understanding the customer needed.  That company must understand the customer needs for each target segment. so if Proton, satisfied their customer,  they will make Proton as their first choice. 

As a matter of strategic management, strategic fit helps an organization not only to become but also to remain competitive within a stiff competition. Proton should have potential partners in many countries, to make sure insist the Proton badge and its technology will be expanded into global markets arena subsequently. Moreover, Proton should have maintain and improve their quality, competitive pricing, reliability, and features to satisfy customer needs. 

Assalamualaikum to madam and everyone. Based the statement given how a Proton’s car is available in Australia and what are the elements need to be focus to maintain their strategic fit. In my opinion, the main element that need to be focus is Foreign Strategic Partner (FSP). The entry of a FSP will enable Proton to revitalize itself through access to new platforms, powertrains and technologies which will further improve Proton’s range of products and its quality. As we know, Proton had a joint ventures with Lotus company in order to increase their engine performance. Recently, Proton has been working with Geely Holding from China as Foreign Strategic Partner. This collaboration will enable Proton to have access to existing markets of the Chinese carmaker, and right-hand drive markets in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, Proton must not only be flexible and adapt to the constantly changing environment, but must also be committed to carry out long-range initiatives aimed at further strengthening its engineering and manufacturing foundations. So in conclusion, Proton should had a Foreign Strategic Partner with company in Australia in order to maintain their strategic fit. 

DRB-Hicom Bhd target to complete the selection of its foreign strategic partner (FSP) for subsidiary Proton Holdings Bhd, wants a collaborator that can provide a strategic, operational and cultural fit to the national carmaker. A strategic fit would enable both parties to derive tangible benefits from the range of technology and products available. The strategic fit will also ensure that Proton can achieve economies of scale from its domestic operations. For an operational fit, both the FSP and Proton must be able to complement each other’s strengths. Proton has its own in-house research and development team, as well as the lightweight platform technology of Lotus Cars UK. Proton’s newer models display “advanced technology, high quality and performance”. It noted that the national carmaker gained international acclaim when it earned five stars from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) and Asean NCAP. 

Proton may ask and get review from their customer for the sake of improvement. Facilities and their corresponding capacities to perform their functions are a key driver of supply chain performance in terms of responsiveness and efficiency. For example, Proton can gain economies of scale when a product is manufactured or stored in only one location; this centralization increases efficiency. The cost reduction, however, comes at the expense of responsiveness, as many of a company’s customers may be located far from the production facility. The opposite is also true. Locating facilities close to customers increases the number of facilities needed and consequently reduces efficiency. If the customer demands and is willing to pay for the responsiveness that having numerous facilities adds, however, then this facilities decision helps meet the company’s competitive strategy goals.

First, they may have their manufacturer in Australia too rather than in Malaysia only. This will help to reduce the costs for the shipments of their company. If they still want the manufacturer in Malaysia only, they need to make sure that their logistic department being handled systematically. Cars that have been ordered from the customers outside the Malaysia should be delivered in a fastest way. Or in the other hand, PROTON may have their own warehouse in Australia, so they can handle the shipments to customer better. But in this way, the costs are higher because they need to produce many cars and stock them in the warehouse. The risk is customer demand may get lower and there will be excessive stocks. 

Next, PROTON should consider the customer needs and wants. They need to produce cars that suitable for the Australian and also the geographical area. If they meet the customers demand, then they can increase their sales and revenues. 

Proton has been modernize its enterprise technology where this company has upgrade their business processes across the company in order to improve efficiency, enable more rapid and effective decision making and increase responsiveness to customers. It can strengthen the company’s ability to compete effectively in the international market and in fact Proton has the capabilities in developing and implementing SAP-based ERP solutions and the combination of its global and local business expertise. Due to the implementation, they will be more understand the customer demand and there will be no error in providing the information among departments where it will lead to a smooth business process. Apart from that, Proton should propose its strategic collaboration and partnership with other car manufacturer where the deal would covered the four main areas, which are products, technology, people and market. From this collaboration, Proton can adapt the technology that other company have into Proton cars production, gaining knowledge and skills, gaining new potential customers and also get a wide range product marketing. The cars should be packed with a good technology to ensure the customer safety and offered the electronic features comparable with what other manufacturer are installing in their car. Proton needs to improve their products quality. So basically it needs so much effort to ensure that their vendors supplying a very good quality material to the manufacturer. A good quality material leads to a high value product. In addition, Proton should be more flexible and active to reach their customer in order to know their feedback and expectations on the car so that Proton knows which area they should improve more and it consequently building the customer loyalty and their trust. Besides Proton should consider on producing a car with a good combination of reasonable price and good fuel economy as it will lower the customer’s cost spending on a car. 

Proton need to analyze the environment. A company may fail either because of a lack of strategic fit or because its overall supply chain design, processes, and resources do not provide the capabilities to support the desired strategic fit. The important element is a successful strategy. Successful requires determining the firm’s key success. Strategic fit requires that both competitive and supply chain strategies of a company have aligned goals. As conclusion, Proton had to meet the Australian's customer demands to strive.

                   Proton's car available in Australia and other country because of the quality of the product that they have achieve and started to developed their product that have similar quality to European and Japan cars. In order to compete with them, Proton need to ensure the continuous improvement of their product so that there will be high demand from the customer thus increase revenue of the company. Proton's Supply Chain department play important roles in fulfilling customer request. Its also includes movement of products form suppliers to manufactures to distributors, and also includes movement of information, funds and products in both directions.

               In order to maintain and to attract potential customer to buy their product, they need to analyze the data and to respond to the customer needs for improvement of their product. First, Proton need to focus on the type of the cars that suit for particular country. This will show that different types of country demand different types of cars for their daily use. Next, Proton need to identify purchasing power of their customer. Different country have different purchasing power, thus Proton need to produce the exact cars that is affordable base on particular customer. Proton can also have a manufacturing factory in other country beside Malaysia to reduce the cost for exporting their product. Lastly, Proton need to produce high quality of cars by doing some research and cooperate with other cars company. High quality of product will help Proton receive high satisfaction from customer thus will increase the demand of Proton's car.