By UOW Malaysia 

On 25 June 2026, 53 UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College (UOWMKDU Penang) students attended an industry sharing session titled “Zero Defect by Design: Poka‑Yoke Strategies for Smart Electronic Manufacturing”, led by Dr Geoff Tan, Chief Technology Officer of All Intelligence Sdn Bhd, a company specialising in advanced manufacturing, automation, and quality engineering solutions.

With over three decades of experience, Dr Tan shared practical insights into adopting a prevention‑first mindset in manufacturing. Throughout the session, students gained valuable insights into:

• Identifying common issues that can occur during the production of electronic components such as printed circuit boards (PCBs).
• Understanding how seemingly minor defects can lead to significant operational, financial, and customer impacts.
• Applying Poka-Yoke (mistake-proofing) principles to design products and manufacturing processes that prevent defects before they occur.
• Developing practical solutions through collaborative discussions and engineering design challenges that mirror real industrial scenarios.

More importantly, the workshop encouraged students to think like engineers in a smart manufacturing environment—moving beyond defect detection towards designing robust, reliable, and quality-driven systems from the outset.

The session empowered Mechatronics Engineering students with quality engineering practices essential for Industry 4.0, reinforcing UOWMKDU Penang’s commitment to industry‑relevant learning.