Ready For The Post-Covid Era?
SME Magazine Singapore|Issue 32, 2021
COVID-19 won’t be around forever. Businesses need to plan for the future, which is not going to be back to normal.
Ong Xiang Hong
Ready For The Post-Covid Era?

The pandemic and the subsequent lockdown have brought home several lessons for business, which would have been impossible to know otherwise. For example, is has been proven that productivity is not lost when working from home. In fact, the pandemic proved that remote work is now a real possibility.

As we move on to the next phase of the pandemic, now is the time for businesses to act on the data, insights, and lessons learned. These can be used to boost business value today and build a resilient strategy for tomorrow.

MOVE QUICKLY, BUT FIRST…

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that speed is important. The virus hit fast and hard, but businesses reacted just as quickly. Reorganising supply chains, shifting to remote work, and speeding up decision making were just some of the examples of alacrity that businesses shown they were capable of.

Now, the question is: can organisations maintain that momentum into the future? And not just speeding up when needed, but maintaining that speed. It has to be sustainable. To get this done, companies have to look not just at capacity, but also the mental health of their workforce and the burnout often experienced by employees. Proactively reacting to the needs of customers and building digital capabilities is also crucial to the post-COVID era.

THE SHIFTING EXPECTATIONS OF TALENT

Now that people have gotten used to working from home, it’s unlikely they’ll want a return to the five-days-in-office work week. Flexibility is now the new normal, as far as employees are concerned.

Sure, there’s no replacement for collaboration in an office. The office will always be a place where the core of business activity will take place. And it’s where the relevant culture points will be built. But there is no longer a need to come in from Monday to Friday.

Denne historien er fra Issue 32, 2021-utgaven av SME Magazine Singapore.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra Issue 32, 2021-utgaven av SME Magazine Singapore.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA SME MAGAZINE SINGAPORESe alt
Cloud- Driven Recovery
SME Magazine Singapore

Cloud- Driven Recovery

With digital transformation being an important catalyst for Malaysia’s inclusive economic recovery, cloud computing plays an important role that enables . the country to acquire the advantages that technology offers.

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 40, 2021
SME Magazine Singapore

Live Werkz: Venturing Beyond Southeast Asia

Being forward-looking in its approach has enabled LiveWerkz Pte Ltd to survive the Covid-19 pandemic, says vice president Tricia Ng. Despite being a Singaporean company, the company does not focus its efforts in the Southeast Asia region. Instead, Greater China and the Middle East become the foundation for its businesses. Ng tells SME the company’s strategies in facing a challenging future.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 42, 2021
SME Magazine Singapore

Singapore's Go Digital Well Received

More than 78,000 of Singapore’s SMEs have participated in the country’s Go Digital programme since its 2017 launch, with more about 40,000 becoming participants last year, including 30,000 that received Covid-19 incentives from the government.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 42, 2021
Accountants And SMEs: Creating A Sustainable World
SME Magazine Singapore

Accountants And SMEs: Creating A Sustainable World

For SME finance professionals, ‘sustainability’ is about achieving longevity. However, there is a confusion over different definitions of sustainability. They recognise the growing importance of tackling sustainability issues but lack the understanding of how doing this can be integrated into day-to-day practices within the finance function.

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 42, 2021
Rebuilding Our Mental Well-Being In Sales
SME Magazine Singapore

Rebuilding Our Mental Well-Being In Sales

Sue Barrett is a writer, training provider and entrepreneur who founded Barrett in 1995 to positively transform the culture, capability and continuous learning of leaders, teams and businesses.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 42, 2021
Omicron: A Test Of Resilence
SME Magazine Singapore

Omicron: A Test Of Resilence

Global manufacturers have been facing a supply chain crisis since the start of the year. Just as it appeared that the situation was beginning to stabilise, the Omicron Covid variant reared its ugly head.

time-read
6 mins  |
Issue 42, 2021
Silver Lining In The Cloud
SME Magazine Singapore

Silver Lining In The Cloud

Although RAS Security Pte Ltd’s business was adversely affected by the pandemic, there’s a silver lining in the cloud. The occurrence has necessitated the company to innovate its business model to remain viable and led to the discovery of new areas of security service provision. Managing director Tejdeep Singh shares his journey.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 40, 2021
SME Magazine Singapore

Accelerating Artificial Intelligence

Singapore is introducing two new public artificial intelligence (AI) programmes as part of the strategy to use technology for social and economic good, involving a total allocation of S$680 million to accelerate AI research. The latest initiatives require a funding of S$180 million.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 40, 2021
Three Tips For Hiring Top Talents
SME Magazine Singapore

Three Tips For Hiring Top Talents

BIG EGOS LOSE TALENTS First up, when it comes to hiring, you must put aside your ego.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 40, 2021
The Economy Is Recovering, But What About People?
SME Magazine Singapore

The Economy Is Recovering, But What About People?

All signs are pointing towards a speedy recovery. Contrary to what this writer initially predicted, the economy seems to be genuinely recovering.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 40, 2021