Marketing
Special Focus: Surviving & Thriving in Malaysia's Hardware Industry Amid Market Disruptions
Malaysia’s hardware industry is currently navigating a perfect storm of structural and global challenges. Here’s what SMEs in the sector are facing:
Volatile Raw Material Prices
Materials like steel are heavily reliant on global imports. Since late 2024, anti-dumping policies from the EU and China have driven local steel prices up by almost 15%, squeezing profit margins.
Rising Competition from Low-Cost Producers
Imported hardware from China and Vietnam is flooding the market, forcing local suppliers to compete on operational efficiency rather than price alone.
Supply Chain Uncertainty
Port congestion, unpredictable shipping costs, and reliance on overseas components are affecting inventory planning and project timelines.
Demand Drops with Construction Slowdown
According to CIDB’s Q1 2025 report, approved construction projects dropped 8% YoY, directly impacting demand for nails, screws, steel frames, and other building-related hardware.
MOCHI isn’t just a payroll tool — it’s a full-suite workforce automation system designed to boost operational resilience:
Track real-time labour costs, including overtime (OT) per project, to enable better quote accuracy and profitability planning.
Digitise on-site attendance, leave requests, and claims to reduce manual errors and payroll mistakes.
In hardware factories and sites, employees often wear multiple hats. MOCHI supports multi-role job configurations and flexi-shift scheduling, keeping ops lean but compliant.
MOCHI integrates with inventory or procurement systems (or via API), allowing HR to align manpower planning with order timelines — no more “people waiting for materials” or vice versa.
Reduce costly turnover during peak demand by implementing incentive programs, performance tracking, and employee feedback tools — all built into MOCHI.
The orders are out there, but winning them now requires smarter internal management, not just price cuts.
In a volatile market, the difference isn’t in what you sell, but how you run.
MOCHI’s tools are tailored for industries like manufacturing, hardware, and construction, offering:
Localised compliance with Malaysian labour laws
Subscription-based pricing starting from just RM199/month
Multilingual support (EN/CN/BM) for ground staff and management alike Special Focus: Surviving & Thriving in Malaysia's Hardware Industry Amid Market Disruptions
Malaysia’s hardware industry is currently navigating a perfect storm of structural and global challenges. Here’s what SMEs in the sector are facing:
Recent Challenges
Volatile Raw Material Prices
Materials like steel are heavily reliant on global imports. Since late 2024, anti-dumping policies from the EU and China have driven local steel prices up by almost 15%, squeezing profit margins.
Rising Competition from Low-Cost Producers
Imported hardware from China and Vietnam is flooding the market, forcing local suppliers to compete on operational efficiency rather than price alone.
Supply Chain Uncertainty
Port congestion, unpredictable shipping costs, and reliance on overseas components are affecting inventory planning and project timelines.
Demand Drops with Construction Slowdown
According to CIDB’s Q1 2025 report, approved construction projects dropped 8% YoY, directly impacting demand for nails, screws, steel frames, and other building-related hardware.
🛠 How MOCHI HRMS+ Empowers Hardware Businesses to Adapt
MOCHI isn’t just a payroll tool — it’s a full-suite workforce automation system designed to boost operational resilience:
✅ Transparent Cost Tracking & Control
Track real-time labour costs, including overtime (OT) per project, to enable better quote accuracy and profitability planning.
Digitise on-site attendance, leave requests, and claims to reduce manual errors and payroll mistakes.
✅ Flexible Multi-Role Workforce Management
In hardware factories and sites, employees often wear multiple hats. MOCHI supports multi-role job configurations and flexi-shift scheduling, keeping ops lean but compliant.
✅ Synchronise with Supply Chain Rhythm
MOCHI integrates with inventory or procurement systems (or via API), allowing HR to align manpower planning with order timelines — no more “people waiting for materials” or vice versa.
✅ Improve Retention with Employee Engagement Tools
Reduce costly turnover during peak demand by implementing incentive programs, performance tracking, and employee feedback tools — all built into MOCHI.
🌱 Final Take: In Hardware, You Can’t Just “Power Through” Anymore
The orders are out there, but winning them now requires smarter internal management, not just price cuts.
In a volatile market, the difference isn’t in what you sell, but how you run.
MOCHI’s tools are tailored for industries like manufacturing, hardware, and construction, offering:
Localised compliance with Malaysian labour laws
Subscription-based pricing starting from just RM199/month
Multilingual support (EN/CN/BM) for ground staff and management alike
Marketing
[5 SME Struggles in Malaysia] How MOCHI Helps You Break Through the Bottleneck
By: MOCHI Technology Sdn Bhd
For: Malaysian SME owners, operation managers, HR, and finance leads
Malaysian SMEs account for 97.4% of total businesses, but many are stuck in a state of survival.
If this sounds like your business, you’re not alone:
👥 Not enough staff, one employee wears three hats
📱 Messy operations — running your company through WhatsApp
🔁 High turnover, never-ending onboarding cost
📉 Zero visibility — decisions made by gut feel
🧾 Payroll & HR done in Excel — full of errors
Don't worry — we’ll break down these problems and show you practical, localised solutions.
Can’t find people to hire
Everyone is burned out from multitasking
Leave and attendance tracking is manual and outdated
Use an HR automation system like MOCHI HRMS to handle attendance, leave, payroll, and claims — all in one place
Set clear job scopes and KPIs to prevent duplicated work
Offer flexible hours and support remote work with centralised systems
🎯 Companies using HRMS save up to 30% of HR admin time
Claims and approvals drag on for weeks
The quotation process is slow and messy
Files are stored on USBs, and leave requests get lost
Use MOCHI’s cloud-based platform for workflows and approvals
Automate forms and enable real-time progress tracking
Centralise files with role-based access controls
New hires quit within 3 months
No clear growth plan for staff
Boss says, “If I have to train one more person, I’ll go crazy.”
Build a career progression map and OKRs for each role
Use MOCHI’s onboarding toolkit to help new hires integrate faster
Launch a mentorship system to retain knowledge internally
👥 Employees who feel guided are less likely to leave
No idea what customers think
No insight into which product makes money
HR decisions are based on rough guesses
Use MOCHI’s BI module to generate real-time HR, payroll and performance reports
Sync with Power BI or Google Data Studio for deeper insights
Payroll is always late
Tax submissions are full of errors
Calculating OT, EPF, and SOCSO is a headache
Use MOCHI’s automated payroll system that complies with Malaysian regulations
Auto-generate payslips, EA Forms, and LHDN files
Easily submit PCB, EPF, and SOCSO without manual data entry
MOCHI is not just an HR platform — it’s built for Malaysian SMEs, by people who understand your daily hustle. Here’s what you’ll get:
Localised support in English, Bahasa, and Chinese
Transparent pricing starting from RM199/month
Human customer service, not chatbots or AI auto-replies
📞 WhatsApp Us: +60-XXX-XXXXXXX
📧 Email: hello@mochi.my
🌐 Website: https://mochi.global/
The biggest risk to an SME is not the market — it’s staying stuck.
Start improving your internal processes today. Empower your team. Make faster, smarter decisions.
MOCHI — helping your business grow from Small to Strong.
[5 SME Struggles in Malaysia] How MOCHI Helps You Break Through the Bottleneck
By: MOCHI Technology Sdn Bhd
For: Malaysian SME owners, operation managers, HR, and finance leads
Sound Familiar? The Daily Pain of Running an SME in Malaysia
Malaysian SMEs account for 97.4% of total businesses, but many are stuck in a state of survival.
If this sounds like your business, you’re not alone:
👥 Not enough staff, one employee wears three hats
📱 Messy operations — running your company through WhatsApp
🔁 High turnover, never-ending onboarding cost
📉 Zero visibility — decisions made by gut feel
🧾 Payroll & HR done in Excel — full of errors
Don't worry — we’ll break down these problems and show you practical, localised solutions.
🧩 Struggle 1: Not Enough Manpower
❗ What it looks like:
Can’t find people to hire
Everyone is burned out from multitasking
Leave and attendance tracking is manual and outdated
✅ How to fix it:
Use an HR automation system like MOCHI HRMS to handle attendance, leave, payroll, and claims — all in one place
Set clear job scopes and KPIs to prevent duplicated work
Offer flexible hours and support remote work with centralised systems
🎯 Companies using HRMS save up to 30% of HR admin time
🧩 Struggle 2: Broken Processes = Slow Business
❗ What it looks like:
Claims and approvals drag on for weeks
The quotation process is slow and messy
Files are stored on USBs, and leave requests get lost
✅ How to fix it:
Use MOCHI’s cloud-based platform for workflows and approvals
Automate forms and enable real-time progress tracking
Centralise files with role-based access controls
🧩 Struggle 3: High Turnover = High Cost
❗ What it looks like:
New hires quit within 3 months
No clear growth plan for staff
Boss says, “If I have to train one more person, I’ll go crazy.”
✅ How to fix it:
Build a career progression map and OKRs for each role
Use MOCHI’s onboarding toolkit to help new hires integrate faster
Launch a mentorship system to retain knowledge internally
👥 Employees who feel guided are less likely to leave
🧩 Struggle 4: No Data, Just Gut Feeling
❗ What it looks like:
No idea what customers think
No insight into which product makes money
HR decisions are based on rough guesses
✅ How to fix it:
Use MOCHI’s BI module to generate real-time HR, payroll and performance reports
Sync with Power BI or Google Data Studio for deeper insights
🧩 Struggle 5: Payroll Nightmares Every Month
❗ What it looks like:
Payroll is always late
Tax submissions are full of errors
Calculating OT, EPF, and SOCSO is a headache
✅ How to fix it:
Use MOCHI’s automated payroll system that complies with Malaysian regulations
Auto-generate payslips, EA Forms, and LHDN files
Easily submit PCB, EPF, and SOCSO without manual data entry
💡 MOCHI: More Than Just a Tool — It’s an SME Growth Partner
MOCHI is not just an HR platform — it’s built for Malaysian SMEs, by people who understand your daily hustle. Here’s what you’ll get:
Localised support in English, Bahasa, and Chinese
Transparent pricing starting from RM199/month
Human customer service, not chatbots or AI auto-replies
🎁 Book a Free Demo — Let’s Future-Proof Your Business
📞 WhatsApp Us: +60-XXX-XXXXXXX
📧 Email: hello@mochi.my
🌐 Website: https://mochi.global/
Final Thoughts
The biggest risk to an SME is not the market — it’s staying stuck.
Start improving your internal processes today. Empower your team. Make faster, smarter decisions.
MOCHI — helping your business grow from Small to Strong.
