Billion Ringgit Tech Companies - The Legends Of Unicorns

We take a look back at some of the billion ringgit tech companies of Malaysia, also known as ‘Unicorns”.

- C.S. Cheah

From its humble beginning as a physical distributor of products in 1994, KAT Technologies has evolved into a distribution process specialist that offers distribution solutions and services, which are both efficient and cost-effective.

KAT Technologies prides itself as a supply chain, distribution and logistics specialist, as well as a pioneering company for the distribution of mobile prepaid when such services were first introduced in Malaysia in 1999.

In fact, it was able to merge the latest in applications technology and strategic planning with the drive of a highly technical professional team. The development has led to the production of various advanced products and solutions.

One of them is the award-winning KATsys, a sophisticated software system that led the KAT Group to emerge as the best retail and supply chain management company in Asia Pacific.

Handling precious stocks early on for principles that include Celcom, Telekom, Altel, XOX and Philippine Telecoms, KAT Technologies then went on to win other prepaid players in the telecommunications industry.

“We have thousands of stock-keeping units and that was the challenge – to ensure every piece of inventory is recorded and their sales perfectly reconciled at the close of each work day,” says Datuk Ir (Dr) Khairol Anuar Mohamad Tawi, the founder of KAT Technologies Sdn Bhd and executive chairman for the KAT Group of Companies.

One of the challenges for traders and distributors is the ability to predict what kind of stock one should have at any location, according to Khairol Anuar.

“If you have the wrong stock combination, you are keeping stock for nothing or even worse, you don’t have the right stock to sell,” he explains. “You will just end up with a stock-out or stock over situation, both of which are not ideal as they reflect that you are not managing your financials correctly or efficiently.”