the furniture factories showed the highest application of automated technologies. The factor analysis revealed that the drivers for the application of automated technologies were the desire for higher production capacity, cost involved, product characteristics, and government policy. This study emphasized that in the cost-sensitive furniture manufacturing industry, the economic benefits of applying automation outweigh any other factor in the decision to explore such technologies. The study also revealed that furniture manufacturers are not ready to adopt Industry 4.0, and any efforts by the government to push for such transformation will require the provision of incentives and other tangible economic benefits.
Wood Science and Technology (WST) courses have been traditionally taught face-to-face in most of the universities worldwide, but the global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted classroom lessons, replacing them with online teaching and learning methods. To assess the effectiveness of these online methods, a survey of students and academics were carried out in several Malaysian universities offering the WST programs. The survey revealed that students were mostly challenged by the problems related to access to internet, computer hardware, and lack of communication. Further, the student-centered learning method was preferred, while non-technical courses were the most suited for online teaching and learning. In contrast, academics appear to prefer pre-recorded lectures and recorded videos as the most common method for teaching online, while continuous assessment of the student’s progress found limited application. The results found that to enhance the effectiveness of teaching and learning online of WST courses, factors such as connectivity, student’s preparedness, content design, pedagogical approach, peer communication, and the teacher’s presence, must be taken into consideration and improved.
The furniture industry is the fastest growing sub-sector in the Malaysian wood-based industry. Although it has grown tremendously over the years, it is characterized by stagnating value-addition. To improve industrial competitiveness, automation and technology application has emerged as a possible solution. A study was conducted to evaluate the influence of company size towards their readiness and adoptability of automation and Industry 4.0. A questionnaire-based survey involving large-, medium-, small-, and micro-sized furniture manufacturers throughout Malaysia was conducted with 160 respondents. The analysis of the results from the survey showed that there was a significant relationship between company size and their readiness for Industry 4.0. The results showed that small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are more hesitant in adopting technology due to the high cost required and the lack of skilled workers to cope with the new technology, compared to the large sized companies. The factor analysis revealed that the three main groups of the factor affecting decisions towards adopting industry 4.0 are government policy, difficulty in implementation, and expected benefit. This study suggests that providing incentives for the application of automation and technology will be required when the goal is greater uptake of technology among furniture manufacturers.
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