Small and medium-sized enterprises are getting an over $80 million nudge to go digital with a new SMEs Go Digital Programme.

The initiative includes the building of an SME Technology Hub set up by the Info-communications Media Development Authority. It will complement the existing network of SME Centres, where firms can get free business advice and access information on government schemes.

While companies can approach advisers at these centres for off-the-shelf technology solutions, firms that require more specialised advice will be able to do so at the new tech hub. Also announced yesterday were sectoral Industry Digital Plans, which will give SMEs step-by-step advice on the technologies to use at each stage of their growth. The plans will start with targeted sectors: retail, food services, wholesale trade and logistics, among others. These were chosen as they are "sectors where digital technology can significantly improve productivity", said Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat in his speech yesterday.

Mr John Cheng, director of sugar manufacturer Cheng Yew Heng Candy Factory, said the new SME technology hub "definitely fills a gap" in the ecosystem, as it provides a one-stop shop for SMEs wanting to get help in going digital.
He hopes the help at the tech hub can go beyond "traditional" solutions such as digitising accounting systems - to include help in more advanced areas such as social media marketing and data analytics.
Experts said the programme would be helpful in ensuring that more companies build digital capabilities, but that the measures did not go quite far enough. Association of Small and Medium Enterprises president Kurt Wee said the creation of the SME Tech Hub and connecting it with the network of SME Centres are meaningful. "Structurally, they have got it right because the SME Centre is an outreach platform that has reached out to thousands of SMEs, and is a good platform to hand- hold SMEs through digitisation. Connecting it to the tech hub helps to ensure you do not duplicate what has been done before," he said.

However, he said he expected "a bit more", as digitisation is significant in boosting the capabilities of SMEs.
The sum of over $80 million may not be enough, and the Government may need to consider expanding the programme, especially if take-up is good, he added.
Mr Lennon Lee, a tax leader for entrepreneurial and private clients at PwC Singapore, said the programme appears to be targeted at the SMEs that have not embarked on digitisation, as the targeted sectors named have been deemed as "not making sufficient progress in productivity growth".

He, too, felt that "given the size of the funding and the target industries", the programme will help companies to increase productivity, but that it would not be enough to be a game changer.
Mr David Ngoh, chief executive of RMA Group, an SME that helps firms with digitisation efforts, said the Government's initiative was laudable, but emphasised the need for a "hand-holding approach".
"A comprehensive hand-holding approach throughout the entire life cycle of the process would ensure that any money spent will be worth it, bearing in mind that we are dealing with SMEs that tend to lack the necessary resources and know-how in making sure that digitisation will help them," he said.

"I believe that the Government is well aware of this, which can be seen from the 'in-person' help at SME centres and the new tech hub."

As events in the past year have shown, businesses can face all kinds of sudden disruptions, from cyber attacks to collapsed ceilings.

And while most companies are aware that they need contingency plans in place in case of such emergencies, many lack the resources or knowledge to devise such plans or implement them.

The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) launched two new initiatives yesterday to help firms take the first step.The first will enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to receive support from the SBF and Spring Singapore to develop a basic business continuity plan to manage specific disruptions to their operations, such as haze or a pandemic.

The plans will be verified by a third-party auditor to ensure they are robust.

Announcing the initiatives yesterday, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Koh Poh Koon said it has become increasingly important for companies to be well-prepared for disruptions.

"Regionally, the haze from August to October had a significant impact on businesses here, as consumers chose to stay indoors and tourist numbers dropped, while the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in South Korea led to cancellations for Singaporean businesses with hospitality and tourism operations in South Korea, such as tour group operators," he noted.

Dr Koh told the annual SBF conference on Business Continuity Management (BCM) that greater global interconnectivity has also made companies more vulnerable to disruptions ranging from cyber attacks to political unrest to minor emergencies such as power outages and ceiling collapses.

The SBF initiative also serves as a stepping stone for SMEs towards a full BCM certification process, which is more comprehensive but also more laborious and costly. SBF chief executive Ho Meng Kit said the initiative comes after a survey last year showed that Singapore firms are mostly aware of the importance of BCM, but that some are held back from adopting full standards due to a lack of resources, deficient knowledge and skills, and the costs involved to maintain certification.

Business services provider RMA Group's director David Ngoh said, however, that undergoing the full certification process has been worth it for his firm.

"It helps the company culture. As everyone gets involved and understands what needs to be done in the event of minor and major disruptions, back-up procedures can be rolled out quickly. Everyone knows how to activate Plan B."

Getting certified in BCM, as well as other standards such as security, has also helped boost his firm's reputation, especially among big clients such as multi-national firms and government agencies.

This has in turn driven his firm's rapid growth - an average 40 per cent rise in revenue annually over the past 10 years. The second initiative launched yesterday is a handbook for logistics companies in the cold chain, warehousing and storage industry that will help them assess their readiness against disruptions, and gives them tips on how to improve.

The benefits of business continuity management (BCM) cannot be measured in dollars and cents, which may be why many small and medium-sized enterprises have not developed plans. But some buck the trend, like RMA Group, which provides business processes like recruitment, payroll processing and digitisation.Lee Xin En speaks to managing director David Ngoh about the benefits of BCM.

Q What is BCM, and why did you go for the full BCM certification?
A BCM is about what you have to put in place to ensure business continuity. There are two parts to it - what you would call the necessary business continuity management, which is what one does to ensure recovery from disaster. This is usually done at the location of operations. The second part is what is done when the company is recovering from disaster. In this case, you could have something in place to ensure that business operations carry on, like back-up support facilities, people, and systems that can be up and running in no time. We do both because this is very much in line with the clients we serve - banks, important authorities like the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. We need to have BCM as we serve the Government. We got the international certification in 2014. I believe in standards because I'm an engineer by training. Standards help the company because we go through a process where everything is done in a systematic, orderly manner, and advised and checked by third-party experts. Yearly audits also remind everyone to "wake up". The key thing is that one must be proactive, not reactive. Standards ensure that you are proactive. Having a third party to check is also important. If we review ourselves, there is always no problem. The idea is proactive planning - you have to look for problems before they happen. It is something which a lot of companies don't do.

Q What benefits do you think the company has reaped from the certification?
A With BCM certification, our government body clients are definitely more comfortable. It's difficult for clients to know what the standards are and to ensure adherence. So having a third-party international body is good. We were able to improve our standard operating procedures as well. Another benefit of BCM is education of staff - it helps them recognise the need to adhere to standards. The greatest benefit of certification is that we set up yearly reviews. You'll be surprised - many companies don't do this. So when things happen, it's too late. This was one of the holes I saw when I was growing this company too. We can drown in the day-to-day work of ensuring revenue and addressing clients' issues.

Q What kind of business processes are growing in demand?
A On a short-term basis of between one and five years, the demand is for digitisation. A lot of companies are using computers for workflow, so we can help them with that. We put whatever they have into a digitised form so they can use it easily, as opposed to looking for physical files. In the medium term, it will be transaction processing where companies have to deal with third parties, as well as security requirements. They want to work with a company that can help them put information in order, as well as a company that can help them navigate the flows between downstream service providers to them.

Q What are RMA's plans for growth this year?
A Our strategy for growth is regional as well as local expansion through new marketing and revenue streams in new sectors. We are not very big in the private sector as we don't really do sales. We are going to do that. Multinationals are now willing to use us in countries like Myanmar despite knowing that they have to pay a premium for us compared with local companies in Myanmar. But these countries don't have a strong support infrastructure. In Myanmar, we are helping Shell, and we are helping Visa in India hire a contingent workforce. So far, we have been quite reactive but we plan to be more proactive in our regional strategy.

She was working as a sales assistant in 2007 when tragedy struck, changing her life forever. Ms P. Malligah, who was then 41 years old, ended up with a spinal cord injury that left her hospitalised for six months and needing a walking aid for the rest of her life. She teared up as she recalled the episode and declined to elaborate further. Unable to stand for long periods, Ms Malligah was forced to leave her job and learn new skills. She flitted between jobs until 2012, and has been unemployed for the past three years when she joined the Infocomm Accessibility Centre Certificate in Office Skills (Icos) programme in June this year. The four-month programme equips job seekers aged 18 and above with physical, sensorial or development disabilities with office skills for administrative positions. It was started by SPD, formerly known as Society for the Physically Disabled. The 49-year-old woman was initially at a loss during the programme. Ms Malligah said: "I wanted to learn but I didn't know how. My highest qualification was Secondary 2 as my father could not afford my education." Her eyes lit up as she described how her confidence improved while attending Icos. With these skills, Ms Malligah is better qualified for desk bound jobs. Her course ends this month. She said: "Besides learning computer skills, we are encouraged to improve and upgrade ourselves. Unlike other training courses I've attended, the instructors talk a lot about disability. "They taught me not to be afraid of how people look at our disability. " On Thursday, pioneer sponsor StarHub increased its sponsorship of Icos from $200,000 in 2013 and last year to $300,000 for the next two years.

FREE TRAINING

Others like Mr Benjamin Wong have also benefited from the free training, which is supported by the Government and StarHub. Mr Wong, 22, who has mild intellectual disability said: "The training taught me a lot about office etiquette and IT skills. "I've also learnt a short cut to switch between two files at the same time when opening Microsoft Excel," he added. Working as a part-time barista in Coffee Bean, Mr Wong delightedly recounted how he could send e-mails to his boss at work. But finding jobs for those who ?finish the programme is still a challenge. Only 25 out of 53 of them have been hired since the programme was launched in July 2013. Mr Jeffrey Chin, 41, deputy director at SPD said:"When employers hear they need to accommodate, they will not be as willing as compared to a candidate that can do everything. For instance, a wheelchair-bound person will need a lower table." While SPD is looking for more companies to come on board, Mr Chin told The New Paper that they were not disheartened. He said: "We are not here for the numbers but for the clients. At least we're making a difference to one person." But some companies have come forward to help. More than a hundred companies, mostly Small Medium Enterprises, work with SPD to place disabled workers. Ms Low Lian Wa, operations supervisor of employment agency RMA Contracts, told TNP that she is keen to employ the disabled. Ms Low said: "They appreciate every opportunity. Even though it may take three or four times for them to understand things, they have a better attitude. While an able-bodied worker might idle, they are very focused." She has employed hearing-impaired employees who perform their duties better than regular workers. Ms Low's firm has about 10 employees with disabilities, two of whom attended Icos. She said: "We believe that everybody deserves a fair chance and opportunity."

$30 million scheme to help disabled workers and their employers

The Open Door Programme (ODP) is an initiative run by Government agency SG Enable that supports disabled workers and their employers. In April last year, the Government set aside $30 million to fund the scheme over three years. Any Singapore-registered organisation interested in hiring, or who has hired employees with disabilities can apply for the programme that helps integrate disabled workers into the workplace. The scheme covers job training, recruitment services, workplace modification, job redesign and other funds to ease employers into hiring disabled workers. That means employers worried about additional costs when hiring disabled workers can apply for financial grants to send disabled employees for training and create a user-friendly workplace. Any disabled person who is looking for a job or wish to attend skills upgrading courses can also apply for the ODP. Unemployed workers can refer to the Open Door Job Portal as well as apply for training grants and allowances during the training period. Registration and posting of job vacancies is free on the SG Enable website. Employers and employees can register with SG Enable by calling 1800 8585 885.