Author: SYREFL

Ever since the First Industrial Revolution, machinery and equipment sometimes are viewed as hideous and monstrous. It was conceptualized by industries’ nature to thrive at the expense of nature. There will be deforestation or land claiming, resulting in decreasing soil quality and ground integrity. On top of that, there are also huge pollution risks towards air and surrounding water. Not to mention, there might be traces of dangerous chemicals that would endanger not just the nature but to human as well.

To be fair, industries are not simply machinery of destruction. Industries are the engine of human development. The challenge is always about managing limited resources as to produce more output. Hence, there are constraints as to mitigate between gaining profit and conserving the environment.

Most of the time, industries are not utilizing their assets well resulting in energy wastage. Plus, more energy is consumed to overcompensate asset deficiencies. Not only it will hurt operation expenditure in form of higher utilities bill, it will also cause shorter duration of wear-and-tear for machinery and equipment.

Other than that, industries have tendencies to only view building as it is. They are not aware that building has more to offer as an asset. There are ways and means as to empower building that will prevalently reduce maintenance cost as well as adding long term value in sense of day-to-day operation. More often than not, industries did unnecessary spending to perform tedious and menial maintenance task that could be completed in better and more effective way.

This is where Syrefl Holdings steps in.

Incorporated in 2011 as Revolt Engineering, the company started small with focus on being an engineering and construction service provider. Throughout the years, the company grew by leaps and bound especially after acquiring Flex Engineering, a company in the niche of building maintenance, in June 2017. With this, Syrefl Holdings Sdn Bhd was formed.

As an engineering company that focuses on energy saving and building maintenance, SYREFL understands what industries need the most to achieve their organizational goals. The key lies on optimization and efficiency.

Syrefl has three segments namely Energy Efficiency Solutions (EES), Building Technology Expert (BTE) and Building Facilities Services (BFS). These segments perform specific roles to tackle issues pertaining optimization and efficiency of any building.

Not only that, Syrefl also provides consultation service to help clients to better manage their assets to its fullest capabilities. This allows Syrefl to be a one stop total building solutions provider while still be able to fulfil ad-hoc requests that covers only part of said discipline.

In addition, Syrefl has advantages in terms of engineering expertise. Here in Syrefl, people with exceptional technical skills and qualifications gather. This situation guarantees confidence towards clients that they are in safe and reliable hands. It will then turn into a worthwhile working experience for both parties thus fostering Syrefl credibilities.

On top of in-house expertise, Syrefl is backed by dependable partners. Well-known brand names in engineering discipline like Siemens, Phillips, Cisco and ABB, to name a few, is working hand-in-hand with Syrefl. This amazing partnership safeguards project delivery and consistency and produces great outcome for clients. Moreover, Syrefl’s partners have astounding after-sales services and shorter turnaround time for parts replacement. This obviously boost project speed thus saving client’s profit from being affected by downtime. Syrefl has come a long way to be here. Surely, the journey for excellence is far ahead. With current mindset and steel determination, Syrefl will be on a greater height than before. Therefore, it will great to be of acquaintance with Syrefl as to be better – TOGETHER.

What are the secrets for successful companies?

There could be numerous factors. Good management. Great product. Intensive sales. Engaging marketing. Vigilant finance. Frankly, there is a lot to be considered upon trying to emulate those who had made it big. The ultimatum is quite straight forward. Anything that is being performed properly to achieve company goal.

Given that every company’s main goal is to achieve profit, it is a no brainer to first investigate two aspects: revenue increment and cost reduction. Ironically, these two aspects are inter-related despite belongs to different sides of an accounting book.

Rule of thumb: you tweak one, it will affect the other.

It brings us to another important question.

How?

We will not state the obvious. By now, you are familiar with Business Management 101 already. Thus, we will look at an area of which often get neglected. Specifically, facilities management.

Facilities management (FM) is a professional management discipline focused on the efficient and effective delivery of support services for the organizations that it serves. Often, FM function is often reduced only to serve maintenance role towards equipment and building. Realistically, FM has huge untapped potential to contribute for company’s growth and sustainability.

These are some advantages that FM could offer:

1. Uninterrupted Workflow

Some companies employ corrective maintenance. This mean that maintenance works for equipment and machinery will be performed only upon damage or inoperable. This causes time losses and affect production rate due to line shutdown during maintenance works take place. By seriously looking into FM capacity, they could consider other forms of maintenance. For instance, preventive maintenance, where maintenance works is planned much earlier as to avoid production line downtime or service disruption.

2. Longer Depreciation

Asset depreciates over time. It is inevitable. Yet, that is not supposedly taken as a dead end. Comprehensive FM will ensure longer asset depreciation. This happens when FM takes proactive approach as to periodically observes changes or adopt solution to better optimize asset operation.

3. Increases Production

Workers are undeniably integral in respect of companies’ production. To help them to be effective, one must pay close attention to the working environment. Comfortable surrounding will boost morale and consequently drive higher rate of production output. In addition, upon equipment and machinery optimization, it will help workers to complete any task or assignment much earlier.      

Here in SYREFL, one of the elements we take pride of, is the ability to provide engineering solution for both companies’ infrastructures and organizations. Through our attentive approach and attentive solution, we develop segmented approach to better serve FM needs.

Building Technology Expert (BTE)

• This segment helps to cater every facet of your building automation systems. With BTE solution being scalable and practical, it complements existing automation system and adaptable towards future business avenue. BTE covers two sub-segments: Building Automation System (BAS) that handles automation-related matters and Integrated Building Management System (IBMS) that handles system integration matters.

Building Facilities Services (BFS)

• It is mandated for facilities to be well-maintained due to safety and health concerns. Furthermore, maintenance must be performed regularly to guarantee built environment performs its intended purposes according to designated functions. Hence, BFS segment focuses in providing proposal for upgrading or refurbishment works. In addition, it proposes cost-effective strategies for general works such as landscaping and cleaning works as well as other building maintenance requirements.

In essence, SYREFL is a one-stop solution for Facilities Management needs. As saying goes, “too many cooks spoils the broth”. Having one provider that could manage different requests is surely beneficial.        

Malaysia is truly blessed with renewable energy (RE) resources. Given its location along Earth’s equator, solar energy is the most obvious choice. Malaysia receives around 4000-5000 Wh/m² of solar irradiation monthly. In addition, monthly average of sunshine ranges from 4 to 8 hours daily, totalling around 2200 hours of sunshine annually. That is 8,800-11,000 kWh amount of energy waiting to be harvested only with collection area as small as 16 A4 papers pieced together.

Looking back, Malaysia had come a long way. Realizing that natural resources like gas and hydrocarbon fuel is depleting, a lot has been done to reduce overreliance towards such resources. In addition to environmental concern, the call to shift becomes much apparent.

In 2018, Malaysia targeted to achieve 20% of RE accounted in national power generation capacity by 2025. This was made clear with so many initiatives aimed to boost solar and other RE among industrial and commercial sector. For instance, Net Energy Metering (NEM) mechanism for those who participated in installing solar panel for their building. The intention is to promote energy savings, given that participants received credit for excess energy generation that will then offset their actual energy consumption bill.      

Unfortunately, every good thing comes only upon moderation.

Renewable energy, by definition, is energy collected from renewable resources like solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass et cetera. Hence, it is loosely been considered as green energy due to its zero-emission profile and carbon footprint reduction benefits. However, renewable energy will not be considered as green energy once it no longer brings about environmental benefit. As such, solar energy initiative must first take serious consideration towards environmental account. Failing to do this, it will no longer posit any benefit compared to conventional energy resources

#1 – Wasted land opportunity

The more electric you want, the more solar panel you need.

For commercial building or residential owners, most of the time panels are mounted on the roof. Nonetheless, big companies with huge energy requirement might need large installation area to provide electricity on a consistent basis.

By installing solar panel on the ground, area affected could no longer be used. In addition, solar panel is known to be expensive. Thus, the area is commonly sealed off as to prevent theft or damage. This had adverse effect towards intention to co-develop the land for alternative purposes like agrivoltaics. Difference in company direction, for instance, hampered such idea from being materialized.       

One of Malaysian largest solar field is in Kuala Ketil, Kedah and sits on about 260 acres of land, able to provide power to 30,000 households for the next 25 years. That is 260 acres of land that cannot be used anymore for other purposes like agriculture.

#2 – Deforestation

As green as solar is, it is not a hall pass to chop down trees to make space.

Clean energy discussion must not be held in silo from other environmental concerns. There seems to be a trend in deforestation as more solar farm is erected. This will bring negative impacts towards the environment in the long run.

For example, the 110 hectares of Large-Scale Solar (LSS) farm in Gambang, Pahang. That means 110 hectares of forest had been bulldozed for that. To make matters worse, forest naturally absorbs CO₂ and mitigates greenhouse effect. 110 hectares of forest could absorb yearly emissions of around 27,500 cars.  

#3 – Pollution

Although solar power produces clean energy, solar panel is ironically made of toxic materials.

Among the compounds found in solar panels is cadmium and lead, extremely toxic metals. There are a number of other toxic and hazardous materials used in the production of solar panels including gallium arsenide, copper-indium-gallium-diselenide, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrogen fluoride, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, and acetone.

In the United States, manufactures are required to make sure these substances are recycled rather than disposed of. However, in some countries, these hazardous materials are being irresponsibly disposed of in fields, polluting the air, water, and soil.

This brings us to one big question.

Is there a solution to install large scale solar panel WITHOUT need for land allocation?

The answer: YES

70% of Earth’s surface is covered in water. Hence, floating solar will solve issues concerning limitation of land allocation. This proved beneficial especially for factories with ponds or nearby lake and sea. In addition, floating solar will not affect local aquatic ecosystem. In fact, it helps to reduce water loss due to evaporation and prevents harmful algae bloom that may sickens human and animals.

Lo and behold, SYREFL’s new addition towards providing greener energy efficiency solution, floating solar solution. This solution has passed scrutinized tests to ensure its reliabilities like Hunt Water Absorption Test, Anti-Aging Test, Anti-UV Test and more.

What’s more:

• Its capacity to bear pulling force is much higher than others within floating solar category.
• Can realize either array of double row with same or symmetrical facing, able to take full advantage to increase solar power generation efficiency and installation capacity.
• Minimum of 25 years lifetime.     
• Compatible with any solar module or size.
• Highly durable and easy to operate.

In simpler term, this new floating solar addition, would definitely help your company to be more environmentally friendly whereas you would still be able to achieve desired goal in power generation requirement. Perhaps, a bit more. Contact us to know more about floating solar and its many benefits.

The year 2020 is the year to be remembered.

Nobody had expected a health pandemic with global scale proportion. When lives are at stake, human banded together to suppress infection curve from claiming more lives. As in middle of October 2020, 38 million people from all corners of the world has been infected with Covid-19 and 1 million people died from it.

Although we had somewhat able to slow the infection rate with proper SOP implementation, we paid a huge price. Economy is sluggish. Stock prices plummeted. Unemployment rate is at all time high. People are struggling to make end’s meet. Be it corporate giants or common labour worker, the dire effects are pretty much felt the same.

Nonetheless, humanity is forever known for one trait.

Tenacity to survive.

Like every great catastrophe prior, human civilization persevere through harsh condition. Adapting to a new norm to keep moving forward. There is always silver lining in every cloud no matter how gloomy it looks from the outset. Here are few lessons that businesses could reflect upon as to ensure sustainability post Covid-19.

Lesson #1: Be Adaptive, or Risk Falling Behind

One of crucial element in combating Covid-19 is social distancing. Thus, some countries implemented temporary total lockdown as seen in China and Malaysia or partial lockdown as seen in Germany and New Zealand. This effort had positive effect in flattening infection curve. Unfortunately, this effort had opposite effect towards businesses.

When public is confined within their residences, people could not go to work or visit shops and malls. Meanwhile, rate of e-commerce increased exponentially to an extent where couriers and logistic companies exceeded their operating capacity and were forced to hire additional staffs. In addition, businesses that had long leveraged information technology proved to be less affected compared to those who have yet to embrace it.

Covid-19 showed how businesses must incorporate technology within its business operation. Brick-and-mortar facility is no longer a must have. Make your business available digitally. Selects comprehensive and user-friendly platform that would ease business transaction as well as increasing company visibility among public. In sense of operation, utilize suitable platform to better manage business operation as well as ensuring productivity target is achieved although workers are working remotely.

Lesson #2: Automation is Your Friend

Upon mention of social distancing, there is a significant question that is worth to ponder:

Does ‘that’ need human to function?

‘That’ refers to task or assignment. Most of the time, the way human operates is based on past experiences. Perhaps, certain task and assignment that used to be man by a human worker could now be substituted with technology.

Take robotic arm in manufacturing sector for example. It has improved production output greatly compared to human labour. It ticks all boxes – cost, ROI, precision, speed, and work quality.   

The trick is to find task and assignment that is repetitive in nature. Upon such area had been identified, go for automation. For instance, implementing chat bot to respond common enquiries received in social media platform. This will decrease workload for human worker as well as able to vet genuine sales lead for follhow up. In addition, allocate budget to improve existing automation system for long term benefit especially those relying with equipment and machinery. Do seek for room to have centralized management for all your automation system. This way, you could have better control of your system and able to thrive for operation efficiency.

Lesson #3: Lean is Number One Mean

Covid-19 gives businesses more reason to be vigilant in spending. Many businesses scuffle to balance between liabilities and earnings especially those that had just spent a fortune from CAPEX in years prior and still waiting to gain from ROI. There was nothing wrong with it given that 2020 pandemic is unwarranted.

Still, it would be of good practice to have prepared a safe net to land upon if thing goes south.

Thus, businesses must pay close attention to its spending behaviour. There is no room for wastage. Be prudent. Every single penny must be accounted for. While not tampering with current business operation, there must be room that you have overlook. Ask this question:

Is there any savings opportunity as to increase profit margin?

Perhaps there is a way to simplify your current processes. Perhaps there is a way to source for cheaper material but with same quality elsewhere. Perhaps there is a way to save up on your current energy bill by improving asset efficiency.

Lesson #4: Productivity is The Golden Key

However, you need to bear in mind. You can only squeeze savings only up to a certain extent. Squeeze it more and you might jeopardize existing business procedure. The only way to have higher profit whilst having constant cost is to have higher productivity.

For this portion, optimization is vital. To have better optimization, businesses must ensure every portion of its operation is efficient. Upon higher efficiency, production output will be the of same rate but with lesser cost. This excess will then contribute to higher margin. Of course, this additional margin could be reinvested to increase productivity rate.

This is what is meant by having a safety net. You do not have to add liability in form of investment loan or even pillaging last year net profit. You invest based on your savings from current optimization effort.

All in all, the world is never the same post Covid-19. Some businesses lose. Some businesses prevail. What we have in our hand is choice. To regret not preparing well pre Covid-19 or we could take this valuable lesson to make anew.

One such way is to engage with SYREFL and see whether there is something that could be done to help your business prevail.

By general definition, SMART city is a settlement area of which data is collected from citizens, buildings, devices and assets using various types of electronic methods and sensors. Insights from such data are then used to manage resources, assets and services accordingly. Such usage extends but not limited to traffic and transportation systems, power plants, utilities, water supply networks, waste, crime detection, information systems, schools, libraries, hospitals, and other community services.

Malaysia is going to said direction as well. Although fairly new to this, it does not mean we are not capable of initializing a full-fledged SMART city with global standard. This intention was echoed in the launching of Malaysia SMART City framework by Ministry of Housing and Local Government back in 2019.

From government perspective, SMART city is defined as cities that use ICT and technological advancement to address urban issues including to improve quality of life, promote economic growth, develop sustainable and safe environment and encourage efficient urban management practices.

The framework underlines 6 components to be met.

1. SMART Digital Infrastructure

2. SMART Living

3. SMART Environment

4. SMART People

5. SMART Mobility

6. SMART Government

Within a glance, it is a promising vision. Still, there are few important concerns that need serious address as to ensure that this vision would not turn into a behemoth of half-baked initiative.

Here are some of the concerns:

a. SMART concept does not lie solely on technological advancement

Technology is only a tool. Whether or not it turns out to be effective, it depends on the wielder. Hence, SMART city must consider community involvement too. A SMART city is not regarded as smart if there is no positive impact towards the community in it. What good would it offer, for instance, if there is a reliable data to project best route for a waste truck if the residents failed to manage their domestic waste properly? Worst, dumping their waste not even in a proper bin.

In essence, SMART city is a result of good combination between human behaviour and technology advancement while minding the environment. As per stated in the fourth component of said framework, the characteristic needed is to have a community with first class mentality and good moral values. This posit a challenge for government.

What is the plan to instil awareness among community members should a SMART city is created?

Human behaviour is hard to mould. Without first paying heed to this crucial factor, SMART city will remain only advanced in sense of its technology. In addition, government need to first ensure that practicality of any asset is proportionate to its presence. There are several times when certain asset is put due to it being technological advanced and will then boost the image of being SMART. Unfortunately, that asset may turn out to be impractical.

Rule of thumb as to avoid wastage is to always focus on how human interact with technology and not how advanced said technology is.   

b. Data overload.

Due to its nature, SMART city relies heavily on data collection activity. All sort of data is collected to ensure consistency, accuracy, and reliability. To contain massive amount of data, it needs a storage facility. Apart from it, it needs significant processing power to analyse data received. This will increase consumption of electricity and will then contribute to higher carbon footprint.

On the other hand, large amounts of data require extensive wireless coverage and fast transfer speeds to operate. In Malaysia, 5G coverage is yet to be rolled out. Even with current bandwidth, there is this issue of inconsistent speed and unreliable network coverage.  To supplement this, it needs hundreds or thousands new cellular tower to guarantee effective network coverage and reliable speed.

c. Digital security

Another important concern is on digital security. Inherent vulnerabilities in IoT devices, which are often connected to public networks and may have unpatched software vulnerabilities, had transformed SMART city asset into appealing targets for cyber attackers. Compromised IoT data can be used for financial gain, or to create civil distress and advance political or hacktivist goals. Cities must protect IoT devices to prevent breaches, and ensure systems are resilient to cyber-attack to avoid disruption of critical services.

Addressing above concerns are pivotal in order to safeguard the vision of having Malaysia’s SMART city. Surely, there are benefits waiting to be attained once the concerns are properly addressed.

If not, this promising vision will just be another executive summary, waiting to collect dust.