Author: midstar

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe disruption to global economic activity and its supply chain. Advisories on COVID-19 for businesses across the world have been implemented gradually. Stringent precautionary measures and practices have been adopted for business operations in Southeast Asia.

From being desk-bound in office, the concept of telecommuting has been implemented with remarkable success. Technology and web services enabled telecommuting. Working from home has become a ‘new normal’ during the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, cybersecurity needs to step up by businesses adopting this mode of work. Communications via phone or video conferencing are secured with encryptions, security measures, and passwords.

Workplace health and safety measures have been ramped up and monitored closely, especially in Singapore, where its labour force is the driving factor of its economy. Cleanliness in offices were usually outsourced by third-party businesses, but now every individual needs to play a part. Entering and exiting the office is now integrated as a new workplace safety measure through safe entry barcode check-ins of employees and visitors. Seven requirements of key workplace safety measures were implemented in the offices post circuit breaker Phase 2.

The labour force in Singapore is deeply dependent on foreign workers. Due to the travel restrictions, Malaysians are not able to return home during the first circuit breaker. Fortunately, Singapore was able to accommodate majority of them in hotels during the first circuit breaker, thus injecting some revenues for the hoteliers (through government supports) while retaining the bulk of the labour force in Singapore. Due to the lapse in cleanliness in workers’ dormitories, Singapore suddenly found themselves with a huge shortage of foreign workers for a period of time due to quarantine orders being issued.

Under the joint media statement, business operators who have not complied with the social distancing measures will be prosecuted with fines and their operations ceased under the Infectious Diseases Act and any related regulations.

STAY INFORMED, FOLLOW SAFETY GUIDELINES AND KEEP SAFE!

While countries are at different points in their COVID-19 infection rates, there are currently more than 1.2 billion children in 186 countries across the world affected by school closures due to the pandemic.

Given the digital divide, affluent countries are better prepared for online strategies when compared to middle- and lower-income groups. Many children from lower-income families do not have a desk, books, Internet connectivity, a laptop at home, or supportive parents. Others do. As such, they will be at a greater disadvantage when learning goes online.

The appropriate strategy is to use online tools to assure that lesson plans, videos, tutorials, and other resources are available for some students and most teachers, but also, podcasts and other resources that require less data usage. Working with telecommunication companies to apply zero-rate policies can also facilitate learning material to be downloaded on a smartphone, which more students are likely to have.

The advantage we have today is that, through social networks, WhatsApp or SMS, ministries of education can communicate effectively with parents and teachers and provide guidelines, instructions and structure to the learning process, using content delivered by radio or TV. Remote learning is not only about online learning, but also mixed media learning, with the objective of reaching as many students as possible, today.

How children learning at home intertwines with parents working from home.

Many of our employers and, indeed, our government, seem to expect continued productivity from individuals who are also cooking, cleaning and ensuring the kids are off their devices and on their homework. They thought working from home would allow them to be more efficient while also being more present with their children.

Every parent who has tried to work while children are present knows that children are great interrupters. Children do not knock before entering, and they will not be as committed as we are to the invisible boundaries, we try to build around a corner of a bedroom or around a dining table. Unfortunately, the work culture is such that they are expected to put work ahead of everything else, to not disappoint colleagues and bosses, to prioritize ‘the economy’. If the pandemic persists, the pressure of losing jobs or having to share the same flat 24/7 will be felt intensely through having the housework-life conflict experienced at home.

Business digitization is now proving to be genuinely transformative – even within companies that were originally sceptical.

Digital transformation is the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, resulting in fundamental changes in how a business operates and the value they deliver to their customers. It’s also a cultural change that requires organizations to continually challenge the status quo, experiment, and get comfortable with failure.

Singapore rank first in the Asian Digital Transformation Index,followed by South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, China, Thailand, India and the Philippines, to round up the top 10. Singapore is already well on its way to attaining the benefits of digitization, thanks to the clear leadership of the Singapore government and the technological maturity of its citizens which has enabled the nation to readily adopt new strategies for delivering more efficient and effective services.

Singapore’s digital leadership
A strong advocate of digital government, Prime Minister Lee initiated the Smart Nation programme in November 2014 to “harness the power of networks, data and info COMM technologies to improve living, create economic opportunity and build a closer community”. A high priority for Singapore, the Smart Nation programme is headed by Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan.

Focus on digital training
GovTech Hive, the government-backed Software Design and Development Centre of Excellence, not only provides technological services to government agencies but also works on building a digital workforce.

Another initiative by the Singapore government through the Skills Future programme uses credits and subsidies to offset training costs in order to encourage Singaporeans to continually upgrade their professional skills, promoting lifelong learning and skill mastery.

Singapore Business Federation (SBF) has offered myriad courses, programmes, webinars and certification to acquire new skills and preserve core capabilities in innovation and technology. Remarkably, the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology has showcased digital solutions
such as manpower scheduling, rapid task communicators (eDataLogger) and workflows to help businesses streamline operations and strengthen business capabilities.

There are various government support schemes for businesses to adopt digital solutions and case studies of businesses who have successfully managed to streamline their business processes.

Singapore has integrated effective digital document processes to help organizations maintain business resilience and reduce business risk, opening up new revenue opportunities.

In preparing for the new normal after Covid-19, Singapore has already seen the implementation of an ambitious, broad-based strategy to digitize and streamline back-end processes, creating efficiencies and cost savings.

ADOPTING TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS TO STRENGTHEN BUSINESS RESILIENCE