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You can buy new machinery. Build a bigger factory. Replicate a recipe. But there is one part of this soy sauce business that money cannot recreate: 70 years of living culture. Director & General Manager of Thean Heong – Nicky Woo and Ong Poh Liang. Inside its fermentation vats exists a microbial ecosystem cultivated over seven decades—one that has become inseparable from the flavour of every batch it produces. Combined with traditional sun-brewing and a fermentation cycle that can take six to 12 months, it represents something increasingly rare in modern food manufacturing: a process that refuses to be hurried. For Nicky Woo and Kelvin Ong, that patience is not nostalgia. It is a competitive advantage. Their business produces naturally brewed artisanal soy sauces and premium condiments for home cooks, high-end restaurants and food industry partners. At a time when manufacturing technology can dramatically accelerate production, the company has made a deliberate decision to protect the one ingredient it believes cannot be engineered: time.   When Faster Isn’t Better The business traces its differentiation to a longstanding gap in the soy sauce market. Decades ago, chemically hydrolysed alternatives offered manufacturers a faster route to production but often produced a markedly different flavour profile. Today, the conversation has moved further. Consumers are increasingly scrutinising what goes into their food, creating demand for cleaner labels, fewer ingredients, reduced use of chemical preservatives and greater transparency around raw materials. For the company, this has reinforced the relevance of traditional fermentation rather than diminished it. Its approach combines longstanding brewing knowledge with modern food production standards. Technology is welcomed where it can improve safety, consistency and precision—but not when it interferes with the natural fermentation process. The principle guiding investment is straightforward: modernise the operation without modernising away what makes the product distinctive.   A Competitive Advantage That Is Alive Perhaps the company’s most unusual asset cannot be purchased, installed or easily replicated. Over seven decades, its fermentation vats and production environment have developed their own microflora ecosystem, supported by proprietary koji mould strains. This hyper-localised microbial environment contributes to the distinctive flavour profile of its naturally fermented sauces. In practical terms, the factory itself has become part of the product. A competitor can purchase similar machinery and ingredients, but reproducing a microbial environment developed over generations is considerably more difficult. Preserving that advantage while scaling presents its own challenges. Natural fermentation remains sensitive to agricultural inputs, outdoor conditions and ambient temperatures, meaning production involves managing variables that conventional manufacturing often attempts to eliminate. The company has responded by bringing together two generations of expertise. Its leadership structure has evolved from a traditional family-controlled hierarchy towards a more professionalised organisation, pairing veteran master brewers with younger food scientists. Traditional knowledge is increasingly supported by scientific measurement and data, allowing expertise accumulated over decades to be preserved while improving consistency.   Choosing Premium Over Volume That philosophy also determines what the business will not do. Growth is being pursued through premiumisation and expansion into international markets where consumers value artisanal food heritage. But management has no intention of entering mass-market price wars or shortening fermentation cycles simply to increase output. Chemical accelerators that could reduce production time are deliberately off the table. It is a strategic trade-off: accepting limitations on short-term volume to protect the characteristics on which the brand’s long-term value depends. The same willingness to make difficult trade-offs extends to sustainability. Over the past 14 months, the company moved away from a cheaper plastic packaging supplier and invested in a closed-loop glass bottle recycling system. Solar-powered temperature monitoring has also been introduced across its fermentation yards. These decisions temporarily compressed margins but reduced single-use plastic waste while introducing technology into the brewing process without replacing the tradition behind it.   Taking Tradition Somewhere New The company’s next chapter will test how successfully a product rooted in heritage can respond to a new generation of consumers. Nicky Woo and Kelvin Ong are preparing to develop a functional wellness range encompassing certified low-sodium, organic and allergen-free soy sauces—without sacrificing the traditional umami profile at the heart of the product. Achieving this will require stronger internal R&D capabilities and training for traditional blending teams to meet stringent international organic certification standards. It is an intriguing direction for a brewing culture seven decades in the making. The company is not preserving tradition by refusing to change. It is using science, technology and changing consumer expectations to give an old process new relevance. In an industry constantly searching for ways to make food faster, its most valuable advantage may be knowing exactly what should never be rushed.  

The modern office is no longer a static environment. How companies work, organise teams and use space continues to evolve—and the businesses responsible for creating those environments are having to evolve with it. For Yuansheng Furniture Sdn Bhd, that shift is changing what it means to be a furniture manufacturer. The Malaysian company specialises in office system furniture, partitions, cabinetry and customised interior fit-out solutions for commercial and corporate environments. With in-house manufacturing facilities, CNC machinery and digital design technologies, Yuansheng manages the process from design development and production through to delivery and installation. Serving corporate clients, interior design firms, contractors and project management companies across Malaysia and Singapore, the company has built its reputation around customisation, consistent quality and reliable execution. But its next phase is increasingly about turning those manufacturing strengths into a more integrated solutions business.   Technology Changes the Factory At the centre of that transition is digitalisation. Yuansheng is investing in ERP systems, digital design workflows and production optimisation software to create greater accuracy and visibility throughout its operations. For a business dealing with customised projects, the implications are significant. Designs can change, deadlines can tighten and specifications can differ substantially from one project to another. Connecting design more closely with production allows Yuansheng to respond to those variables while reducing errors and inefficiencies. Its combination of digital design systems, CNC technology and in-house production also provides greater control over the journey from concept to finished product. That integration is one of the company’s less visible competitive advantages. While customers ultimately see the completed workspace, much of the value is created through the coordination, planning and manufacturing discipline behind it.   Not All Growth Is Good Growth As Yuansheng expands, it is also becoming more deliberate about the type of business it wants to build. Revenue and project volume matter, but management views stronger operational capability, product quality, customer relationships and resilience as equally important measures of progress. That means resisting the temptation to compete solely on price. The company deliberately avoids aggressively pursuing low-margin opportunities where commercial pressures could compromise quality or service standards. Instead, investment is being directed towards technology, systems and people that can strengthen its competitiveness over the longer term. It reflects a broader philosophy: scale should follow capability rather than come at its expense. Three priorities now guide that strategy—operational excellence, digital transformation and market expansion. Singapore remains an important market for the company, while a planned showroom investment is expected to create a stronger platform for customers to experience Yuansheng’s products, materials and capabilities firsthand.   A Different Kind of Sustainability The materials and energy behind the modern workplace are changing too. Yuansheng has been gradually adopting environmentally friendlier and lower formaldehyde-emission materials, including formaldehyde-free options where suitable. The move addresses both environmental considerations and growing attention towards healthier indoor environments—an increasingly relevant issue for the commercial spaces in which people spend much of their working lives. The company has also begun integrating solar energy into its operations as part of efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce dependence on conventional energy sources. Neither transition happens without cost. Yuansheng acknowledges that these initiatives require additional investment and planning, but views them as long-term operational decisions rather than isolated sustainability exercises.   From Manufacturer to Solutions Provider Yuansheng’s next challenge is perhaps its most significant: changing how the business itself is positioned. Its ambition is to develop from a manufacturing-focused company into a more integrated solutions provider combining manufacturing capability with digital systems, customer engagement and greater regional reach. The new showroom will form part of that transition, alongside further investment in production optimisation and operational visibility. But transformation on the outside will require transformation within. Yuansheng expects to strengthen organisational capabilities, develop future talent and improve internal systems as the complexity and scale of the business increase. There is a larger shift taking place here. As offices evolve, customers are asking more of the companies that create them. Manufacturing capability remains essential, but so too are customisation, speed, technology, sustainability and the ability to manage an increasingly complex project from beginning to end. For Yuansheng, staying competitive means recognising that change early. The company may still manufacture the physical components of the workplace. Increasingly, however, its business is about building the systems, capabilities and solutions around them.  

For BIG ONION®, food may be at the heart of the business, but its ambitions increasingly extend beyond what is served on the plate. The Malaysian company is evolving from its traditional catering base towards a broader ecosystem spanning facilities management, franchise development, central kitchen capabilities and hospitality solutions. The shift reflects a market where clients increasingly expect food service partners to deliver not only quality, but also operational efficiency, consistency and the ability to scale. Managing Director of Big Onion Food Caterer Sdn Bhd – Foo Kuan Liang. BIG ONION® sees this evolution as a response to a fundamental change in the industry: managing food operations today is as much about people, systems and experience as it is about the meal itself.   Building an Ecosystem Around Food One of the gaps BIG ONION® identified early was the shortage of reliable food service partners capable of combining quality with operational efficiency at scale. Clients increasingly needed more than a supplier. They required partners capable of understanding manpower requirements, customer experience, operational consistency and the realities of maintaining service standards across different environments. Those requirements have become more complex as ESG considerations, technology, workforce management and brand experience play a larger role in corporate decision-making. BIG ONION® has responded by broadening its capabilities. Through facilities management and franchise development, the company is looking to create food service ecosystems that can address operational challenges while providing a foundation for longer-term growth. This means thinking beyond individual projects towards systems that can be replicated and scaled.   Growth That Goes Beyond Revenue That approach is also shaping how the company defines growth. For BIG ONION®, becoming bigger is not necessarily the same as becoming stronger. Its focus is increasingly on building a business that can create sustainable value for clients, employees, partners and communities. Operational capability is central to that strategy. As the organisation expands into areas such as facilities management and franchise development, maintaining consistency across a larger network becomes increasingly challenging. Growth introduces complexity in manpower, communication, quality control and decision-making. It has required the company’s leadership to move from being predominantly hands-on operators towards building stronger structures, clearer processes and teams capable of taking greater responsibility. The transition is significant. Leadership in a growing organisation is no longer simply about overseeing daily execution; it is about creating an operating model capable of functioning effectively as the business becomes larger and more diverse.   The Work Behind the Experience Much of BIG ONION®’s competitive strength, it says, happens away from public view. Behind a catering operation, large-scale event, facilities management contract or franchise business sits considerable coordination. Manpower must be deployed, problems resolved quickly, standards maintained and different operational components brought together. The company’s emphasis on adaptability and execution has therefore become an important part of its proposition. Its ability to respond under pressure while maintaining quality and client confidence is supported by the systems, processes and people behind each operation. In this sense, BIG ONION® views its competitive advantage not simply as the food it produces, but the operational ecosystem surrounding it.   Putting Sustainability Into Operations Sustainability is becoming another component of that ecosystem. Over the past 12 to 18 months, BIG ONION® has strengthened ESG practices across its operations, including more efficient resource management, efforts to reduce unnecessary wastage, increased adoption of paperless processes and improvements in operational planning. The company has also invested in systems, process improvements and employee development despite recognising that such investments may not produce immediate returns. It reflects a longer-term view of sustainability—one that connects responsible practices with operational resilience rather than treating ESG as a separate corporate exercise.   Building for Regional Potential BIG ONION®’s next phase will see it work towards becoming a more integrated food, hospitality and facilities management ecosystem with regional potential. Facilities management, franchise development, central kitchen operations, ESG-driven initiatives and strategic partnerships are expected to form important parts of that expansion. But the company acknowledges that external growth will require internal transformation. Greater standardisation, stronger systems, leadership development and digital integration will be necessary if the business is to scale without losing the agility and execution capabilities on which it has built its reputation. For BIG ONION®, the next stage is therefore not simply about entering more markets or adding more services. It is about creating an organisation capable of supporting them. As the food and hospitality industry becomes more complex, the businesses positioned to grow may be those capable of looking beyond individual services and building the infrastructure around them. BIG ONION® is betting its next chapter on exactly that.