Growth and structure: Introducing our General Manager in Thailand

In 2025, we appointed Surapong Khwankham (internationally known as Jon) as General Manager of our manufacturing site in Thailand, Flux International Limited. As General Manager, part of his responsibility is ensuring the continuous improvement of the site as it keeps growing and developing.

Growth and development

In recent years, our facilities in Bangkok have increased their importance in Flux’s global production setup and will continue to do so. "The Thailand site is already a major manufacturing site for Flux. It plays a key role, and in years to come, it will play an even bigger role,” Jon explains, referring to the investments of new automation solutions along with a general expansion of the production site.

With growth comes an even greater emphasis on operational excellence in order to ensure that growth and development go hand in hand, enabling scalability of our uncompromising quality. 

Operational excellence

As head of the day-to-day operations, Jon is charged with six fundamental objectives, summed up in SQDICM – Safety, Quality, Delivery, Inventory, Cost, Morale. “We arrange routine meetings – or huddles – on a daily and/or weekly basis to monitor the results and track the corrective actions, if any,” Jon explains. 

As the organisation continues to grow, a strong emphasis must be put on competent leadership to ensure strong performance as well as a healthy workplace culture. According to Jon, communication is key: “We need to communicate clearly about the objectives and targets that the organisation wants to achieve in the future, mid-term, as well as long-term. In addition, we continuously develop a good action plan and follow-up that involves everybody. The aim is to create accountability and a result-oriented culture.”

Image: Entrance to Flux International Ltd. in Bangkok, Thailand.

Implementing LEAN

Jon stresses that even though we are in the high mix/low volume mode, implementing the concept of LEAN manufacturing at the production lines is key to the development of Flux’s department in Thailand, and he summarises: “Minimising waste and creating the optimal flow is the main idea.” Waste – or Muda in Japanese – is to be taken both literally and figuratively in the LEAN philosophy.

He elaborates: “It all starts with one simple question: What did we improve yesterday? Usually, we will ask this question during the daily huddle to get the team thinking about the continuous improvement – or Kaizen – in every aspect.”  Kaizen is Japanese for continuous improvement and is among the fundamental principles of the LEAN philosophy, in manufacturing and elsewhere.

To achieve this improvement, we must consider every aspect of the manufacturing process. Jon: “We adopt both a top-down and a bottom-up approach. For example, the weekly Gemba walk is the top-down approach that involves the operating team to look for the opportunity for improvement when walking the line together.” Gemba is yet another keyword in LEAN, meaning that the management observes the manufacturing at the shop floor level rather than relying on reports. He continues: “The Near Miss hunting report is the bottom-up approach, which allows front-line people to raise their concerns, ensuring safety improvements if needed.” It is all part of Kaizen, and the work is never done. It is a continuous process.

Automation and scalability

Automation plays an increasingly important part in modern manufacturing, and Flux’s site in Thailand is no exception. Some solutions are already in place, others are on their way: “Some automation, like vision systems and robotic arms, have already been implemented, and we have identified new projects to be implemented in the years to come,” Jon explains, and he continues:

“When we are considering automation projects, it is not only about achieving savings in labour and material, but also about improving quality, accuracy, precision, and repeatability.”

Thereby, automation becomes an enabler of scalability. In the industries we serve, increased capacity and reduced prices count for nothing if they come at the expense of quality.

Where do we go from here?

The changes in management and philosophy – LEAN, amongst others – are not a project or a process with a defined goal or an expiration date. It is a change of concept that will always leave room for development. So, what does the future hold for Jon and the rest of the team in Thailand? “We aim to continuously improve our skills in a motivating work environment, and internal training and workshops are the way forward, at the shop floor and supervisory level alike.”

Jon concludes with a vision for the future of the site in Thailand: “I would like to continue to see a manufacturing site that is not only sustainable and profitable, but also a nice and safe workplace with a good work-life balance for everybody involved.”

Contact John Willum, our COO of Industrial & eMobility, if you wish to know more about our manufacturing facilities in Thailand, or how we can support your power-magnetics requirements for any upcoming project.