Commentary

Yet again, the dark clouds of recession loom over the global economy. Growth forecasts are being cautiously rolled back and businesses worldwide are holding their collective breath in wary anticipation of another difficult economic period.

There is much doom and gloom about the imperilled state of the world—the GFC, troubles in Europe, a decline in economic growth, jobs at risk. You could be forgiven for thinking the end of the world is just around the corner.

It is heartening to see many companies in Singapore investing substantially in customer insights. But the returns on these investments differ substantially from one company to another. The key reason for this difference lie in the degree of intelligence the customer insights bring to companies. Better ‘quality’ customer insights bring about a higher degree of intelligence and hence offer a greater competitive advantage to companies. For example, insights arising from analyses that focus on customer modeling (allowing for predicting customer behavior) bring about far greater competitive advantage than those using descriptive statistics.

"If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living." - Gail Sheehy

You have the power to create the ideal environment for communication, one that creates a positive experience for you and others around you.

It has already been established that mobile internet is the fastest growing and most powerful medium for reaching customers. Singapore is a great example of how mobile has changed the Marketing landscape. You may not be able to reach an average Singaporean at their workplace or even at home, but you can most certainly reach them on their mobile phone.

Most Singapore businesses today recognise that sustainability is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’, but an absolute necessity in paving the way for the future. Many companies also view sustainability as a critical element in driving growth in new markets.

Here are some suggestions on how you can identify potentially difficult situations and better equip yourself when encountering them.

When working in Singapore or other International Partnership the virtual relationship is a necessity.

Cloud applications for the Singapore tech markets have been around for quite some time and with the introduction of smartphones, explosive growth has been taking place. Out from the basket came a whole range of app types for various purposes. Besides the benefits for end-consumers, businesses, especially SMEs are able to tap on this computing platform that includes hardware architecture and a software framework, where the combination allows application software to run. In the long-term, this helps create new business models and multiple avenues of marketing to the masses that was previously unavailable. Cloud applications exploits the use of the web, shared resources, and shared software to allow users ease and flexibility when accessing data and programs that have been vital in connecting people and businesses in particular. The most basic and essential examples of such are web-based e-mail, instant messaging and video services.

Everyone knows that hiring the wrong individual will end up costing your organisation far more than their monthly salary. Here’s how you can ensure that happens by screwing up the selection process with these rookie errors. Thankfully, we also give you tips on how to cover all your bases.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not cursing all my readers. Getting laid off and searching for another job can really suck. Some struggle to find a new one and even when they do, they often make less money than before.

We have seen the proliferation of mobile computing and its impact on our daily lives, so much so that at times one wonders if it has encroached upon our privacy. Ken Auletta, author of The Highwaymen, had observed the growing intensity of competition for control of the world's fastest growing industry: communications. The contestants are the huge Hollywood studios, the television networks, and telephone, publishing, and computer companies. Nonetheless, has anyone or could Ken have imagined the promulgation of “communications” into automotive? Can you imagine the tablet or smartphone becoming the central control console of your car? Is it so inconceivable to have a communication device such as the tablet or smartphone to manage the communication and applications in your car such as the radio, air-con, navigation system, etc? Now, telematics is a growing market for the automotive industry not limited to basic functions like the GPS. In fact, Telematics2.0 is an extension of traditional telematics utilising Smartphone technology within a telematics style solution. Henceforth, a smartphone or tablet could easily be a telematic device. Although the navigation system was launched in the market since the 1990s, adoption had been slowed as there were few map applications, and the navigation system was only a single function device. Today, devices such as the iPhone and Galaxy Note2 have a huge preloaded suite of applications, ranging from music, entertainment, games to LBS. Google maps is one of the most popular apps for smartphones. With such a huge suite of apps, the smartphone or tablet could easily replace the car radio and navigation system, provide entertainment such as music, movies and games, or be converted into the remote control for the air-con. One of the projected applications for the smartphone was eWallet, to be able to make payments via the smart chip. What about using this eWallet function to make toll, ERP or parking payments? Or replace the IU in the car? One of the major challenges would be the barrier erected by the automotive manufacturers, who want to design and build-in the telematic device into the car with functions and applications for managing the various components of the car such as the security and safety systems, connection to the ECU (engine control unit), remote diagnostics, etc. Notwithstanding such a hindrance, it wouldn’t be long before the smartphone or tablet become an integral part of the vehicle providing the driver with a wide range of applications at his finger tips to alleviate the burden of driving.

I refer to the latest initiatives and suggestions by Singapore’s government and labor unions to boost the fertility rates in Singapore – from increasing of maternity leave, introduction of paternity leave, flexi work arrangements, child care subsidies and cultivating a work life balance etc. While I applaud these positive initiatives, I do not think this will have an immediate or huge impact on the current birth rates due to: “Career First, Settle Down Later” mindset Ask any graduate who just completed university, what are their immediate goals/plans or in the next 5 years. Almost 99% WOULD not say they want to start a family and have two or three children. Most would want to find a job with good salaries and progress in their careers within the next 2 – 3 years and beyond. “Not married, No kids – It is not a big deal” In the past, when you are not married by a certain age say 35 years old or not having children after several years of marriage, you are viewed as an outcast (during our parents’ time). Times have passed and things have changed dramatically. I have personally come across many of my peers who are either not married or married but with no intention of having a kid. Their response is always it is not a big deal and they do not see it as anything wrong or out of the social norm. “Earn More, Spend More” lifestyle As salaries increases, so do quality of life for most of us. From owning a car, more frequent holidays, dining at posh restaurants and buying designers’ brand goods, having a child can be seen as a liability and high monthly expenditure with no immediate/long term gains. “I think I Can Achieve More” mentality When you reached a certain status by a certain age, the natural thought that comes to your mind – what is next? Should I settle for status quo or push myself up to the next level? Humans being humans, they are greedy and competitive by nature and would naturally choose the latter. Again, having a kid at this juncture is not seen as a priority for most. Ability to juggle to the new “life” For those with children would admit that while it seems easy, it is in fact not as simple as one thinks to have a child and raise he/she up well. In fact, some people are extremely fearful. Lifestyle needs to be changed, financial prudence needs to be exercised and lots of sacrifices need to be made. Reflect and think what your parents have done for you while you were in growing up years. It is not only about the financial aspects of it but whether is one ready to be a father or mother? Enough has been said on the joy of starting a family and having kids. We all know that, the problem is overcoming the mindsets/obstacles. Parents’ nagging and pestering can only do that much, government’s support, incentives and encouragement can only push you a little bit more. Ultimately, it must be us, the current and future generations READY to tackle the challenges and overcome the mindsets. Some of us are just not as ready. *The views expressed above are my mine and not those of my company.  

Singaporeans currently working overseas are interested in returning home, but only if it’s on their salary terms. That’s one of the findings from the latest Hays Quarterly Report, covering the October to December quarter.

In today’s highly dynamic global marketplace, planning and preparedness are the best defenses against emergency situations. It is important to have a detailed plan in place outlining the actions needed to maintain business operations in times of emergencies. Failure to plan ahead may result in lost revenue, lower productivity and customer dissatisfaction, as well as damage to the company’s brand reputation. While, in some cases, certain factors are external and beyond control, there are still ways to prepare and cope with unforeseeable situations, thus mitigating significant losses for the company. Here are the following ten tips for businesses and governments that can help ensure operational continuity.