Business View Oceania | July 2022

29 30 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 7 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 7 the research and development team working intensely. Mr. Jenkins continues, “Depending on the product, our units are sent back to us every 12 to 24 months to be calibrated and inspected for faults, so our service department is always buzzing. The manufacturing team at the moment is probably working hardest of all- we are not currently manufacturing for the shelves as we simply don’t have the time. Thanks to the massive issues with supply and logistics all around the world, we are flat out just filling orders. We consider ourselves lucky in that we have a very strong local network to support us, and our research and development staff have been able to redesign some product specifications to match components that are more readily available… But these are large orders with very specific time constraints, and whenever you’re working with safety-based equipment, you have a responsibility to be absolutely sure that what you’re providing is of the highest quality. Take brakes, for example. They are the primary safety device in every single vehicle on the road. If they don’t work properly, you will have an accident. There is no room for error, so everybody at AutoTest is very, very busy.” AutoTest are proud of their culturally diverse, inclusive working environment, Ms. Alkemade shares. “We have a few social and professional initiatives in place to make sure we do our due diligence giving everyone a chance to be involved in all sides of the business. One of those is our Lunch and Learning program. Every few weeks one of our team will present a product to the rest of the group. It gives us a chance to eat together and socialise, but also shares knowledge and provides an opportunity for everyone to learn about a product from all angles. For example, a member of our research and development team may not get to see a brake performance meter in use. Our manufacturing staff probably haven’t had the chance to understand how it’s marketed or utilised by the end user, and so on. The idea is to encourage everyone to connect and learn together, to step outside their comfort zone, and to deepen their understanding of the business and industry as a whole.” She continues, “AutoTest also runs intern programs- we take young engineers while they’re still at university, and we give them three or four months of work experience that they can use to begin their career journey. Many of our interns have actually stayed on to work with us professionally in the past. We are committed to supporting the next generation because it’s the right thing to do, but it also gives us the advantage of new, innovative insights that we can implement into our work ecosystem. Around half of our staff are also female, which is rare in automotive and engineering, so that is something we will continue to be proud of.” AutoTest views the future as an exciting one. Moving forward, research and development is set to remain a top priority. With a massive 20% of revenue invested back into the in-house department, excellence in innovation is never far away. Management also has plans to further secure the company footprint in United Sates and Asia-Pacific markets to bolster the existing European and African presence- a plan backed by their consistent annual growth of approximately 10% for the last half decade. AUTOTEST PRODUCTS PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n Permark Industries Australia Pty Ltd www.permark.com.au