Businesses today require agility, to be able to continually evolve in the face of constant disruption. Over the past years, the global pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital solutions among businesses. Coupled with the rise of Industry 4.0, continued disruption brought about by technological innovation is moving the Process Construction and Maintenance (PCM) sector towards integration of workflows so as to better facilitate overall efficiencies, namely in rapid productions and cost savings.
These trends have reinforced the imperative need for businesses and their staff to be digitally ready. Going digital is no longer a “good to have”, but a “must have”. Many SMEs recognise that and see digitalisation as an opportunity to reinvent and bring their businesses to the next level. More than 80,000 SMEs have adopted market-proven and cost-effective digital solutions under the SMEs Go Digital programme since its launch in 2017. In partnership with the Association of Process Industry (ASPRI), over 200 companies in the PCM sector have reaped benefits from these digital solutions and upskilling of their workforce.
For instance, SMEs who have successfully adopted digital solutions, such as the Workforce and Project Management Solutions, have cited that they gained better visibility of multiple on-site projects. This resulted in improved operational efficiency and productivity, which allowed these businesses to provide more timely responses and better customer services.
To give SMEs the confidence and convenience to go digital, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)’s Chief Technology Officer-as-a-Service (CTO-as-a-Service) enables SMEs to conduct self-assessment of their digital needs via a one-stop platform. It also provides SMEs with quick access to digitalisation resources and a shared pool of Digital Consultants for expert advice and project management services. We strongly encourage SMEs in the PCM sector to tap on CTO-as-a-Service to assist them in their digital transformation journey.
As the trade association of the Process Industry, ASPRI plays a critical role in working with IMDA to grow and level up our local SMEs so that they are able to strengthen their business continuity and seize opportunities in the digital domain. I congratulate ASPRI for a very successful twenty-five years and look forward to even bigger contributions and stronger partnership in the years ahead.
Catherine Chong
Director, SMEs Go Digital, IMDA