Business Chief APAC June 2020

APAC EDITION asia.businesschief.com

JUNE 2020

Busiest airports

Accelerating Industry 4.0 manufacturing Enabling manufacturing innovation through digital transformation and IoT integration City Focus

SINGAPORE

Designed for progress.

Built for industry

From manufacturing to healthcare, public sector, retail to fashion, we deliver enterprise software solutions that are built for the cloud, brought together by AI technology.

68,000 customers in 170 countries

$2.5B invested in product development

71 million cloud users

Enterprise leader in ERP infor.com

+61 2 9021 7100

Learn More

Get a demo

FOREWORD

W

elcome to the June issue of

powerhouse, and home to such

Business Chief APAC.

giants as SingTel and OCBC Bank,

On the cover this month is multinational conglomerate Siemens. We

we also take a closer look at the city’s history and highly diverse culture.

speak to Benjamin Moey, VP of

In our top 10 we examine the regions

Siemens APAC, who discusses how

busiest airports, with entrants from

the company is fostering the adop-

Thailand, Singapore, South Korea,

tion of advanced manufacturing

India and China.

technologies in the region.

03

Elsewhere we hear from executives

“Each company’s journey will be dif-

from the likes of IBM, Bupa Australia

ferent. But, we will have the right

& New Zealand, Dentsu Aegis

equipment builders, certification

Network Asia Pacific and many more.

bodies, government authorities and researchers to help them get started,” says Moey. “We invest a lot in startups and support them because they are at the forefront of technology. Siemens helps them to mature, develop and support our ecosystem as a whole - many times we end up acquiring them fully.”

Do you have a story to tell? If you would like to be featured in an upcoming issue of Business Chief APAC please contact william.smith@bizclikmedia.com.

Enjoy the issue!

William Smith

Our City Focus transports us to the city-state of Singapore. An Asian a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

Pack the essentials for your business trip: Laptop Charger Business insights Payment solutions

From T&E expertise to business insights to payment solutions, the American Express Corporate Program gives you all the tools and services you need, so you’re fully prepared for business wherever you are.

To learn more about the American Express Corporate Program, visit www.americanexpress.com.

CLICK THE MENU TO RETURN TO CONTENTS PAGE

APAC EDITION

Subscibe to receive exclusive weekly news and insights direct to your Inbox

CLICK NOW TO SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE

05

PUBLISHED BY

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

William Smith EDITORAL DIRECTOR

Matt High CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Steve Shipley CREATIVE TEAM

Oscar Hathaway Erin Hancox Sophia Forte Sophie-Ann Pinnell

PRODUCTION DIRECTORS

PROJECT DIRECTORS

Georgia Allen Daniela Kianickovรก

Charlotte Clarke Caroline Whiteley

PRODUCTION MANAGER

DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

Owen Martin

Jason Westgate

DIGITAL VIDEO DIRECTOR

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Joshua S Peck

Alex Barron

DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCERS

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Kieran Waite Sam Kemp

Stacy Norman

DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER

Glen White

Shirin Sadr

PRESIDENT & CEO

DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE

Jack Grimshaw www.supplychaindigital.com

14 Accelerating Industry 4.0 manufacturing

xx 30

IBM’S BLUEPRINT FOR A DATA-DRIVEN ENTERPRISE

Rapid innovation in supply chain and manufacturing

46 74 SINGAPORE

xx

60

86

118

104 Bupa Australia & New Zealand

134 La Trobe University

Imvelo

150 Australia Post

166

178

Commonwealth Ombudsman

BEC World

190

204

Dentsu Aegis Network

SOLiD Technologies

218

230

tiket.com

Varian Medical Systems

244

258

Global NTT

Transdev Australasia

276

292

NTT Ltd.

Indosat Ooredoo

306 Vocus Group

324 142 Recreo

TOTAL Solar

340

358

Achmea Australia

Acumentis

372

386

FINOLAB

Marsh

400 Defence Health

412 Ninja Van

422 Terex

Subscribe to the Business Chief Podcast

14

JUNE 2020

Accelerating Industry 4.0 manufacturing WRITTEN BY

WILL GIRLING PRODUCED BY

K ARL GREEN

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

15

SIEMENS

Benjamin Moey,VP of Siemens APAC, discusses how the company is fostering the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies in the region

S

iemens has a reputation which is near-synonymous with technological innovation and visionary leadership in

the industrial manufacturing sector. The largest business of its kind currently operating in Europe, 16

the German company has enjoyed longstanding success in the manufacturing community since 1847. However, far from resting on its legacy, Siemens continues to take on truly global precedence as it expands to new markets and takes on region-specific challenges. This attitude couldn’t be expressed better than the work it is currently exhibiting in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) area, particularly Singapore, with which the company has enjoyed a long and prosperous entrepreneurial partnership since 1908.

When Benjamin Moey joined the company in 2014 as the Head of Strategy and Business Development, he says that it was the unique value that Siemens brings to the APAC region which drew him in: “It was a unique opportunity. I think this company is at the cutting edge of technology and JUNE 2020

17

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

SIEMENS

“ I think this company is at the cutting edge of technology and I’m glad to be back in Asia because this is the growing business hub of the world”

18

— Benjamin Moey, Vice President (Advance Manufacturing, Digital Industries, APAC), Siemens

I’m glad to be back in Asia because this is the growing manufacturing hub of the world.” A microelectronics engineer by training, Moey has enjoyed a varied career, including roles in strategic marketing, investment management the UK and Head of Strategy at Rolls Royce Energy (Asia Pacific). After starting with Siemens, he was soon promoted to Director (Mergers & Acquisitions) at the company’s Energy Division in Orlando, Florida, before rising to his current position as Vice President (Advance Manufacturing, Digital Industries) of the APAC branch.

It is this full-spectrum experience, from

JUNE 2020

Ingenuity drives us CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:27

19 engineering to finance, strategy, R&D

from the hardware which gained its rep-

(research and development) and finally

utation. “There has been a lot of change

to mergers & acquisitions (M&A), that

in mindset at the management level

he believes primed him for leadership

and we have begun transitioning our-

at Siemens. “I’ve been around,” he

selves to be more digitally focused,” he

says, “and I think that the combina-

explains.”In the last four years, we have

tion of these diverse and international

been acquiring software companies in

experiences, as well as my MBA at the

the industrial space and today we are

London Business School, has really set

one of the leaders in that sector.” The

me up for my current role.”

transformation started in 2014 when

Moey’s wide breadth of experience

the company set out its 2020 vision,

and penchant for change came to the

which focused on a trinity of techno-

company at a crucial time; deciding to

logical changes within manufacturing:

fully embrace the exciting, new digital

electrification, digitalisation and auto-

era, Siemens has started to diversify

mation. Instrumental to ushering in this a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

new era for Siemens was the creation of ‘Next47’. A new unit receiving €1bn in funding over a five-year period, it is dedicated to fostering digital disruption and developing fourteen core technologies of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0), including robotics, AI (artificial intelligence), VR (virtual reality), cybersecurity and many more.

Popularly conceived as a holistic integration of digital tech and the means of production, Industry 4.0 generates an exciting vision of the future, wherein self-optimising systems change the work/consumer dynamic forever. The possibilities of this paradigm shift, Moey claims, can be observed in two recent projects undertaken by Siemens, one in Vietnam and the other in Singapore. “Vinfast (a subsidiary of a Vietnamese Conglomerate Vingroup) had aspirations of building

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Benjamin Moey Title: Vice President Company: Siemens Industry: Technology Location: Singapore Benjamin Moey, Vice President at Siemens, heads the company’s Advance Manufacturing Transformation Centre (AMTC) based in Singapore.

Currently leading business development activities in the APAC region, Moey has been a strong advocate for innovative technology, having started out as an R&D process engineer in the semiconductor industry.

their own automobile plant to serve the local market,” he says. “Vinfast approached us in Vietnam asking ‘can you come and figure this out for us?’

Siemens, using the industrial software tools at our disposal and our knowledge of automation, designed and developed a digital twin of the factory. a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

21

SIEMENS

C O MPAN Y FACT S

EOS - “Siemens and EOS have been partners for almost a decade. It was the first company that we started the journey of 3D printing with at our Munich office. Since then, Siemens has acquired at least 50 or 60 EOS printers for serial production; we’ve worked very closely with them and helped to improve and optimise their machines for our own industrial manufacturing.

In particular, we use EOS’ Additive Manufacturing machines to print our gas turbines components. This has accelerated our joint ventures and our alliances. Siemens is keen to demonstrate the power

of 3D printing, and that makes EOS a vital partner for us.” Benjamin Moey, Vice President (Advance Manufacturing, Digital Industries, APAC) JTC - “JTC is a local government entity that focuses on building industrial estates within Singapore. It’s a key partner to us because they are creating the possibilities and consolidating advanced manufacturing to sync with the West. JTC is helping us to make Singapore a nucleus for Industry 4.0 and beyond.” Benjamin Moey, Vice President (Advance Manufacturing, Digital Industries, APAC), Siemens.

23 Vinfast virtually commissioned it prior

imagination: Aquaculture 4.0. A

to the actual build.” Digital twin is

fish farm in Singapore approached

software which can replicate physical

Siemens to enquire how AI might be

assets in order to perform qualitative

able to help its business. Setting up

research before commencing a full

cameras to monitor fish growth pat-

project. Integrating IoT (internet of

terns, Siemens was able to compile

things), AI, machine learning and ana-

data that could be analysed by AI

lytics, Siemens’ digital twin enabled

software to find optimisation potential.

it to complete the project within 21

“Few people realise that digitalisa-

months - “It’s amazing how digitalisa-

tion is not just applicable to standard

tion and our tools have enabled this to

manufacturing facilities or production

happen within such a short period of

lines,” Moey posits. Although still in the

time,” Moey adds. The second project

data collection phase, he believes that

was slightly more unusual, yet it exem-

Aquaculture 4.0 has the potential to

plifies the diversity of the company’s

increase capacity ten-fold. a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Transform your business with industrial 3D printing Digitization is rapidly impacting the manufacturing world.

Make the decisive step towards an advanced and agile production with industrial 3D printing – including connected part and data flow.

www.eos.info

Projects and results like these

APAC region reach its full potential

could not be produced without the

by introducing next-gen manufactur-

technology to enable it or the inno-

ing techniques. “ASEAN probably

vative workplace culture to drive it.

accounts for about 20% of the world’s

Siemens, states Moey, possesses both

manufacturing revenue and growing;

of these valuable assets. Frequently

these manufacturing companies need

the two come together and this has

help and Siemens is ready to be part

led to some of the company’s greatest

of their growth story,” Moey says.

achievements. Prime examples include

A unique venture in the global market,

MindSphere, Siemens’ cloud-based IoT

the goal of AMTC is to bridge the gap

platform for connecting assets within

between developing and matured

an integrated, analytical platform, and

industrial practices, particularly with

its AMTC (Advance Manufacturing

regard to the adoption of 3D printing.

Transformation Centre) concept. The

Siemens hopes that helping compa-

latter was developed to help the

nies accelerate the adoption

JUNE 2019

a low risk, low investment basis at our “ There has been a lot of AMTC facilities,” he continues. change in mindset at It’s a noble, exciting idea and one the management level which Moey has no illusions will be and we have begun transitioning ourselves to easy. “Each company’s journey will be more digitally focused” be different. But, we will have the

— Benjamin Moey, Vice President (Advance Manufacturing, Digital Industries, APAC), Siemens

right equipment builders, certification bodies, government authorities and researchers to help them get started,” he enthuses. Siemens’ goal with AMTC

is to create an ecosystem of partners and technologies to support customof advanced manufacturing tech-

ers with turnkey solutions and expert

nologies through simplification,

guidance. The company achieves this

digitalization and collaboration “can

by building strong relationships with

help them translate their prototype

its core partners/suppliers, such as

designs into industrial-scale produc-

EOS and JTC, as well as by leveraging

tion and truly harness their benefit on

the cream of the startup community

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

25

SIEMENS

26

1847

Year founded

€87.bn+ Revenue in Euros

385,000 Number of employees

JUNE 2020

with next47. “We invest a lot in startups and support them because they are at the forefront of technology,” Moey explains. “Siemens helps them to mature, develop and support our ecosystem as a whole - many times we end up acquiring them fully.” The company is interested in working with equally open-minded companies which have an innovative approach to the industry; Moey considers it essential that they share this vision.

That brings us back to Industry 4.0 and Siemens’ place within it. For Moey, AMTC and the company’s work in the APAC region are leading to a new paradigm of manufacturing and customer consuming which comically dubs ‘the lazy economy’. Detailed, optimised and intelligent, ‘the lazy economy’ could change our purchasing habits significantly. “IoT is helping us deliver what consumers want when they want it and to deliver it on time using advanced manufacturing technologies like 3D printing. One day, IoT might help us understand how much food you have in your fridge and schedule deliveries accordingly,” he says. The realisation of such a thoroughly connected a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

27

SIEMENS

system could dramatically increase consumption efficiencies by making products quickly to order. The challenge for the regional market, he claims, is the ready availability of cheap labour which makes companies interested in adopting next-gen manufacturing techniques lose incentive. However, Moey considers this to be a generational reservation, one which may not hinder younger businesses. “Once the new wave of leaders emerge, because they’re 28

more exposed to these technologies, they will have the right mindset and take things to the next level.”

“AMTC has been established to accelerate the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies through simplification, digitalization and collaboration” — Benjamin Moey, Vice President (Advance Manufacturing, Digital Industries, APAC), Siemens

JUNE 2020

29

Siemens is primed to equip this next

to do so. “The changes happening

generation of APAC enterprise innova-

now are here to stay,” he summarises.

tors with the technical and systemic

“I think people will evolve their mind-

advantages that they’ll need to be

set in terms of how they deal with

competitive. The company has already

change. The most important thing

made notable progress in achieving

for them to understand is that digital

this aim with AMTC and its mastery of

transformation can be a gradual pro-

Industry 4.0 technology. Accelerating

cess; it doesn’t have to be overnight;

the adoption of advanced manufactur-

we need to constantly move and

ing in the region is Moey’s staunch goal

upgrade to really take on the chal-

and he wants to make it clear that a

lenges of tomorrow.”

partnership with Siemens is a significant step for any company that wishes a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

30

JUNE 2020

IBM’S BLUEPRINT FOR A DATA-DRIVEN ENTERPRISE WRITTEN BY

MATT HIGH PRODUCED BY

GLEN WHITE

a si a .busi ne ssc hief. com

31

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

Inderpal Bhandari, IBM’s Global Chief Data Officer, discusses data and cognitive transformation strategies and the role of the Chief Data Officer

“ T

o be a good Chief Data Officer is a true craft; when I walk into an organisation I immerse myself in the business strategy

and the detailed end-to-end business processes to know exactly what I’m going to implement, the strategy behind it, measure how well it’s going to unfold and the milestones to be hit,” says Inderpal 32

Bhandari, IBM’s Global Chief Data Officer. With more than 20 years of experience transforming industry-leading organisations, Bhandari has defined the scope, expectations, and deliverables of the modern Chief Data Officer role. Indeed, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to suggest he is the Chief Data Officer.

Bhandari is a recognised expert in transforming data into business value. He improves customer experiences by delivering strategic and innovative capabilities that use data-driven insights to enable growth and streamline productivity. Most recently, he has been doing so at IBM. Bhandari joined the global tech leader in December 2015 to lead IBM’s data strategy and to drive its internal data and artificial intelligence (AI) transformation. This work,

JUNE 2020

33

a si a .busi ne ssc hief. com

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

“ Our aim was to transform IBM into a data and AI enterprise”

34

His experience and an intimate knowledge of what an effective Chief Data Officer can deliver took shape in the trenches of corporate America where data was becoming the new natural resource. “I became the very

— Inderpal Bhandari, Global Chief Data Officer, IBM

first CDO in the healthcare industry in

which Bhandari joined us to discuss

on in the profession – at that point

in more detail, has culminated in the

there were four of us globally. Today

company’s Data and AI Enterprise

the role has expanded massively with

Blueprint – a roadmap for IBM clients

thousands of CDOs, Chief Analytics

to use when embarking on their own

Officers and Chief Digital Officers,

data and AI journeys.

and I’ve been fortunate to have been

2006, and was an entrepreneur in data products before that. It was very early

at the forefront from the very beginning, learning, and understanding the profession.

“Data is a hugely valuable asset and so the importance of the role has transformed within enterprises,” he continues. “My experiences enabled me to contribute to multiple

JUNE 2020

IBM - DATA STRATEGY CLICK TO WATCH

|

2:18

35 organisations while honing the craft

to the cloud – cloud computing has

of using data and technology to fuel

been a major game changer at the

the powerful and complex transforma-

industry level,” he states, expanding

tions that enterprises are undergoing.”

on the technology evolution that has shaped today’s landscape. “And with

TECHNOLOGY AND TRANSFORMATION: DRIVING CHANGE

that came a heightened focus on

Understandably, during his career

which remain core areas for any CDO.

Bhandari has been at the forefront

Once the resources become available

of technological innovation. He has

through cloud or, more recently, hybrid

also seen data evolve to become a

cloud, AI and many of the devices

crucial success factor for the mod-

at the ‘edge’ can and will come into

ern enterprise.

play, such as robotic technology, the

“The rapid change we’re seeing today really started with the journey

cybersecurity, data privacy and ethics,

Internet of Things (IoT), and autonomous vehicles.” a si a .busi ne ssc hief. com

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

36

The ability to keep ‘building’ on

terms of transforming their businesses.

the hybrid cloud, says Bhandari, will

Leaders and organisations all over the

accelerate the adoption of AI as part

world have come to realise that it’s not

of enterprise transformation. Other

a question of ‘should we do it’, but a

important technologies that will be

question of ‘when do we do it’. If you

adopted include 5G and blockchain,

don’t, you’ll very quickly be irrelevant.”

which he says has the potential to “It’s a rapidly changing industry. But

IBM: THE CDO’S BLUEPRINT FOR CHANGE

with that, comes an acute awareness

When Bhandari joined IBM five years

and willingness on the part of the

ago, his role was specifically created

c-suite and enterprises to gain a much

to facilitate the mission of transform-

greater understanding of what these

ing IBM into a Data and AI enterprise.

trends and technologies can do in

He built a transformation strategy

transform data and data ownership.

JUNE 2020

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Inderpal Bhandari Title: Global Chief Data Officer Company: IBM Corporation Industry: Information Technology & Services

Location: New York

Inderpal Bhandari rejoined IBM as Global Chief Data Officer in December 2015.

In this newly created role, he has leveraged his extensive experience to lead the development of IBM’s data strategy and drive IBM’s internal data and AI enterprise transformation. The work has culminated in the Data and AI Enterprise Blueprint; a roadmap for IBM’s clients on their own transformation journeys.

Inderpal brings to IBM more than 20 years of experience in leadership roles at such leading companies as Cambia Health Solutions and Express Scripts/Medco Health Solutions. Prior to joining IBM, Inderpal served as Senior Vice President and Chief Data Officer of Cambia Health Solutions where he led the development of Cambia’s data strategy and drove the transformation of the company’s consumer experience strategies. Prior to that, Inderpal served as Vice President

of knowledge solutions and Chief Data Officer at Express Scripts/Medco Health Solutions, where he was responsible for maximizing the utility of the company’s data and its readiness to respond to emerging market trends. Before that, he founded Virtual Gold, growing the company into an international market leader for analytics in call centers and professional sports. Inderpal is an expert in transforming data into business value and improved customer experiences by delivering strategic, innovative capabilities that use analytic insights to enable growth and productivity. In 2017, he was named U.S. Chief Data Officer of the Year by the CDO Club, and has been featured as an industry expert by Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, US News & World Report, CNN and FOX. Inderpal earned his Master of Science Degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the University of Massachusetts and holds a PhD in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. a si a .busi ne ssc hief. com

37

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

IBM - ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:43

38

roadmap based on three steps:

the company is going to make money,

develop a clear data strategy; execute

maximise business impact, and delight

enterprise-wide data governance and

customers,” he explains. “In IBM’s case

management systems; and become the

it was clear that we were going to make

central data and AI framework for the

money primarily from best-in-class AI

IBM enterprise.

and hybrid multi-cloud offerings. But

The first is crucial for any enterprise

it wasn’t clear what AI meant for an

embarking on such a journey and starts

enterprise or how to go about it. Thus

with one straightforward question:

we thought why not make IBM itself into

what is your company’s monetisation

an AI enterprise and use it as a show-

strategy? This is, says Bhandari, key to

case for our clients.” Bhandari created

a successful data strategy. “Any data

a dedicated team that consists of

strategy has to be tied to the business

world-class data and AI specialists who

strategy, and that revolves around how

collaborate across the entire business.

JUNE 2020

“ To be a good Chief Data Officer is a true craft” — Inderpal Bhandari, Global Chief Data Officer, IBM

IBM’s Data and AI Blueprint encompasses technology, organisational considerations, data, and business process transformation. For example, cognitive services give the ability to see and contextualise across all data as well as infuse insights into the work-

Next, the focus rested on consolidat-

flow of business processes. Hybrid

ing critical enterprise data and making

cloud solutions encompassing public

it available as a service. Rapid inte-

cloud, private cloud and on-premise

gration of critical data into a single,

environments, provide enterprise cloud

consolidated data platform can bring

container support while implementing

unprecedented connection and is

and enforcing security standards

the moment, Bhandari says, where a

and privacy policies. Further, the

data strategy ‘really comes alive.’ He

convergence and curation of data that

adds that a unified data platform is the

would have previously been siloed and

fundamental enabler of advanced AI

fragmented across an organisation,

solutions in an organisation, and brings

to create a reliable and trusted source

new business capabilities, drives effi-

that AI systems can build upon.

ciency and top-line improvement.

“Our aim was to transform IBM into a Data and AI enterprise,” he notes.

According to Bhandari, AI systems – all of which are underpinned by data – have four main attributes: they learn from data, they support forms of expression more natural for human interaction, their primary value is their expertise, and their learning evolves continuously as they encounter new information or scenarios. a si a .busi ne ssc hief. com

39

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

“ Cloud computing has been a major game changer at industry level” 40

— Inderpal Bhandari, Global Chief Data Officer, IBM

JUNE 2020

Cognition also brings distinct advantages to points of business that require significant human judgement. In Bhandari’s Global Chief Data Office, for example, several projects utilise IBM’s Data and AI Platform.

“As an example,” he adds, “take a role within our business, which essentially revolves around an employee having to classify whether a client that we’re working with is a government-owned entity. We hold ourselves to very high standards, and so that kind of classification and judgement is crucial.

We have to get it right. Previously, that classification would have involved research, communication with other parties and eventually arriving at the classification. This is a perfect example of where AI comes into its own.

Using our IBM Watson capabilities, we can now access historical data as to how we have previously labelled companies, and we can sift and monitor real-time information about those same businesses.

“That capability makes the decision more quickly, accurately and improves efficiency of the work,” he continues.

“As an example, it may be at a lower a si a .busi ne ssc hief. com

41

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

How the IBM Integrated Analytics System Helps You Do Data Science Faster CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:51

42

“ We have to work AI into every business process, whether it’s supply chain, finance, marketing, accounts payable.

There’s no area it can’t bring significant advantage to” — Inderpal Bhandari, Global Chief Data Officer, IBM JUNE 2020

level in terms of the vast amounts of activity we undertake at IBM, but you multiply it one million-fold across every significant business decision that we make, and you have an insight into the potential of AI. That’s what I envisioned when I began this journey – we have to work AI into every business process, whether it’s supply chain, finance, marketing, accounts payable.

There’s no area it can’t bring significant value to.”

The challenge, says Bhandari, is for enterprises to undertake that scaling of data and AI solutions. Core to that,

he says, is a strong central function

quickly ramp up their AI solutions and

which is the role that he and his imme-

processes and drive business value

diate team provide. However, he also

covering areas including data strategy

adds that in his experience, many

and architecture, automating business

organisations are still in the early

metadata, data privacy and trust, and

stages of their AI adoption journey.

AI applications.

IBM’s learnings from its data and AI

“When I started the Global Chief Data

transformation form the basis of how

Office at IBM, we were effectively at

IBM interacts with clients.

‘ground zero’ in terms of this,” Bhandari

Take the company’s AI Enterprise

notes. “But our success allows us to

Accelerator as an example. This col-

share and take it to a completely new

laborative cross-enterprise initiative

level for both internal transformation

builds on IBM’s AI transformation

and with our clients. Our Enterprise

and is designed to help leaders

Data and AI platform was established

a si a .busi ne ssc hief. com

43

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

1911

Year founded

$79.59bn+ Revenue in US dollars

350,000 Number of employees

44

at the end of 2017 and by year end

freely admits to adopting a ‘fail fast’

2019 we had over 100,000 active

approach to his role and mission at

users on it internally, who were infus-

IBM and is not afraid to admit – even

ing AI into their business processes,

with his experience – that he and his

and several clients replicating these

team are always learning. “If you are

use cases externally. That’s a really

the CDO then you must be aware it’s

high rate of adoption for both internal

a transformation role and you are

use and by our customers.”

primarily a change agent,” he explains.

“You have to change the enterprise to

A BLUEPRINT FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS

transform it, so the data and AI blue-

Any transformation journey is an

print that we developed has all of the

ongoing process, even with a CDO as

aspects that any change agent should

capable as Bhandari at the helm. He

focus on.

JUNE 2020

45

“You use the data and the technol-

data comes from millions of devices

ogy to affect the change, of course, but

at the edge. That and technologies

there’s also the people and culture fac-

such as quantum computing have the

tor that is equally important. You can’t

potential to revolutionise everything

neglect any aspect of that blueprint if

we do. It’s an exciting prospect and a

you want to succeed. Technology will

very exciting time for Chief Data and

continue to evolve, and so we must

Technology Officers at the forefront

evolve too. The move to the hybrid

of these transformations.”

cloud is only accelerating, for example, and things like cybersecurity, privacy and data ownership will become more and more relevant. Similarly, edge computing will be a critical driver as a si a .busi ne ssc hief. com

46

JUNE 2020

Rapid innovation in supply chain and manufacturing 47 WRITTEN BY

GEORGIA WILSON

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

TECHNOLOGY

Tara Merry, Industry and Solution Strategy Director, Infor, discusses rapid innovation in supply chain and manufacturing and the impact of COVID-19

T

HE EVOLUTION OF TRENDS WITHIN MANUFACTURING AND SUPPLY CHAIN

“In conversations with our industrial manufacturing customers, along with our industry strategists, 48

the key challenges that we’ve been discussing are very much focused around industry 4.0,” says Tara Merry, Industry and Solution Strategy Director at Infor. “It’s about finding new ways to increase productivity; driving business model innovation; a shift to servitisation where we’re seeing more subscription-based sales; smart manufacturing, shifting to the cloud, which can enable so many things relating to data visibility, and using that data in bigger ways.

We have also had discussions around the next generation workforce; and the demand for new products and customisation from consumers.”

With the recent disruption caused by COVID-19 in mind, Merry reflects on her career, explaining that for most of it, she has spent close to half of her time on the process side and half on the discrete side of manufacturing. “At the top of emerging trends as a JUNE 2020

49

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

TECHNOLOGY

“ At the top of emerging trends as a result of COVID-19 are safety and security, although these are typical core priorities for manufacturers, they are obviously even more critical in any crisis or disruption” — Tara Merry, Industry and Solution Strategy Director, Infor 50

result of COVID-19 are safety and security. Although these are typical core priorities for manufacturers, they are obviously even more critical in any crisis or disruption. So now, more than ever, reducing risk while maintaining safety and as much efficiency as possible is key for survival. In light of any black swan type event, the main challenges are around trying to remain productive with constrained resources and a resilient supply chain to weather the storm.”

THE BEST STRATEGY FOR RAPID INNOVATION For manufacturers looking to rapidly innovate, Merry details the best strategy to drive results. “Rapid innovation is such an interesting topic for me,” she explains.

“Whether you’re a manufacturer of consumer products, part systems or supplies for other manufacturers, there’s always a significant need for speed and innovation.

“A rapid innovation strategy involves having a strong cross functional team, pilot programs, well-defined goals, and corporate buy-in to be successful. There are several components that build on a strategy in this area, but at the heart of it lies a flexible yet trusted supply chain.

So, when a new product introduction is

JUNE 2020

Companies build best on Infor CLICK TO WATCH

|

0:34

51 ready to scale, manufacturers need to be

integrated business plans can analyse

able to maintain the highest level of qual-

their network continuously and adapt

ity while containing costs and delivering

their plans in real time. When it comes to

on time,” Merry continues.

black swan events, the goal temporarily

However, in light of any black swan event that causes disruption to supply

shifts from innovation and optimisation to getting the basic right for survival.”

chains and innovation, “the strategy shifts from a goal of optimisation, to one focused on getting the basics right

THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND RAPID INNOVATION

to remain productive with constrained resources,” she notes. “This type of

• END-TO-END VISIBILITY

strategy focuses on achieving agil-

When it comes to end-to-end visibility,

ity and resilience across the supply

both manufacturing and supply chains

chain, enabled by end-to-end visibility.

can benefit from minimised informa-

Manufacturers that operate collaborative,

tion latency, with information shared a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

TECHNOLOGY

52

across the network in almost real time.

and that we’re focused on. So, for

To achieve this, Merry explains that

manufacturing, the key components

“adopting cloud-based, digitally ena-

are connectivity, IoT, machine learning

bled solutions can be the foundation

and the cloud to rapidly innovate the

for end-to-end visibility.”

effectiveness of global manufacturing.

She adds that “manufacturers must

All of the business systems we’ve dis-

be able to work with a wide variety of

cussed must support a diverse range

systems such as ERP, WMS, supply

of IoT technology. Once that data is

planning, transportation manage-

harnessed into the cloud, it creates

ment and DMS to actually achieve

visibility and can be used in advanced

end to end visibility. This takes me

or even predictive analytics to drive

back to elements of industry 4.0.

process optimisation, create and act

End-to-end visibility really encom-

on alerts and predict when, or even

passes the trends that we’re seeing

before an issue occurs.”

JUNE 2020

• ADVANCED PLANNING AND LEADING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY Once a product has completed its design and testing process, manufacturers look to scale the prototype for mass production while maintaining high quality standards, containing costs and delivering products at the right time.

When it comes to implementing and achieving the desired outcomes of leading-edge technology, supply chain technologies, advanced planning and multi enterprise business networks, Merry explains that it’s “simply about improving service levels which ultimately leads to potential revenue growth, decreased costs and decreased working capital - core goals of supply chain and manufacturers.

This kind of technology is about driving

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Tara Merry

Title: Director of Industry & Solution Strategy Company: Infor Industry: Computer software Tara Merry began her career 20 years ago in the chemical industry, focused on leading strategic supply chain initiatives for high-profile companies. Currently the Director of Industry & Solution Strategy at Infor, Merry is a curious, lifelong learner and leader, passionate about exploring diverse customer needs, solving problems and challenging the status quo.

better fulfillment capabilities to match supply and demand, optimise inventory and optimise warehouse operations.”

Leading-edge planning tools can provide a more accurate picture for supply chains and manufacturers by harnessing advanced algorithms that allow planning teams to capture a clearer projection of future demand.

Combining this technology with a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

53

TECHNOLOGY

54 solutions that configure statistical fore-

paired with a strong strategic sourcing

casting allows the end user to identify

program and a multi enterprise solution

shifts and anomalies in demand sooner

to gain visibility to suppliers.

to drive the bottom-line impact, as well

“A streamlined adaptable production

as the ability to examine distribution,

schedule enables a new product to

production, and procurement alterna-

seamlessly transition from a proto-

tives when needed.

type to mass production, to bring new products to market faster,” explains

• OPTIMISING AND STREAMING PRODUCTION

Merry. “A strong ERP can create lean,

Influenced by improving the supply

are resilient to disruptions and build on

chain management and shop floor

their advanced supply chain practices,

visibility, production optimisation and

thus driving speed and innovation.

streamlining is driven by the combina-

Ultimately, it’s all about increasing

tion of having the right ERP solution

asset utilisation, increasing efficiency,

JUNE 2020

demand-driven supply networks that

55 and increasing service levels. It allows an organisation to reap the benefits of a synchronised supply chain.”

Critical to the streamlining process, Infor explains that “it’s important for manufacturers to utilise global, multisite enterprise planning capabilities to synchronise supply processes, allowing them to lower inventory, optimise resource utilisation, and improve customer service. Integration of a manufacturer’s supplier network with advanced supply chain collaboration capabilities that include functionality for vendor managed inventory (VMI),

“ Suppliers are essential to any manufacturer and the supplier relationship doesn’t need to be painful or risky, so creating a flexible connected supplier network built on trust is key and can enable innovation” — Tara Merry, Industry and Solution Strategy Director, Infor

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

TECHNOLOGY

56

JUNE 2020

supplier managed inventory, consignment, kanban scheduling, just in time (JIT), and supply in line sequence (SILS).”

OPTIMISING WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT With manufacturers and distributors continuously facing the challenges of rising costs, increased supply chain complexity, changing business models and changing customer demands, Merry explains that as a result “they may reevaluate their warehouse management practices, processes and systems to improve warehouse productivity. Strategies that can be deployed to address these hurdles include investing in advanced warehouse manufacturing systems (WMS).

One of the most commonly cited use cases for industry 4.0 is connectivity, so in this case, the use of IoT and warehouse operations for smart warehousing to connect every item, employee and device for real time visibility across the supply chain.”

Investing in WMS solutions and IoT for warehouses can drive a variety of benefits within manufacturing and supply chain operations, “the technology can strengthen order management, a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

57

TECHNOLOGY

increase labor productivity, and maximise the use of warehouse assets,” says Merry. “Ultimately this will drive costs down and create an opportunity for greater warehouse visibility, agility, and productivity. This will build the foundations for profitable growth and improve customer experience.”

Merry states that “ultimately efficient distribution drives speed, which allows companies to maximise their product placement strategies, better prioritise their tasks, implement productivity standards and increase logistics effi58

ciency, which all could be considered drivers of rapid innovation.”

“ Adopting cloud based digitally enabled solutions can be the foundation for endto-end visibility” — Tara Merry, Industry and Solution Strategy Director, Infor

THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPLIERS FOR RAPID INNOVATION Whether it’s simple parts or complex systems, Merry emphasises that “suppliers are essential to any manufacturer, and the supplier relationship doesn’t need to be painful or risky.

Creating a flexible connected supplier network built on trust is key and can enable innovation.”

In the minds of a high-tech manufacturer, maintaining a competitive advantage is being the first to market

JUNE 2020

2002

Year founded

10,000 Number of employees

59

with differentiated, high-quality products.

an example might include leaning on

“Having the right supplier network that

the expertise that resides in your supply

is optimised to reduce complexity and

base to enable mass customisation of

increase speed and visibility through

goods. Customisation requires signifi-

component standardisation is a key ena-

cant changes to design, supply chain,

bler of rapid innovation,” Merry notes.

sales, manufacturing and delivery. If

Another driver of rapid innovation

these aspects are not working together,

when it comes to suppliers is collabora-

the entire business model falls apart.

tion and co-innovation. In this instance,

Therefore, collaboration with suppli-

Merry explains that one follows the

ers can enable manufacturers to stay

other. “Collaborating with suppliers can

focused on their core competencies.”

lead to co-innovation and can act as an extension of a manufacturer’s brand. So, a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

60

THE DIGITAL EVOLUTION OF SUPPLY CHAIN

OPERATIONS Dr. Frank Himpel, Faculty Member at CSE Hamad Bin Khalifa University and Jaap Bruining, Head of Coyote Europe, Coyote Logistics, discuss the digitalisation of supply chain

WRITTEN BY

JUNE 2020

GEORGIA WIL SON

61

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

I

n today’s supply chains, fast paced innovation and complex operations built on legacy systems are commonplace chal-

lenges within the industry. To combat this,

supply chains are digitally transforming in order to create more efficiency. With digitalisation, supply chains are experiencing cost reductions, as well as increased agility, end to end visibility and flexibility, resultingin a competitive advantage against others in the industry.

Speaking with Dr. Frank Himpel, Faculty Member at CSE Hamad Bin Khalifa University, 62

and Jaap Bruining, Head of Coyote Europe at Coyote Logistics, we discuss current supply chain digitisation trends, the benefits, the challenges and the future of supply chain technology.

HOW CAN THE SUPPLY CHAIN INDUSTRY BENEFIT FROM DIGITISATION? Dr. Frank Himpel: Supply chains link customers on buyers’ markets with production capacity and resources needed from resource markets. This occurs on a global scale, making the world a smaller place.

Global ordering and deliveries are a reality in many industries already. In order to facilitate accuracy, forecasting, operational efficiency, and strategic flexibility of the entire chain, JUNE 2020

63

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

ericsson.com/ 5g-switch

Move towards zero touch, cut down on time

Ericsson.

The 5G switch made easy.

With automated provisioning and insight-driven service assurance, Ericsson Dynamic Orchestration simplifies operations, moving you closer to the zero-touch experience.

This means greater savings and shorter time to market.

Dr. Frank Himpel

“ Digitalisation can help to reap the benefits of a more agile supply chain portfolio network for the benefit of all parties involved – customers, companies, suppliers, and logistical service providers” — Dr. Frank Himpel, Facility Member, Engineering Management and Decision Sciences division, College of Science and Engineering at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar

of a company trying to satisfy the needs of its ever-more demanding customers. Digitalisation can help to reap the benefits of a more agile supply chain portfolio network for the benefit of all parties involved – cus-

digitalisation has played a crucial role.

tomers, companies, suppliers, and

In the past, logistics and supply chain

logistical service providers. To that

management was considered a purely

end, digitalisation is a great opportu-

operational play that could be opti-

nity in many industries worldwide.

mised by lowering costs as well as overall quality for the customers.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF DIGITALISATION?

Transportation tasks and logistical

Dr. Frank Himpel: The digitalisation

coordination were often outsourced to

of a supply chain network has several

achieve greater cost control through

benefits. Depending on the specific

scaling. However, through the advent

industry, products can be delivered to

of digitalisation, this view has been dis-

customers much faster than before.

rupted. Nowadays, logistics and supply

This reduces lead times and delivery

chain management is a strategic asset

times, in particular of so-called high

lead times, while trying to increase

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

65

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

66

runners. Here, predictive analytics

even if the production points are on

tools are employed to simultaneously

the other side of the globe. Thirdly,

and continuously assess internal and

the production concept of mass cus-

external data with regards to improv-

tomisation will be more fully and

ing forecasting of demand volumes

broadly implemented. While this

and demand patterns, as well as provi-

concept has been introduced to the

sion times. Another benefit largely

management discipline already some

associated with digitalisation is to

time ago, it has not been able to show

increase the flexibility of the produc-

its potential on a global scale in many

tion infrastructures (i.e. factories),

industries. Through the disruptive

no matter where they are located

advent of digitalisation, the benefits

geographically. The more interlinked

of mass customisation (i.e. highly

coordination with logistics and trans-

individualised production at compa-

portation capacity ensures the timely

rably lower factor costs) will become

delivery to end users and customers,

available for many industries

JUNE 2020

Coyote Logistics: Helping You Deliver on Your Promises CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:03

67 worldwide. Also, operations can be

autonomous production and logistics

managed in a more granular manner.

capabilities. This spans autonomous

This implies the availability of learn-

mobility of trucks outside the ware-

ing systems to continuously calibrate

houses and factories with more fully

performances (and measure devia-

automated sorting and picking func-

tions accordingly). Therefore,

tionality in warehouses, to factories

management of operations and pro-

that can be steered and adjusted

duction capacity becomes in a way.

from large distances away. All in

To learn about unrealistic KPI targets

all, the benefits of digitalisation in

does not take whole planning cycles

logistics and supply chain manage-

anymore, so that strategic adjust-

ment are very promising, however,

ments can be implemented much

only few companies and industries

sooner. Last but not least, another

have started the journey towards

benefit of digitalisation is the integra-

achieving more digitised production

tion of more fully automated and

potential. a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF DIGITALISATION? Dr. Frank Himpel: Digitalisation is not without its challenges. Several technologies need to be integrated in a technology network that supports a data network (e.g. the so-called cloud), and both networks need to be linked to production capacities and forecasting methodologies. If one element of the entire setup is missing, or not fully operational, then the benefits might not be achieved. In other 68

words, implementing digitalisation as a step-by-step approach, which is often cautious in nature, might not lead to success. Digitalisation is pretty much a binary system – either a sys-

and stakeholders of a supply chain

tem is being digitalised (and if so, then

network. And, to refer to a classical

all-encompassing), or a system is not

metaphor – the chain is only as strong

being digitalised more profoundly.

as its weakest link.

Island-like solutions, such as those

Jaap Bruining: Another challenge

we have witnessed in past decades,

in the digital supply chain is measuring

where ERP systems co-existed with

the impact of supply chain technology,

more traditional legacy systems, are

to determine improvements in efficiency

not the way forward when it comes

and costs reduction. The importance

to the digitalisation of supply chain

of this came through loud and clear

networks. Of particular relevance

in research from Coyote Logistics last

is the holistic, integrative, systemic

year. Supply chain professionals

implementation along all partners

reported that, while measurement is

JUNE 2020

69

essential, many shippers still struggle

“ One major trend through the eyes of logistics and transportation is the advent of so-called supply chain management-as-aservice” — Dr. Frank Himpel, Facility Member, Engineering Management and Decision Sciences division, College of Science and Engineering at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar

with it. In fact, a majority ranked identifying return on investment as a top supply chain technology challenge.

Integrating with systems, managing tools and analysing data completed the top four.

HAT ARE THE CURRENT TRENDS W WITHIN SUPPLY CHAINS IN RELATION TO DIGITALISATION? Dr. Frank Himpel: One major trend through the eyes of logistics and a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

WHAT INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY HAVE YOU SEEN IMPLEMENTED AS A RESULT OF DIGITALISATION WITHIN SUPPLY CHAINS? Dr. Frank Himpel: As companies around the globe aim to capitalise on the benefits of digitalisation,

70

transportation is the advent of so-

artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data,

called supply chain

machine learning (ML), and blockchain

management-as-a-service. Supply

have become highly prominent. In

chain management capability can be

particular, blockchain technology

bought on the basis of need, as pro-

is having inroads into innovative sup-

vided by specialised external vendors,

ply chain concepts in the food and

rather than having such functionality

healthcare sectors. In general, AI

in-house. The whole concept of out-

aims to support a company’s desire

sourcing business functions, which

for greater supply chain automation.

began more than half a century ago

Advanced analytics and the internet of

with outsourcing of IT departments,

things (IoT) sources help better fore-

might be adopted to the outsourcing

casting of demand patterns and supply

of supply chain management functional-

potentials, for example. IoT in particu-

ity. Here, completely new business

lar is considered suitable for supply

models can emerge that will specialise

chains where higher uptime and higher

as per lead-time constraint, mode-of-

asset utilisation are key.

delivery-constraint, and/or factor

capacities. Here, flexible transporta-

WHAT IS THE BEST STRATEGY FOR ADOPTING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY WITHIN SUPPLY CHAINS?

tion networks will ensure the delivery

Dr. Frank Himpel: Hybrid supply

of resources to factories, and/or prod-

chain strategies, where paper-based

ucts to customers.

and IT-based approaches are mixed,

allocation constraint. Another trend is the ‘uberisation’ of transportation

JUNE 2020

rarely achieve the level of efficiency

need to build on existing skills sets

required for successfully spanning

and/or recruit to plug any skills gaps.

global supply chains in the long run.

Keep in mind that out of 13 supply

Therefore, those technologies would

chain tasks, shippers did not think a

need to be adapted swiftly. Here, it

single one should be 100% human or

requires bold decisions, rather than

100% technology — both were con-

cautious tactics. However, acting

sistently the most frequent choices.

alone through one’s own ecosystem

Even those predominantly human or

also might not be suitable – therefore,

technology tasks should have some

allocating partners and orchestrating

blend of both. Once strategy creation

them in a concerted effort is key.

and execution is underway, remember

Jaap Bruining: It’s also important to know what the aims are, how tech-

to stay informed on industry trends and new technology.

71

nology will help meet them and how

priorities with those of the business and

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE DEVELOPED IN RELATION TO DIGITALISATION?

executive leadership. Secure IT’s input

Dr. Frank Himpel: Talking about

to the strategy. It’s also essential to

technology and advancements in

you will measure the impact it has.

Start a steering committee and align

involve human resources as you may

“ Innovations in technology continue to advance capabilities in business planning, measurement, operations and more”

Jaap Bruining

— Jaap Bruining, Head of Coyote Europe, Coyote Logistics a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

72

digitalisation falls short of mentioning

business, and even the advent of

that logistics and supply chain man-

Supply Chain 4.0 will not completely

agement is a people-intensive

get rid of human resources in our

business. Even more so, people in

supply chain networks. However,

logistics and transportation have

as facets of efficiency of increased

a wide variety of educational back-

digitalisation capability are likely to

grounds, with regards to specialisation

(partially) diminish the role of human

and maturity. Logistics is a people’s

beings in these networks, alternate

JUNE 2020

73

jobs need to be allocated for these

measurement, operations and more.

individuals. So, rather than wishing

Advanced AI solutions, better freight

for even more roboterised production

market forecasting tools, technology

and logistics systems, I would suggest

to streamline supply chain and block-

to not forget the human dimension.

chain as a viable operating system

Jaap Bruining: Innovations in

were at the top of the supply chain

technology continue to advance

wish list for shippers, Coyote Logistics’

capabilities in business planning,

research revealed last year. a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

CITY FOCUS | SINGAPORE

City Focus

74

SINGA JUNE 2020

APORE Business Chief explores the city-state of Singapore via its history, three companies in the telecom, agribusiness and finance sectors, and two exciting events taking place later in the year WRITTEN BY

WILL GIRLING

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

75

CITY FOCUS | SINGAPORE

A

ccording to popular belief, Singapore was so named after prince Sang Nila Utama from

Palembang thought he saw a lion on the island - hence ‘singa pura’, literally translated from Sanskrit, means ‘lion city’. A recognised city-state, Singapore holds

this distinction with only two other modern locations: Vatican City and Monaco.

Because of this, it is also one of the 76

smallest countries on earth and has an approximate land area of just 682.7 square kilometres. With a population of 5.7 million, Singapore is a location with notable cultural diversity: it has four official languages English, Chinese, Tamil, and Malay. An area with outstanding natural conservation, the city-state’s Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (1.64 square kilometres in area) contains a broader variety of tree species than the entire North American continent. It is also one of the greenest urban areas on Earth: 30% of it is covered in vegetation.

Despite its small size, Singapore has a strong economy and an overall GDP of US$324bn ($57,714 per capita). Widely considered to be among the most JUNE 2020

77

“ ‘ Singa pura’, literally translated from Sanskrit, means ‘lion city’” a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

Simpler.

Smarter.

Faster.

Run Coupa.

The Cloud Platform for Business Spend Management.

Join us at Europe’s Premier Business Spend Management (BSM) Event Learn more at coupainspire.com

CITY FOCUS | SINGAPORE

New species found during comprehensive survey of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve CLICK TO WATCH

|

6:22

79

business-friendly cities in the world,

“ The city-state’s Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (1.64 sq km in area) contains a broader variety of tree species than the entire North American continent”

Singapore is prosperous, has a low unemployment rate and an attractive regulatory environment. Owing to its small landmass and historically limited storage capabilities, water is defined as a precious resource in Singapore which must be vigorously imported, desalinated or otherwise reserved in order to meet the city-state’s daily 430 million gallon requirement. Although the city-state lacks the natural resources and raw materials found a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

CITY FOCUS | SINGAPORE

more abundantly in other countries,

the Private Telephone Exchange with

Singapore is able to leverage its strong

a network of 60 telephones to con-

export market to purchase imports

nect the local businesses of the time.

of the goods it requires. Particularly

Changing its name to its current form

strong industries are chemicals, elec-

in 1992, SingTel has grown to become

tronics and the service sector.

a business which employs over 25,000 people and generates rev-

SINGAPORE TELECOMMUNICATIONS LTD (SINGTEL)

stay on top of trends within the indus-

One of the Big Four telecoms com-

try, SingTel is currently partnered with

panies (the others being StarHub, M1

Nokia as they both explore ‘5G slicing’,

and TPG Telecom) currently operating

wherein multiple virtual networks are

in Singapore, SingTel began in 1879 as

combined into one physical network,

80

JUNE 2020

enues in excess of $12.3bn. Keen to

thus allowing customers a greater

extensive and include palm oil farm-

degree of customisation depending

ing, edible oil processing and refining,

on usage.

oleochemical manufacturing and biodiesel production. The company has

WILMAR INTERNATIONAL LTD

established a comprehensive network

Founded in 1991, Wilmar is the industry

of 500 manufacturing plants across

leader in agribusiness on the Asian

over 50 countries, including China and

continent. With revenues of $43bn

India. In addition to oils, Wilmar also

per annum and providing employ-

produces staple products such as

ment to approximately 90,000 people,

noodles, rice and flour. The company’s

the company is an established and

CSR (corporate social responsibility)

dominant figure on Singapore’s mar-

measures have received approval in

ket exchange. Wilmar’s activities are

studies conducted by the Global Child 81

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

CITY FOCUS | SINGAPORE

Forum, which monitors the rights and

Bank, and Oversea-Chinese Bank.

living conditions of children living on

Officially Singapore’s oldest bank

and around plantations used to grow

still in operation, the longevity of its

Wilmar’s products.

operations could be attributed to its international investment portfolio,

OVERSEA-CHINESE BANKING CORPORATION (OCBC BANK)

which includes operations in Malaysia,

OCBC Bank was formed by the merg-

heritage legacy, OCBC Bank believes

ing of three separate entities in 1932:

in remaining at the cutting-edge of

Chinese Commercial Bank, Ho Hong

the financial sector and is keen to

82

JUNE 2020

Indonesia and China. Despite its

“ Widely considered to be among the most business-friendly cities in the world, Singapore is prosperous, has a low unemployment rate and an attractive regulatory environment�

83

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

CITY FOCUS | SINGAPORE

84

implement new innovations linked to technology and sustainability. Recent improvements include an electronic Banker’s guarantee programme, the addition of sustainability-linked loans to its services and the capability to cash cheques at ATMs. Regarding the latter, OCBC Bank states that almost 80% of banking activities can now be performed electronically, making it far more convenient for customers paid by cheque - a common practice for SMEs in Singapore.

JUNE 2020

On 3 November 2020, Singapore will host the third annual REDASRICS Smart Buildings Conference.

Taking “Advancing into the Future: Innovate, Improve, Integrate� as its theme, the event will seek to generate an exciting vision of what the urban landscapes of tomorrow will look like. Following a keynote speech on the utility of 5G and how it will impact the design of buildings and city infrastructure, the event programme will follow topics such as sustainability, engagement, energy efficiency and regulatory developments.

Held slightly earlier in the year is the Singapore Night Festival (21 to 29 August 2020). An annual street festival held to celebrate Singapore’s rich culture of music, art and street performances, the festival is promised to be an audio-visual extravaganza, with film screenings, magic shows and huge light installations on display throughout. The event will be a fantastic opportunity to immerse oneself in the unique culture of Singapore.

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

85

T O P 10

Busiest airports in APAC 86

Business Chief counts down the top 10 busiest airports in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region based on recorded passenger numbers in 2018 WRITTEN BY

WILL GIRLING

WRITTEN BY

JUNE 2020

WILL GIRLING

87

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

T O P 10

Photo © David McKelvey 88

10

Suvarnabhumi Airport 63,378,923 PASSENGERS

Suvarnabhumi was named by HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the former king of Thailand. Meaning ‘the golden land’ in Thai, the airport has the IATA (International Air Transport Association) code BKK, which it inherited from Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport. Operating flights 24 hours a day, Suvarnabhumi features 130 passport control checkpoints, 360 check-in counters and a multi-storey car park with a capacity of 5,000 vehicles. In addition to its impressive total number of passengers, the airport also managed to handle almost 1.5 million tonnes of cargo.

JUNE 2020

09

89

Singapore Changi 65,628,000 PASSENGERS

Winner of the Skytrax ‘World’s Best Airport’ award for seven consecutive years (2012 to 2019), Changi Airport has commanded the respect and admiration of passengers and the wider industry.

Part of the reason behind the airport’s enduring success might be its unrelenting focus on development and expansion: with the expectation that passenger numbers will increase 3% to 4% for the next 20 years, a new terminal is being added - ‘Changi East’.

Featuring a third runway, the ‘mega terminal’ will stay true to the airport’s reputation from providing enjoyable and exciting facilities to passengers as they await departure.

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

Digitize your workflows, so you can do what you love ServiceNow delivers digital workflows that create great experiences and unlock productivity for employees and the enterprise. We simplify the complexity of work on a single, enterprise cloud platform. The Now PlatformŽ: The intelligent and intuitive cloud platform for work™. Choose from our workflows or build your own apps.

Tr y a Dem o Star t a Disc ussio n Con ta c t Us

www.servicenow.com

T O P 10

Photo © Gunawan Kartapranata

08

91

Soekarno–Hatta International 66,908,159 PASSENGERS

Opened to the public in 1985, Jakarta’s primary airport was named after the first President and Vice-President of Indonesia: Soekarno and Mohammad Hatta. Previously struggling to keep up with local demand which made achieving its 81 aircraft movements target difficult, the airport was expanded in 2019 with a third runway to ease congestion.

There are further expansions currently being developed, with the hope that the airport can serve 100 million passengers annually (a 49% increase). In 2018, Soekarno–Hatta transported almost one million metric tonnes of cargo.

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

T O P 10

92

07

Incheon International 68,350,784 PASSENGERS

Frequently ranked as the cleanest airport in the world and occasionally topping Skytrax’s poll of the best international transit airports, Incheon IA has a strong reputation for its quality of service.

Offering passengers far more than the bare essentials, the airport features a golf course, an ice rink and a casino, among other things, and can boast of a departure/arrival cycle that is 200% faster than the global average: just under 20 minutes, as opposed to almost one hour.

Incheon IA’s duty-free section has also received widespread praise, as has the reliability of its baggage handling - reportedly only 0.0001% of total baggage is misplaced or damaged whilst transiting.

JUNE 2020

06

93

Guangzhou Baiyun International

69,769,497 PASSENGERS

The third-busiest airport in China during 2018, Guangzhou Baiyun is a major hub in the country for FedEx, China Southern Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines.

The airport’s capacity has been expanded over the years - it can now accommodate up to 80 million passengers per year and 2.5 million tonnes of cargo. Primarily servicing domestic flight routes, the airport schedules journeys from 100 locations from its two terminals, alongside its 880,000 sq ft FedEx Asia-Pacific hub. The latter retains a staff of 800 people and operates almost 140 flights per week.

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

We organize data everywhere, to keep the world working We use our experience so you can quickly extract value from your critical data anytime, anywhere

Syncsort’s powerful enterprise software provides a simple way to optimize, integrate and advance data anywhere, so you can work more efficiently, grow faster and achieve more.

We optimize data infrastructure to improve performance & control costs across the full IT environment, while assuring data availability and security

We integrate connecting today’s data infrastructure with tomorrow’s technology, and ensuring data quality, to fuel AI, machine learning and predictive analytics

Learn more at www.syncsort.com

We advance pushing the boundaries of what data can do by building products that make data more useful – helping you solve for the present and prepare for the future

T O P 10

05

95

Indira Gandhi International 69,900,938 PASSENGERS

Regarded as India’s busiest airport for over a decade, the Delhibased aviation hub was named after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Currently being expanded to increase its passenger capacity to 100 million by 2030, the airport handled over one million tonnes of cargo in 2018, making it also the busiest cargo transporter in India.

To sufficiently handle the large volume of traffic it deals with on a daily basis, Indira Gandhi IA uses the advanced Airport Collaborative Decision Making system to manage the flow of takeoffs and landings.

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

T O P 10

96

04

Shanghai Pudong International 74,006,331 PASSENGERS

Ranked as possessing the third-largest cargo handling capacity in the world, but slightly behind our number three position on this list, Shanghai Pudong IA transports almost 3.8 million tonnes of cargo per year.

The airport serves over 250 destinations, both international and domestic. It serves as a major hub for Air China, one of the largest airlines in the country, and operates more than 100 other airlines from its two terminals. A third terminal is currently under development - its completion will allow the airport to increase its cargo capacity to six million tonnes.

JUNE 2020

03

97

Hong Kong International 74,517,402 PASSENGERS

The premier cargo transport airport in the world, Hong Kong IA handled 5.1 million tonnes in 2018, which had a cumulative value of HK$3,710bn.

Making use of Hong Kong’s business-friendly economy, geographical situation and highly modern facilities, the airport is an enduring favourite for both companies and travellers alike. It serves over 220 destinations worldwide and has received in excess of 80 awards and commendations for the high quality of its service. Committed not just to operational excellence, Hong Kong IA is also pursuing an increasingly sustainability-focused agenda.

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

T O P 10

Haneda Airport: New Flight Paths Over Tokyo CLICK TO WATCH

100

JUNE 2020

|

5:56

02

Tokyo Haneda 87,131,973 PASSENGERS

Tokyo Haneda Airport has seen varied use over the last 50 years: serving as Tokyo’s primary international flight hub from 1978 until 2010, when it was replaced with the nearby Narita International Airport. The Government of Japan is in the process of further dividing the two, with Haneda favoured to handle business routes and premium services, whilst Narita is used for budget airlines and recreational flights. Despite the change of focus, Haneda remains the busiest airport in Japan and recently had a third terminal added, as well as a fourth runway which enables long-haul flights to land during nighttime.

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

101

T O P 10

01

Beijing Capital International

102

100,983,290 PASSENGERS First opened in 1958, Beijing Capital IA has gradually ascended to becoming Asia’s busiest airport, as well as the busiest in the world.

With over 100mn passengers travelling via the airport and two million tonnes of cargo transported in 2018, it is a vital international hub that adds $6.5bn to China’s GDP each year and employs 1,613 people. Terminal 3 features a food service dubbed a ‘global kitchen’ — 72 restaurants and vendors selling cuisine from several cultures and varieties, including bakeries, ice cream parlours, fine dining and fast food.

JUNE 2020

103

Beijing-Capital Airport: The Busiest in Asia CLICK TO WATCH

|

7:53

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

104

Bupa: the company’s journey and the challenges of COVID-19 WRITTEN BY

GEORGIA WILSON PRODUCED BY

STUART IRVING

JUNE 2020

105

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

B U PA A U S T R A L I A A N D N E W Z E A L A N D

Nick Wong, Director of Technology Delivery, Bupa Australia & New Zealand, discusses the company’s journey and the impact COVID-19 has had the industry

“ E

verything within the business strategy at Bupa is organised around its purpose to help people live longer, healthier, happier

lives, and to ensure people can fund their health through insurance-and good quality, trusted healthcare services,” comments Nick Wong, Director of Technology Delivery, Bupa Australia & New Zealand.

106

“Bupa as an organisation operates within interesting market contexts. In the last five to seven years, a lot of the focus has been on developing as an organisation – not just commercially in terms of proposition – but realising the role that technology plays in our journey.

Bupa didn’t exist as a heritage brand in the same way that it does within the UK, so I would say over the last decade – particularly in the Australian market – Bupa has been building up our brand.

We have been expanding to provide a variety of services to our customers, and with that growth, digital transformation has provided a lot of opportunities for us. Across the Technology team, we manage various digital estates such as data platforms, and have worked with companies along the way including Cloudera to explore our options for continued development.”

JUNE 2020

107

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

B U PA A U S T R A L I A A N D N E W Z E A L A N D

“ Like many organisations at the moment, we are trying to hold true to our purpose: to help customers live longer, healthier, happier lives” — Nick Wong, Director of Technology Delivery, Bupa Australia & New Zealand

When it comes to the future of Bupa, Wong explains that like many other organisations it is in an extraordinary time in history. “There’s a lot of uncertainty for many organisations which could potentially create a completely new normal going forward. We are holding true to our purpose as best we can to help customers live longer, healthier, happier lives whilst also managing within our current conditions - both in the near term but also potentially for conditions that may

108

last longer.

“It is important for us to ensure that we can continue to provide value to our customers and potentially introduce new services that may help them through this period, even if it’s a diversification from some of the stuff we’ve done classically.”

Wong reflects on the challenges that Bupa has faced, and highlights its key to success.

“I think the major challenges have been around adapting to market conditions which are influenced by the broader financial and economic environment. I believe Bupa has also faced challenges in terms of how it JUNE 2020

Welcome to Bupa Australia CLICK TO WATCH

|

0:38

109 continues to show meaningful value

respects that it has one of the largest

to customers.

customer bases and it doesn’t take it

“But I think Bupa’s key success is that

for granted. It really does pay atten-

the organisation is very robust and it is

tion to those things amidst all the

looking at ways it can continue to help

challenges that it faces, working hard

customers get the best out of their

to maintain its position as a premier

healthcare. I think that’s going to be

brand in the health insurance space

one of the most important things going

and continuing to support customers

forward, as well as the value that it has

via its propositions and services to

to hold in terms of the relationships it

add value to their lives.”

has with customers,” says Wong, who is very proud of the organisation’s

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 FOR BUPA

respect for its large customer base.

From a technological standpoint,

“I believe that this is one of Bupa’s

Wong explains that when it comes

biggest strengths, the fact that Bupa

to the impact of COVID-19, Bupa is a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

B U PA A U S T R A L I A A N D N E W Z E A L A N D

110

having to react to the conditions that

Zealand but as a global organisation.

people are facing such as “not being

Across our operations we are sharing

able to go to retail stores and having to

insights and learning from different

move our workforce to work remotely

healthcare markets across Europe,

to support people’s health insurance

Latin America, the UK, Australia and

needs. This is alongside the restric-

New Zealand.”

tions around elective surgery, the

Amidst the outbreak, now more

opportunity for treatments and some

than ever Bupa is needed by its cus-

ancillary treatments being reduced.

tomers to provide health advice and

“One of the challenges we are look-

reassurance. Wong reiterates that it

ing at is how we support the needs of

is Bupa’s purpose to help customers

customers, while meeting the govern-

live longer, healthier and happier lives,

ment guidelines regarding COVID-19

and with the outbreak of COVID-19

- and not just in Australia and New

“it is Bupa’s responsibility - like many

JUNE 2020

1947

other organisations - to look at what we can do to help people continue to get the services they need, even

Year founded

during financial hardship. So far Bupa

4mn+

mium increase for all health insurance

Bupa Health Insurance members

has delayed the annual 1 April precustomers for six months, effectively returning $134mn to these customers. Bupa is also providing more than $50mn in assistance for customers suffering financial hardship due to

111

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Nick Wong Title: Director of Technology Delivery Industry: Healthcare

Location: Melbourne, Australia

Nick Wong, Director of Technology Delivery, Bupa Australia & New Zealand, started his career in the UK working in the media and telecom industry. He spent over eight years working at British Telecom (BT), and prior to that, worked at Accenture. Wong joined Bupa in 2014, leading the Digital team for a number of years, before moving into his current role in the Technology team.

Wong describes a pivotal moment in his career back in his early days when he worked on the introduction of broadband internet, something which was transformational at the time.

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

“ Bupa’s key to success is that the organisation is very robust and is looking at ways in which it can continue to help customers get the best out of their healthcare” — Nick Wong, Director of Technology Delivery, Bupa Australia & New Zealand

and villages, we sent devices out to our homes so residents could connect face to face with their families.

“These urgent technological interventions have led me to believe that

COVID-19. To date we have received

technology has a big role to play in

more than 27,000 applications, and

helping to address the emerging chal-

we also confirmed that customers with

lenges of COVID-19. We are seeing

any hospital policy will be covered for

that the industry is facing a lot of pres-

COVID-19 related claims, irrespective of

sure around efficient remote activities

policy terms.”

and the need to be able to run things

To continue to provide its services, Wong details that “the industry has

quicker for rapid responses.”

“Technology such as intelligent

had to move to a new way of operating

automation are areas where I think we

quickly. However, this abrupt change

can combat some of these challenges.

has forced problem solving to move at

Then, when it comes down to supporting

a more focused and faster pace.

the broader societal intervention around

“In order to efficiently implement a

managing the impact of COVID-19,

working from home strategy we have

technology will play its role in that too,

had to implement new capabilities to

for example in the form of COVID-19

support areas especially impacted

tracking apps that are directly related

by social distancing measures. For

to our ability as a society to relax

example, when there were restric-

or manage some of the controls and

tions to visitors in our aged care home

restrictions that are in place.” a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

113

B U PA A U S T R A L I A A N D N E W Z E A L A N D

114

“ Across our operations we are sharing insights and learning from different healthcare markets across Europe, Latin America, the UK, Australia and New Zealand that we’re trying to apply where challenges and/or restrictions relating to COVID-19 are similar” — Nick Wong, Director of Technology Delivery, Bupa Australia & New Zealand JUNE 2020

115

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

B U PA A U S T R A L I A A N D N E W Z E A L A N D

116

“ Bupa respects that it has one of the largest customer bases and it doesn’t take it for granted” — Nick Wong, Director of Technology Delivery, Bupa Australia & New Zealand JUNE 2020

When it comes to the future of the industry, Wong highlights that there is still a lot of uncertainty around the virus. However, he comments that “obviously there are initial shock impacts around the availability of certain service provision now and a strain could be put on to our health infrastructure if the conditions were to worsen. But I think the most important

117

thing is the way we manage to ensure

experts and societal experts to be

people’s health, quality of life and men-

able to provide that assurance.�

tal health so it is balanced. “The future will be around physical and mental health and ensuring that people will be operating safely at work or at home, or in a community with other people. The healthcare industry has a key role to play in this because people are looking towards healthcare a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

118

JUNE 2020

Imvelo: technology throughout the value chain WRITTEN BY

JOHN O’HANLON PRODUCED BY

RICHARD DEANE

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

119

I M V E L O P T Y LT D

Founded on the conviction that it’s digital transformation time for the mining industry, Imvelo is marrying deep expertise with supersmart robotics and automation innovation to help that happen

T

he mining industry has seen multi-factor productivity decline over the last 30 years and though injury rates have reduced,

improvements have been too often piecemeal and localised. With more than 40 years’ experience at a senior level in some of the biggest mining 120

groups and most prestigious research institutes between them, Dr Sharna Glover and Prof Alan Bye were not happy with the current state of the mining industry. “One reason Alan and I decided to start up Imvelo is that we feel both safety and productivity have flatlined,” Glover explains. “I think the last safety frontier is removing people from all hazardous situations. We still have people working on mine equipment or around molten metal in the processing plants but robotics and automation can definitely remove people from these high risk areas.”

Where productivity is concerned, she adds, in tough times necessity drives improvements but when demand is high these improvements are often abandoned until the next squeeze comes along. “We want to bring together technology and JUNE 2020

121

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

I M V E L O P T Y LT D

“ One reason Alan and I decided to start up Imvelo is that we feel both safety and productivity have flatlined” — Sharna Glover, CEO, Imvelo 122

innovation in a more accelerated way to lock in each gain for the benefit of the industry as a whole.” This will drive a step change across the industry.

“To help clients reach the next frontier, system-wide solutions are required,” says Alan Bye, who is Professor and Director of Digital Value Chains at Curtin University, Western Australia’s largest university.

“Automation does require a systembased approach. The industry does not have much experience in this so Imvelo is bringing that knowledge in a partnership approach that can deliver the system change we are talking about.”

There are mountains of data to be gleaned from all the assets along the mining supply chain from the mineface to the port. Shovels, conveyors and trucks bristle with sensors that monitor detailed information about the equipment but less so the valuable ore material. Along the way there are multiple opportunities for both equipment and process automation, Bye points out. “Intelligent decision making up and down the supply chain using AI can and should be driven by reliable sensor data and interoperable

JUNE 2020

123 equipment. But contrary to what you

Traditionally, says Bye, miners invested

might imagine the mining industry’s

capital in infrastructure to achieve

investment in R&D at around 0.2%

volume growth, but many technology

of revenues has been small in com-

efficiencies that come at a much lower

parison to comparable global cross

level of investment can initiate and

industry enterprises where 1-10% is

sustain longer term growth. Herein lie

not uncommon.”

the big opportunities they see for inte-

Further, Imvelo’s founders feel that productivity data is not sufficiently

grated technology driven by data.

They are not talking about point

discussed across the industry.

solutions. “You can buy off the shelf

Reductions in unit cost, increases

technology today that allows a truck

in volumes are the outcomes being

to run in an automated fashion, and

sought while their relationship to capi-

that is mostly what the industry has

tal investment and enterprise-wide

been pursuing,” resumes Glover. “That

sustainability is not well analysed.

approach delivers safety gains by a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

I M V E L O P T Y LT D

124

separating people and machinery but

that they can start to execute a mining

is limited from the productivity point

mission and manage changes as circum-

of view because of the way the solu-

stances change, she predicts. “There’s

tions were built. The OEMs started

no point in having trucks queueing at

that 12 years ago but have not pivoted

a broken-down shovel, but they could

the technology to the level of smart

manage that change themselves!” For

road autonomy, where we now have

example they also could talk to the water

cars that can localise, have good per-

truck. Technology exists on the trucks to

ception, can communicate with other

tell them about dust and road conditions

vehicles and fixed infrastructure.”

so they could tell the water trucks when

If that level of autonomy could be applied to how mining methodology is conceived you could have the autonomous trucks talking to each other so JUNE 2020

to water bringing savings in fuel and avoiding under- and over-watering.

They are looking at the autonomy solutions being developed for road-going

vehicles and forging strategic partner-

optimised within larger systems like an

ships to the benefit of all involved. It is

autonomous mine – and to recognise

easier to perfect these technologies in

that this system will include a host of

a ‘closed’ environment like a mine than

vendors working together in an open

on the open road where more complex

interoperable ecosystem.

societal considerations have to be fac-

All the technologies that already

tored in. So companies that had never

exist just have to be pieced together.

thought about mining enthusiastically

“It is really just about thinking how

responded to the opportunities Imvelo

this technology-enabled process can

offers to develop their own solutions.

be radically re-designed rather than

OEMs too are more than willing to

just thinking about how to apply the

explore how their machinery can be

technology to the process, originally 125

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Sharna Glover Title: Co-founder & Director Company: Imvelo Pty Ltd Industry: Mining

Location: Australia

Sharna is an experienced executive leader with a twenty-year track record of successfully leading step-change technology programs.

She is experienced and passionate about delivering significant improvement to safety and productivity in all resource sectors through embedding technology within business plans.

She creates a vision that inspires and aligns teams to deliver on innovation plans. The ability to create connections through technology partnerships across the full ecosystem is a unique quality that Sharna brings to the table. Sharna holds a first-class double degree in Chemical Engineering and Science, as well as a doctorate in Engineering. a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

I M V E L O P T Y LT D

126

designed as a manual process, as it

of Silicon Valley majors. “We are

exists today.” explains Sharna Glover.

working with some very small com-

At every stage they want to encour-

panies. Big mining companies are

age their partners to think in terms

not as good at partnering with these

of the ‘mining mission’ rather than

transformational innovators that

finding a discrete solution. “We draw

are popping up. At Imvelo we pull

together the people who understand

together the best technology in the

autonomy, perception, localisation,

world – advanced tech that does not

communications, the market and the

suffer from legacy being built on the

like. It is an ecosystem.”

latest architecture and that can be

The partners in this enterprise

integrated fast. If you want to make

range from mining companies that

a change in your ERP it can mean

Glover and Bye know so well to

shutting it down for weeks: this needs

some very small start-ups spun out

to be more like putting an app on your

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Alan Bye

Title: Co-founder & Director Company: Imvelo Pty Ltd Industry: Mining

Location: Australia

He is the Professor & Director of Digital Value Chains at Curtin University. Alan has more than 20 years’ experience in operational and strategic roles in the mining industry focused on the innovation and integration of the value chain. During his career, he has worked in 15 countries covering nine commodities. Alan has a PhD in mining engineering and is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology Science and Engineering (FTSE).

JUNE 2020

127

“ Intelligent decision making up and down the supply chain using AI can and should be driven by sensor data and interoperable equipment” — Alan Bye, Managing Director, Imvelo

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

I M V E L O P T Y LT D

“ We draw together the people who understand autonomy, perception, localisation, communications, the market and the like.

It is an ecosystem” — Sharna Glover, CEO, Imvelo phone. Our strong point at Imvelo is strategic partnering to capture this thinking, which is missing in the industry today.”

In the new ecosystem people will talk the language of innovation, Alan Bye emphasises. “There are talented people working in these startups; they work seamlessly with university academics. We are in a position to place start-ups and academic partners at the service of the real-world industry needs of mining companies of all sizes.”

This is not new territory for them.

Each of them has years of experience implementing this thinking within mining majors like BHP – they are simply JUNE 2020

making that experience available to mining, oil & gas as well as forestry operators, wherever in the world they need to look. Take the field of sensors – companies like Canada-based MineSense have developed sensors that can gauge the quality of the mineral in every bucket, bringing down the level of decision-making from around 10,000 tons to 100 tons.

Another smart start-up is Southern Innovation of Melbourne whose technology improves the performance of radiation-based analysis in mining applications. Its SITORO technology performs digital pulse processing in a more efficient way than traditional methods, improving detection speed and accuracy. They work on sensors as well as the algorithms that process the sensor information allowing much more efficient discrimination of mineral content, says Bye: “In a system approach you need the sensors and also the analytics of the sensor data.

You require a consortium of sensor companies to get a holistic picture of your operation. At Imvelo we understand the industry challenge, the business case for solving that a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

129

I M V E L O P T Y LT D

130

“ There’s no point in having trucks queueing at a broken-down shovel, when they could manage that change themselves” — Alan Bye, Managing Director, Imvelo

JUNE 2020

challenge; then we formulate the technical problem and bring in a set of partners to work on it.”

Open, interoperable automated technology for mobile equipment is still imperfectly understood: but looking beyond these transformational technologies to whole-mine automation will become an economic game-changer for the industry, continues Bye. “The ability to measure ore variabilities in real-time at every touch point in the supply chain steps up the ability to add value by removing dilution and manage geometallurgical variability offering significant economic benefit. The sensors exist to do this and are improving constantly, so the next challenge is how to integrate them into the business process.”

No company can now ignore the sustainability benefits technology can deliver. “This is an industry that has been dominated by the big deposits,” reflects Sharna Glover. “That’s what drives the quest for volume gains to dilute fixed cost. In turn that has favoured bigger trucks and the need for workforce reductions. The big deposits are depleting now, and I a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

131

I M V E L O P T Y LT D

132

“ The big deposits are depleting now, and I think the industry will move to smaller deposits, requiring a more sustainable approach” — Sharna Glover, CEO, Imvelo

JUNE 2020

think the industry will move to smaller deposits requiring a more sustainable approach – for example smaller fleets with lower total cost of ownership that can be more environmentally friendly.

Battery technology and lower cost maintenance can be introduced. I can see a tipping point coming very soon and that is another reason Alan and I started up Imvelo.”

There has been foot-dragging over automation in an industry that has

133

been founded on job creation, they

this new reality mining is shedding its

have found, but as technology grows

grime-streaked image and attracting

the industry needs more partners

young, highly skilled people. It is all

developing smart solutions, and skilled

part of Imvelo’s vision, reflected in its

people must be there to run and main-

name, which is a Zulu word meaning ’

tain them in the field. The opportunity

‘to nurture the ecosystem.’

for developing AI, robotics and automation has so far only been glimpsed.

Advanced mining service companies can step up to fill the gap left by the decline of manufacturing in countries like Australia. They also believe that in a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

134

JUNE 2020

Expanding tech architecture alongside physical infrastructure WRITTEN BY

SHANNON LEWIS

135

PRODUCED BY

STUART IRVING

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

LA TROBE UNIVERSITY

We speak to Peter Powell, Chief Information Officer at La Trobe University, about plans to expand digital capabilities over the next few years in a bid to build a “university city of the future”

W

hen it was first established in 1967, 552 students attended La Trobe University.

Now, it has over 30,000 students from

more than 100 countries and boasts a network of 136

campuses across Northwest Victoria, in Australia.

The La Trobe, in the top 1% of universities globally, mission statement, then and now, is to advance “knowledge and learning to shape the future of our students and communities.” Currently it’s enhancing that by developing a “University City of the Future”, growing its physical and digital infrastructures to support the needs of contemporary students and create more than 20,000 jobs over the next decade.

Peter Powell, the Chief Information Officer at La Trobe, joined its team over two years ago.

He brought with him 18 years’ experience in the healthcare sector. During his time at private healthcare company Bupa, Powell watched the business grow from having no presence in Oceania to its ANZ group accounting for almost JUNE 2020

137

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

LA TROBE UNIVERSITY

“ We can invest a significant amount of money into the tech, but it also important that people understand their responsibility to maintain a secure environment” 138

— Peter Powell, Chief Information Officer La Trobe University

half of the global company’s revenue.

“That helped me see how a business could scale and flourish in quite a challenging environment.” Powell says. His experience comes into play as La Trobe sets its sights on major growth over the next few years. Its Melbourne campus occupies 267 hectares, making it the largest metropolitan campus in Australia but, according to Powell, only around 20% of the land is built on. “Our long-term view is creating a University City of the Future,” Powell explains, “We want to build a number of precincts that would bring together students, partners, start-up’s, the community, and research capabilities.” It is currently in the final stages of completing its Sports Precinct, which has already attracted major and local sporting clubs, looking ahead building a Research and Innovation Precinct, to encourage start-ups and partners that collaborate with the University and support local business in the North of Melbourne. “As we build it out, we want to create an environment that is interconnected, secure and sustainable.” Powell

JUNE 2020

All Kinds of Clever CLICK TO WATCH

|

0:48

139 explains. “That’s the business ambi-

they are interested in learning.” La

tion. What we’re working on now is

Trobe runs multiple student forums

figuring out what that means for our

across its campuses, getting its feed-

digital environment.”

back directly from the students.

The focus of La Trobe’s digi-

Scalability is an important feature

tal transformation is on student

in La Trobe’s growth. “Building a

engagement, satisfaction, and sup-

city on our campus is about bal-

port, considering everything from

ancing between building physical

immersive teaching environments to

infrastructure and investing in digital

graduate and career development

infrastructure.” Powell says “to get

support. “Students learn in differ-

both we have to effectively manage

ent ways. It could be face-to-face, it

the resources we have. There are a

could be remote / on-line, or even

lot of parallel activities going on.” It is

blended,” Powell says, “We want

here where the expertise of partners

students to be able to select the way

comes into play for La Trobe. “We a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

LA TROBE UNIVERSITY

140

use partners to help us predict what’s

integrate cutting edge tech such

coming over the horizon,” explains

as AI, machine learning, or autono-

Powell. “With the rate of change of

mous bots to drive interaction. “Our

technology these days, you can only

technology partners don’t just sup-

predict so far in advance, but as we

port us on providing services, but

build out the physical infrastructure,

actually engage with the academic

we need to place a few bets on the

side of things,” he continues. Long-

technology that enables innovation.”

standing partner Optus sponsored

Alongside partner Versor, La Trobe

the Cybersecurity Chair for the

has done work around a modern-

University, enabling research within

day data platform, ingesting large

La Trobe’s undergraduate and post-

quantities of data to demonstrate

graduate cybersecurity programmes.

how predictive models need to be

Blending academic and tech

used and how the University can best

resources allows La Trobe to engage

JUNE 2020

with possibilities like piloting 5G across the campus and implementing an Internet of Things (IoT) mentality.

Whilst focusing on today’s issue, La Trobe is keeping an eye on the future: experimenting with emerging technologies to drive efficiency and improve the student experience.

“Using RPA, a small team has transformed the processes within Student Administration,” states Powell. “RPA is now viewed as a strategic process improvement capability across the University.” Also, over the course of 18 months, the University has built a strong relationship with IBM. “Our Bachelor of Arts Course has over 50 majors; students know they want to study Arts but are unsure of which major may best suit their needs,” he continues. “A Netflix-inspired experience (Bachelor of Arts Explorer - revealed at IBM’s Think 2020) has been developed to help student choice using the IBM Cloud and AI Stack.”

The necessity for digital reinven-

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Peter Powell

Title: Chief Information Officer Company: La Trobe University Industry: Education Location: Melbourne Australia Peter Powell has over 30 years’ experience in the IT industry, having held various executive roles across sectors such as transforming technology and business processes, enabling commercial outcomes and business growth. As Executive Director and Chief Information Officer at La Trobe University, Melbourne Australia, Peter is well placed to propel the University’s solutions to global problems, driving forward customer focused strategies, operational efficiencies and technology transformation.

tion at the University has been emphasised by the deleterious effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the initial considerations a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

141

Using technology to help academia and industry succeed.

Digital disruption is causing unprecedented change worldwide, with technological innovations creating fresh opportunities for educational institutions, companies and governments to explore new frontiers, operate more efficiently, generate new revenue models and build resilience.

As a result, many organisations are looking to create digital experiences for their people across all the spaces in which they live, work and play.

We’re already partnering with universities on research initiatives¹ and innovative solutions for campus activation². We support curriculum and associated scholarship programs across a range of new digital skill degrees³. And we’re passionate about collaborations and bright ideas that help educational institutions and industry thrive⁴. What could your future look like?

Whether your priority is to create connected and personalised experiences for your customers, students or staff… to mobilise and engage your employees… or to create safe and secure connected spaces, Optus has the know-how and solutions to help you bring your digital future to life.

To view our references please visit https://ob3.optus.com.au/DigitalUniversityReport.html To find out more, visit www.optus.com.au/enterprise

“ We are building an IS operating model that supports the university into the future that is responsive, efficient and effective”

campus. “Then followed the interesting stuff,” adds Powell. “VPN could only handle 500 concurrent users, so a new solution was built and tested in four days with existing equipment.

Microsoft Teams was rolled out for collaboration, over 2,000 staff were

— Peter Powell, Chief Information Officer La Trobe University

trained virtually and a brand-new

of accommodating students that

services were developed, enabling

could not travel, made complicated

5,000 staff to work from home. This

still further by social distancing rules,

was, and still is, transformation at a

La Trobe made the early decision to

pace which has created new capabili-

move to online teaching, with only

ties for go-to market strategies.”

essential staff remaining on campus.

virtual desktop solution was implemented for Campus Lab capabilities.

Finally, hardware was deployed and

To support customers during the

“A significant technology challenge

COVID-19 pandemic, IBM took the

to deliver in one week,” states Powell.

step of providing 90 days of compli-

“Under normal circumstances, we

mentary access to Watson Assistant

have 25,000 students taught face-

for Citizens - AI software which can

to-face and around 5,000 staff

understand and respond to common

attending one of the Universities’ five

questions about COVID-19 on its

campuses every day. It never ceases

own. La Trobe was the first Australian

to surprise me how well individuals

organisation to leverage this offer.. “As

and teams really come together when

lockdowns spread across Australia,

you have a fixed timeline.” Five days

La Trobe University worked with

after the announcement, all students

IBM Garage to launch a chatbot to

were receiving tuition online and

answer frequently asked questions

only 100 essential staff were left on

about the virus’ symptoms, state and a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

143

LA TROBE UNIVERSITY

Unlock the value of your data with

Australia’s Leading Advanced Data Analytics Specialists

www .versor.com.au | contact@versor.com.au | +61 3 9690 6107

145 federal restrictions and the status of the University,” Powell explains. “The chatbot is available on our website for all staff, faculty and students to learn about the latest information on COVID19 and the specific implications for the La Trobe student community.”

As a university, La Trobe has unique access to a constant well

“ Our technology partners don’t just support us on providing services, but actually engage with the academic side of things” — Peter Powell, Chief Information Officer La Trobe University

of fresh ideas, which it develops by supporting multiple start-up organisations and increasing the number of internships it offers. “We’re trying to create an environment where entrepreneurship grows from within and a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

LA TROBE UNIVERSITY

146

JUNE 2020

is encouraged across all campuses,” Powell says. Part of ensuring the growth can continue uncompromised is embedding strong cybersecurity values. La Trobe uses the NIST framework to define its standards, adhering to a mentality of detect, protect, respond and recover. “With things like IoT, the number of devices out there increases your attack surface area,” Powell says. “We can invest a significant amount of money into the tech, but it is also important that people understand their responsibility to maintain a secure environment”. La Trobe runs cybersecurity campaigns and awareness training to keep the people who use its tech up to date on the latest safety measures. Powell’s team also works closely with Optus to shape the cyber security blueprint for the University today and for the future.

Research is an integral part of all leading universities and it is certainly a key tenant of La Trobe’s planned 235-hectare City of the Future development. Partnering with IBM Bluewolf and Salesforce, the University is building a research a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

147

LA TROBE UNIVERSITY

administration platform. “Research is dynamic,” Powell explains. “The way in which funding grants and regulatory requirements can change; we required a solution that helped researchers and research administrators handle these changes quickly and efficiently.” Phase I

1967

Year founded

$534mn Revenue in US dollars

of the solution went live during La Trobe’s difficult ‘lockdown’ period, demonstrating the ultimate importance of the project, and Phase II has already commenced. Powell 148

emphasises his confidence that the

2,500 Number of employees

University is developing an innovative and successful solution which C O M PA N Y FACT S

• When it was first established in 1967, 552 students attended La Trobe University. Now, it has over 35,000 students from more than 100 countries • Its campus occupies 267 hectares, making it the largest metropolitan campus in Australia

will help Research Management scale efficiently and can be used as an accelerator within the Higher Education sector.

“One of the things we’ve spent a lot of time on as a leadership team has been changing our operating model,” Powell states, “When I arrived an external review had recently been completed that recommended an organisational change. Engagement was based more on who you know, not where you need to go to get

JUNE 2020

149

appropriate service.” Powell’s team

model that supports the university

has worked hard on establishing

into the future that is responsive, effi-

a consistent engagement model

cient and effective.” Powell explains.

across the University’s seven cam-

There are exciting times ahead at

puses, focusing on a consultative

La Trobe improving on our global

proactive approach as they identi-

rankings across a number of metrics,

fied areas where technology could

improving on student satisfaction

support business. A great example

and developing a digitally connected,

of this new approach has seen the

secure sustainable University City of

success of its robotic process auto-

the Future.

mation experiment being rolled out across other areas of the university.

“We are building an IS operating a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

AUSTRALIA POST

150

Delivering digital transformation WRITTEN BY

DAN BRIGHTMORE

JUNE 2020

PRODUCED BY

STUART IRVING

151

a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

AUSTRALIA POST

How Australia Post is supporting security and e-commerce with identity checks for anti-money laundering, passport applications, police checks and more

A

ustralia Post processes eight million identity transactions every year, supporting consumers, businesses and government

with the implementation of products and solutions which require identity checks: from identity verification to support financial services organisations’ 152

anti-money laundering obligations, to property transfers, passport applications, aviation and maritime security identity checks, and police checks for everyone. “Our mission is to simplify identity moments for everyone,” pledges Alberto Simongini, Head of Technology & Engineering. “Identity products and services are actually one of the key growth areas for Australia Post over and above our core mail and parcel services.”

Simongini joined Australia Post in 2017 in the midst of its digital transformation and notes this transition is allowing the postal organisation’s Business & Government clients to directly interact with their customers. “In regulated markets where a face-to-face identity verification is required, Australia Post can play to its strengths, because we run the largest retail network with trained people in JUNE 2020

153

a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

AUSTRALIA POST

154

the country, with nearly three times the number of retail outlets of the second largest retailer. With our vast range of services to connect Australians in every corner of the country, there is no reason why we cannot become the front door of Australia for important services that require identity verification.”

Australia Post is behind Digital iD™, the first form of digital identity in the country to be accredited by the federal government’s Digital Transformation Agency. In a full online experience, Digital iD™ combines back-to-source JUNE 2020

“ Now, we’re establishing new ways of working and it’s more about our passion towards continuous improvement and growing our products - that’s when engineering becomes product engineering” — Alberto Simongini, Head of Technology & Engineering, Australia Post

Digital iD™ – a simpler way to verify CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:29

155

document verification and facial biom-

explains Simongini. “Our business

etric binding, which offers communities

transformation triggered a large invest-

access to both government and private

ment into the latest technologies from

sector services. Simongini’s team is

cloud infrastructure to automation (e.g.

responsible for the execution of this

Continuous Integration/Continuous

product roadmap in terms of engineer-

Delivery), from Big Data to machine

ing and operation.

learning and from cyber security to

Technology plays an important role

compliance (ISM and PCI). Now that

in attracting and retaining the talent

we’ve established new ways of work-

required to continue the work started

ing and integrated this with a new

with the organisation’s digital transfor-

technology ecosystem, our team’s

mation. “Our workforce is very diverse,

engagement is more about our passion

from customer experience design to

towards continuous improvement and

development, security and operation,”

growing our products in the market.” a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

AUSTRALIA POST

“ We need vendors that keep feeding us with ideas and innovative capabilities that we can leverage, now and in the future, to evolve our level of compliance and digital maturity in what we do.”

— Alberto Simongini, Head of Technology & Engineering, Australia Post

156

JUNE 2020

157

a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

AUSTRALIA POST

158

Simongini believes a tight integra-

the subject matter expert of the prod-

tion between product management

uct in itself, and pushing its area of

and engineering is a must. “At

influence towards sales and cus-

Australia Post, we follow the scaled

tomer engagement rather than being

agile methodology. Most impor-

inward facing; that’s when engineer-

tantly, it’s a collaboration to allow

ing becomes product engineering.”

people to understand why things are

“We’re at an exciting point where we

needed, so you can all rally behind

can see the fruits of our labor and the

the challenges ahead to deliver a

real business benefits of our trans-

customer-focused solution. The team

formation,” affirms Simongini. “It’s

becomes owners of the product and

fantastic to engage customers directly,

we see a shift from engineering being

collect feedback, and continue to work

about execution to actually becoming

on our products, because even with

JUNE 2020

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

“ Corporations, like Western economies, are often impatient, and moving from innovation to growth takes time and perseverance so we can’t just invest in innovation hoping to find the unicorn” — Alberto Simongini, Head of Technology & Engineering, Australia Post

small changes we can make a very big impact. It’s actually become a part of the lifecycle of our products and the way we take them to the next level, which makes the potential for what we can achieve in the future very exciting.”

Creating the right culture to develop new ways of working and an ability to constantly adapt across the organisa-

Alberto Simongini Title: Head of Technology & Engineering Location: Melbourne, Victoria Alberto Simongini is an award-winning organisational leadership expert with over 15 years’ experience in the Information, Communication and Technology industry. A dedicated 159 program manager Simongini works to overcome obstacles and consistently achieve complex, large-scale program goals within tight timeframes and budgetary and compliance requirements. His experience in previous consulting roles in system integration, network operation and media - have helped him navigate the challenges of Australia Post’s digital transformation.

tion has been integral to the success of the transformation. “Ideally, you want to build your team from the very beginning and scale it so the culture a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

AUSTRALIA POST

FACT BOX

How digital is transforming IT roles at Australia Post

160

Digital transformation is everywhere, believes Alberto Simongini, Head of Technology & Engineering at Australia Post.

“Technology is at the heart of everything we do and what every modern company does.

Therefore, its development and a better understanding of what it can achieve, can help all areas of a business, including sales,” he says. “It’s not all about transactional sales; it’s about understanding what the technology, its environment, and how our solutions, can promote integration.”

grows with it,” reasons Simongini.

“This is not always possible, so we have to find ways to support other parts of the organisation by inheriting the resources of different teams.

Often, each team brings their own technology and culture, so we’ve had to break down the old ways and encourage a new esprit de corps a JUNE 2020

“There is a shift in the industry where the product engineer becomes the expert in that product and can support sales and move up in the chain. So, when it comes to digital transformation of the traditional model the more your skill develops, the more your worth in the organisation is changing.

To some extent it is about selecting the right person or the right skills for the outcome required. It means the traditional model of HR is transforming across the ICT industry.”

few times.”

This approach has been vital for Simongini when faced with resistance to change. “It’s been a barrier to overcome because ultimately we are accountable for the end-to-end results and delivering the benefits to the business and customers.”

Building the alliances and partnerships required to sustain Australia Post’s digital transformation has led Simongini and his team to source field contractors to ensure they keep control of the outcome. “The traditional ways of sourcing contractors didn’t fit our purpose, so we are enriching our approach with different ways of recruiting the right people,” he says. “Not just in terms of what they know and the way they execute, but also in the way they engage and operate within the business. That’s why we have started prototyping different ways of engaging consulting companies in the market.”

Simongini notes, “we’re working successfully in this way as our suppliers are deeply engaged in our delivery rhythm and provide us the flexibility to make sure we find talent that is the right fit in our teams. They are a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

161

AUSTRALIA POST

in a relationship with solid and international companies providing specific, extremely reliable and secure software for our products. We need vendors that keep feeding us with ideas and innovative capabilities that we can leverage, now and in the future, to evolve our level of compliance and digital maturity in what we do.”

Simongini sees a place for startups in the ecosystem, viewing them as offering “cherry on top” potential.

“They’re not necessarily at the core of our ecosystems, but we definitely see the value in specific and innovainvested in developing and maintain-

tive tools in software lifecycle to help

ing with us the right people within

us better build, operate and moni-

the teams’ culture and Australia Post

tor our applications. At Australia Post,

delivery framework.”

we’ve learned how to select and groom

Australia Post collaborates with

opportunities with our innovation pro-

key providers in the identity products

gramme to select ideas to accelerate

and services space and innovators in

and incubate before we actually start

developing and deploying biometric

to invest considerably. Corporations,

authentication and identity assurance

like Western economies, are often

solutions worldwide, like Daon with a

impatient, and moving from innovation

long history of product development

to growth takes time and persever-

to enable high quality and international

ance. We can’t just invest in innovation

standard photo capture. Simongini

hoping to find the unicorn; we must

notes that the business is very careful

carefully analyse the potential and the

in its vendor selection: “We’ve invested

timing of the commercial return.” a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

163

AUSTRALIA POST

“For example, we’ve been working with the National Australia Bank on a joint venture for identity fraud prevention called TrustCheck,” reveals Simongini. Essentially, TrustCheck is a service aiming to build a positive reputation and strong engagement across all functional areas - particularly risk, legal, privacy, sales, governance, corporate development and partnerships, and data service owners. “This new e-commerce fraud detection product came through our innovation 164

programmes, and allows for applied machine learning to offer merchants a high degree of confidence that

“ Now the market is ready to embrace the SaaS concept, we’ve also signed an agreement with Mastercard to enable the digital ID to be a form of identification in the credit card application process” — Alberto Simongini, Head of Technology & Engineering, Australia Post JUNE 2020

to automate pre-employment identity verification checks, removing the burden of manual processing for HR departments. “It’s been a great success,” confirms Simongini. “In just six months we already have 30 customers on board. They’re attracted by the fact that our digital services are ISM and PCI compliant, accredited by the Australian federal government’s Digital Transformation Agency as a provider of the identity exchange to be rolled out across government services. Now, the market is ready to embrace our solution, which gives consumers the choice of face-to-face or digital identity verification and puts consumers in control customers they are interacting with are

of their identity. We’ve also signed an

not using stolen or synthetic identities.”

agreement with Mastercard to use

Australia Post understands the

Digital iD™ as a form of identification

complexities of transforming a vast

in its trial of a broader digital identity

network of legacy systems, pro-

service for customers when interact-

cesses and people and has been

ing with other businesses and private

focused on utilising its own digital

organisations.”

solutions. In 2019, it launched its own Workforce Verification product, enabling businesses and government departments to utilise a SaaS offering. This enabled a re-use function in Digital iD™, which has the ability a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

165

166

Leveraging technology to build an effective ICT strategy WRITTEN BY

NIKI WALDEGRAVE PRODUCED BY

STUART IRVING

JUNE 2020

167

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

C O M M O N W E A LT H O M B U D S M A N

Jade Carson, CIO for the Office of the Australian Commonwealth Ombudsman reveals how the COVID-19 pandemic has brought clarity to its ICT strategy 168

W

hen Jade Carson was propelled into the role of Chief Information Officer – a first CIO role for both her and the

Ombudsman – her brief was to shape up the next stage of its strategic technology journey.

Four months later, with the public service facing one of the most disruptive events in its history, she found herself playing a central role in the Ombudsman’s pandemic response.

“It meant shifting from a long-term mindset to dealing with a sudden burst of tactical questions needing answers right away,” says Carson, sitting in her lounge room that due to social distancing was transformed into her office, meeting room and her four year old’s schoolhouse. “The challenge was making sure that as we put in place the enablers to get people out of the office without a break in our service, we stayed connected to the long term vision.”

JUNE 2020

169

“ COVID hasn’t necessarily changed our focus for the next 18 months, but it has brought clarity to our business needs” — Jade Carson, CIO for the Office of the Australian Commonwealth

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

C O M M O N W E A LT H O M B U D S M A N

“ The ICT area of the Commonwealth Ombudsman delivers exactly what the business areas need now but we need to be future ready for whatever we get thrown next”

170

— Jade Carson, CIO for the Office of the Australian Commonwealth

JUNE 2020

The Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman is a portfolio agency of the Attorney-General’s Department. It has a wide gambit, dealing with community complaints about Australian Commonwealth agencies, ACT government agencies and some private sector industries.

An independent investigator on both unclassified and classified information, it investigates and resolves some 500,000 annual complaints about actions and decisions of government agencies to ensure the government delivers fair and

Commonwealth Ombudsman About us CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:45

171 accountable services to the community.

But throw in an international pandemic,

changed our focus for the next 18 months, however it has brought a lot of

a population of 25+ million in forced iso-

clarity to what the business needs in

lation, an estimated one million people

the longer term,” says Carson.

losing jobs – and countless businesses

The Ombudsman is dedicated to

imploding – and barely six months later,

exploring and improving different

Australia went into a tailspin.

technologies to draw out insights from

The ICT team was responsive to the

information it already holds but, accord-

emerging crisis. “We started ramping

ing to Carson, the challenge is that the

up in late February, to shift people to

crucial information is often buried.

working from home. We had to think

“The Ombudsman as an organisa-

about toolsets, collaboration, a whole

tion is about fairness and making

new paradigm of information security.

sure that no member of society is

Luckily, the strategy process was in

disadvantaged, or disproportionately

full swing. COVID hasn’t necessarily

disadvantaged. An important part of a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

C O M M O N W E A LT H O M B U D S M A N

172

our work is not just resolving each indi-

need to be held for longevity so it’s

vidual complaint for every member of

essential we manage them well.”

society that asks for our help, but being

The Ombudsman develops best

able to identify the systemic issues,”

practice guides. Its “bread and butter”

she says. “We’ve always got to be able

is best practise in complaints manage-

to provide a touch point for communi-

ment and resolving complaints, but it

ties to be able to approach us. Data

also provides guidance on automated

and digital ethics, security and privacy,

decision making. It published its first

are key to that.

best practice guide on automating

“We need to provide those insights

decision-making back in 2007 and

back to the government organisations

has just released an updated guide for

we deal with in order to stop those

2020 to assist government agencies.

issues in the first place. Our data needs to be accurate and our records JUNE 2020

“I think that’s really interesting and shows that the Ombudsman is thinking

about the future, focusing not only on how we deliver our services, but also on how to help other institutions improve how they deliver as well,� adds Carson.

As a part of the CIO role, Carson has been tasked with reviewing the strategic business systems, which support complaints management and recording keeping. She is also currently piloting various technologies to meet various business needs.

One recent pilot success is Kojensi.

The information collaboration and communication tool from archTIS Ltd enables the Ombudsman to securely conduct investigations with agencies and share information without having to invest in a full protected environment. It also allows the chance to

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Jade Carson Title: CIO

Company: Australian Commonwealth Industry: Government Location: Australia Experienced professional public servant able to build business capabilities and challenge status quo to drive business outcomes.

Demonstrated ability to improve public services through good design and process improvement. She has a strong focus on achieving business outcomes in government digital projects.

scale up if necessary – ideal for the Ombudsman, which sometimes runs programmes for only 12 to 18 months until the issue is resolved.

In March, the Ombudsman purchased 50 Kojensi licences on a 12-month deal worth $35,454 in annual recurring revenue. “Kojensi has proved to be handy tool during coronavirus when information needed to be shared and meeting people face-to-face a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

173

1977

Year founded

$43mn Revenue in AU dollars

350

Number of employees

Management.

Technology.

People.

We’re one of Australian’s fastest growing IT companies. Partner with us and experience what makes us different… we actually care

Learn More

Contact Us

mtpservices.com.au | info@mtpservices.com.au

175

“ It’s not about pilot method is definitely something I technology driving advocate, and we are looking for more the business, it’s opportunities to support our business about the business through technology.” need and leveraging The Ombudsman, like everyone else at the moment, is also exploring collabtechnology that’s oration tools and video conferencing for already out there to efficiency, and Carson jokes she’s “used help solve those every video conferencing tool that’s out problems” there over the last few months”. wasn’t an option,” adds Carson. “The

Like most working parents, she has found combining work with home-schooling over recent months challenging, revealing she taught her

— Jade Carson, CIO for the Office of the Australian Commonwealth

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

C O M M O N W E A LT H O M B U D S M A N

176

four-year-old daughter “how to book

providing women with dedicated

time into my diary so she feels like she

executive mentors drawn from

has some control of when she gets to

the current industry leaders.

talk to me. I figure it will serve her well now and into the future,” she laughs.

Taking control is something Carson

She found the experience so invaluable that she recently became a mentor on the program. “It’s impor-

is passionate about, especially as

tant to participate in these programs

a woman in business, let alone IT.

and utilise techniques to support

In 2017 she was chosen to be a men-

you through your career and with

tee on the Dell Women IT Executive

your self-belief,” she says. “We all

Mentoring program (DellWITEM),

get impostor syndrome sometimes,

which aims to address the low num-

not believing we are enough, or have

bers of women in the IT industry by

enough skills for the job.”

JUNE 2020

CO MPAN Y FACT S

• More than 500,000 complaints are made to the public sector in Australia each year • The Office is located in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney • The ICT Strategic Plan is currently under review, with the aim of delivering a new five-year strategic plan for the period 2020–2025

“Everybody has those thoughts, but

“What impresses me is she’s able to

having self-belief is recognising that

cut through the noise authentically,”

you do have something worthwhile to

surmises Carson. “She’s inspiring gen-

offer. The skills and the ideas you have

erations of women coming through that

brings diversity to any group, and hav-

you can have a baby, a family, and lead

ing diversity makes that group stronger

the country through a pandemic,

and us stronger as a whole.”

a volcano eruption, and everything else

When it comes to positive role models, she cites New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for “leading

we’ve been through.”

“It’s fantastic to see a female leader (or any leader), leading in such a way.”

with empathy and compassion in a way we haven’t really seen from other world leaders”. a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

177

A new digital age in media and entertainment WRITTEN BY

GEORGIA WILSON

178

PRODUCED BY

KRISTOFER PALMER

JUNE 2020

179

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

BEC GROUP

Business Chief APAC takes a look at how the company is driving innovation within traditional media and entertainment

F 180

ounded in 1970, BEC World’s ambition is “to rebuild the organisation to become a forward-thinking and lean organisa-

tion,” by leveraging its “creative DNA to deliver fresh and engaging content for today’s users, and technology to deliver innovative and effective media, across all screens, beyond Thailand.”

Being the second largest TV station in Thailand the 50 year old company strives to take the traditional TV business model into the new digital age. “In response to the increasing competition after the introduction of Digital Terrestrial TV (DTTV) and the changes in advertising environment in the Digital Disruption era.

The Company has a strategic direction on building and maintaining a sustainable business with competitive edge,” comments BEC World.

Being a leader within the industry, BEC World intends to use its existing resources and stable relationships to create customer satisfaction for JUNE 2020

1970

Year founded

11,211mn Revenue in Thai Baht

1,000 Number of employees

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

181

BEC GROUP

“ 2020 continues to be challenging both in terms of global and domestic factors impacting the economy” — BEC World

all, putting all its effort into providing the best services for its business partners and providing good benefits for all stakeholders.

BEC WORLD’S OPERATIONS ARE SPLIT INTO SIX KEY AREAS: 1. TV BROADCASTING Under its TV broadcasting area of the business, BEC World operates both Analogue Terrestrial TV - via its subsidiary company, Bangkok

182

Entertainment Co. Ltd. under its

JUNE 2020

183 concession agreement with MCOT

business manage the digital platforms

Public Company Limited - and Digital

for ‘Ch3Thailand’ and ‘Mello’.

Terrestrial TV, via its BEC Multimedia Co., Ltd. subsidiary company of BEC

3. GLOBAL CONTENT LICENSING

World in which it won an auction for

“We currently sell content by our-

National Commercial Digital Television

selves in China, Hong Kong, Macau,

Services Licenses, from National

Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar,”

Broadcasting and Telecommunications

states BEC World, but in other ter-

Commission (“NBTC”),

ritories it partners with professional distributors, selling content to loca-

2. NEW MEDIA/DIGITAL MEDIA

tions including: “Indonesia, Malaysia,

Under the control of BECI Corporation

Philippines, Brunei, Singapore, Taiwan,

Ltd. - a subsidiary of BEC World - the

and other countries.” The company’s

operations conducted under its new

global content licensing includes pro-

media/digital media branch of the

ducing, sourcing and selling copyright a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m



 

|Love|

For more information, please visit www.becworld.com

Deceitful

or email: international@becworld.com

to air in other countries, as well as

advertising services and ticket sales

producing programmes customised

via Thai Ticket Major Co., Ltd.

to fit the needs of consumers in other countries. “Working internationally

5. RADIO

allows opportunities to expand our

BEC World currently operates two

new business in those countries.”

radio stations - FM 105.5 (Easy FM) and FM 95.5 (HITZ 955). Via its radio

4. SHOW AND MUSIC

stations the company sells air time for

Via its subsidiaries, Live Nation BEC-

advertisement and provides service to

TERO Entertainment Co. Ltd. and

give advice regarding radio programme

BEC-TERO Scenario Co., Ltd. the

management and development.

company conducts business relating to the foreign artist concert business

6. OTHER BUSINESS

in Thailand and musical plays. It also

Aside from its five business avenues,

provides public relations activities and

other related businesses operated by

JUNE 2020

BEC World include providing informa-

include: strengthening its viewership

tion technology services, acting as

by delivering fresh and engaging

a landlord, as well as asset manage-

content across news, drama, and

ment and studio facilities services

variety; diversifying its revenue stream

for both programme production and

by introducing new media, integrating

post-production.

marketing solutions, building its global

With Thailand’s media industry

licensing market and increasing its

being no different to any other, the

use of online; as well as building finan-

industry is no stranger to transfor-

cial strength via cost reductions and

mation, particularly when traditional

operational efficiencies.

methods within the industry are

In a recent company statement

being digitally disrupted by the likes

Somchai Boonnamsiri, Chairman

of streaming services. With this in

of the Board and Ariya Banomyong,

mind BEC World has outlined its

President at BEC World highlighted

strategic goals for 2020, which

that despite a loss in profit compared

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

185

BEC GROUP

Bringing the best of exclusive, original and high-quality digital entertainment content in Chinese, Thai and many other local languages to Asian audiences

Learn More

wetv.vip | marketing@tencent.co.th

187 to the previous year, “BEC World’s financial position remains stable.”

However, “2020 continues to be challenging both in terms of global and domestic factors impacting the economy. Already in 1Q/2020, concerns over the COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in a lower GDP growth outlook for the year and a subdued domestic consumption, which directly

“ Working internationally allows opportunities to expand our new business in those countries” — BEC World

affects local advertising spend.

However, we remain hopeful that a return in domestic spending will take place within 3Q/2020, resulting in a recovery of advertising expenditure.” a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

BEC GROUP

“We currently sell content by ourselves in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Cambodia,Vietnam, and Myanmar” — BEC World

188

JUNE 2020

Whilst there have been challenges the company is striving to maintain its journey to transform BEC World, “starting the year with a content strategy focusing on a wider prime time (18.00 to 22.35), supported by our improved TV ratings performance in 1Q/2020 versus 4Q/2019, while better monetising non-prime time with new partners. We are also committed to double non-advertising revenue from our global licensing and online businesses, half of which is already secured, to mitigate impact from a lower TV market and build a foundation for future growth. Last but not least, cost savings measures of at least 10% have already been identified, which include, but are not limited to, analog switch-off, programming cost reductions, and ongoing organisation restructuring. These efforts are our top priority this year to ensure we become a profitable company.�

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

189

190

JUNE 2020

Digital as a way of life WRITTEN BY

WILL GIRLING

PRODUCED BY

KRISTOFER PALMER

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

191

D E N T S U A E G I S N E T W O R K A S I A PA C I F I C

Leo Liu, CTO, examines how Dentsu Aegis is helping its clients navigate their own digital transformation and prepare for a next-gen way of operating

B

usiness in the digital era can be a dizzying experience: it’s fast-paced and exciting, yet sometimes the changes happen too

fast for some companies to build an adequate strategy to cope with them. Stepping in to help solve 192

these problems is multinational media company Dentsu Aegis Network, a global expert in multimedia marketing solutions and a go-to resource for those who require assistance navigating through a digital transformation. With principle services consisting of content creation, media planning, sports marketing, brand tracking and market analytics, the company is well-equipped to establish a brand firmly in the digital consciousness and keep it there.

Joining the company in 2018, Leo brought with him a wealth of tech experience gained from previous positions at industry luminaries like Tesla and Cisco. “I’ve loved technology ever since I was young. I was fortunate to be part of some very innovative technology companies and witness the internet’s evolution over the past 20 years,” he says. “I’m intrigued by digital transformation and JUNE 2020

193

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

D E N T S U A E G I S N E T W O R K A S I A PA C I F I C

“ One thing I learned from great leaders like Elon Musk (Tesla) and John T. Chambers (Cisco) is that they have a vision, a higher purpose, to positively impact the world” 194

— Leo Liu, CTO, Dentsu Aegis

passionate to help companies with their digital transformation journey.”

Dentsu Aegis Network was the first media network Leo has joined and he saw a great opportunity to be able to drive digital transformations for both the company and its clients (representing a diverse spread of industries, countries and markets).

When it came time for Leo to formulate his approach to the CTO role, he relates that the leadership styles he’d worked under previously influenced him greatly. “One thing I learned from great leaders like Elon Musk (Tesla) and John T. Chambers (Cisco) is that they have a vision, a higher purpose to impact the world positively. It is important to have a vision which people can relate to and get excited about; a North Star to aim for,” he explains. Taking this philosophy into account, Leo implemented the Vision, Strategy, Execution framework to ensure his team is focused on achieving a long-term plan whilst making progress on execution daily. “Execution without strategy is aimless. Strategy without execution is useless.”

Although being able to conjure the vision is half the battle, Leo

JUNE 2020

We are Dentsu Aegis Network CLICK TO WATCH

|

0:56

195 emphasises that the real benefit of

of the people.” It is primarily a people-

choosing Dentsu Aegis Network to

centric philosophy, one which praises

drive digital transformation lies in the

the efforts of teams whilst also recog-

company’s diverse range of clients:

nising the value of individuals. However,

finding ways to optimise business

technology has an equally important

whilst maintaining its capacity for han-

part to play, particularly in light of the

dling a myriad of complex industries

recent disruptions to global work-

has made the company exceptionally

forces originating from the COVID-19

knowledgeable and unique. Guiding

(coronavirus) pandemic. “It is a very

each case is a star model that Leo calls

challenging time for everyone,” Leo

‘Vision, Structure, Process, Reward and

states. “I’m keeping my team focused

People’. Regarding this, he says, “My

and motivated to ensure our business

job is to establish the vision, optimise

continues while the world is locked

the structure, streamline the process,

down. We are also taking this as an

encourage with reward and take care

opportunity to accelerate digitalisation a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

“CBC is our strategic partner in China in providing Dentsu Aegis Network with high quality internet network, cloud and managed ICT services.”

— Leo Liu Chief Technology Officer Dentsu Aegis Network APAC

CONNECTING BEYOND CHINA CBC (China Broadband Communications) is China’s leading Managed Network Service Provider, fully licensed in China, providing a complete portfolio of nextgeneration communications services, to help businesses connect within and beyond China. Headquartered in Beijing, CBC has since 2008, offered a full suite of communications services including dark fibre, wavelength, Ethernet leased lines, IP VPN, IDC and the more recent SD-WAN and Cloud Services.

- One-Stop Service Deliver secure and reliable ICT solutions on demand

- Experienced Team ICT Veterans with deep knowledge and expertise in global market

- World-Class Standard Obtain TL9000, ISO9001, ISO2000 and ISO27001 certification

- Advanced Technology Innovative digital technology aggregator

- Extensive Coverage Extensive PoPs coverage extends your business globally

- Collaborative Partnership Long term trusted partnership with global carriers and MNCs

LEARN MORE

“ Execution without strategy is aimless.

Strategy without execution is useless” — Leo Liu, CTO, Dentsu Aegis

or Microsoft, Dentsu Aegis relies on its partners to provide critical expertise that enables the company to operate without disruption.

Leo is enthusiastic about the integral role that CBC plays in Dentsu Aegis’ daily operations. “CBC is our strategic partner in China, providing Dentsu Aegis with high quality internet network, cloud and managed ICT services,” he

to make our business faster, better

states. “CBC is an agile partner which

and smarter.” With almost 15,000

is able to provide flexible, scalable

Dentsu Aegis Network staff working

network solutions which meet our ever-

remotely, a new paradigm is emerging,

changing needs and help us achieve

not just for the company but also for

business growth. CBC is able to quickly

its clients, who are looking to Dentsu

identify and understand our business

Aegis Network for digital leadership in

needs and has always provided us with

uncertain times.

innovative and cost-efficient solutions.

Far from being a task that Dentsu

On top of its all, the CBC team is profes-

Aegis Network can achieve on its

sional and customer focused. Dentsu

own, the company relies on a network

Aegis is looking forward to strengthen-

of close partners and suppliers to

ing its long-term partnership with CBC

ensure that it can deliver high-quality

as we continue to grow.”

work to its customers. In terms of what

Similarly, Leo singles out software

makes a great long-term collabora-

company Pulse Secure for special

tor for the company, Leo relies on the

praise: “They’ve provided the tech-

golden formula: domain knowledge,

nological means to allow our 15,000

communication and a trusting relation-

employees to access corporate

ship. Whether it is China Broadband

resources from any location, any device,

Communications (CBC), Pulse Secure

at any time. Pulse Secure’s ability to a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

197

HYBRID IT STARTS WITH ZERO TRUST secure access is essential

www.pulsesecure.net

grant this working model to our employ-

place to migrate and adopt. However,

ees is critical at this juncture; not only

Dentsu Aegis Network is staunchly

does it serve as a precautionary meas-

dedicated to the cloud strategy and

ure against infection, but also ensures

has made significant progress to over-

our business is operating as usual, with-

come the challenges. “Our multi-cloud

out any disruption to our customers.”

strategy assuredly improved our busi-

When asked his opinion on the

ness resilience in this uncertain time.”

significance of digital transformation

Similarly, for data and analytics, Leo

trends (cloud, data analytics, AI and

highlights how valuable the insights

IoT), Leo has a mixed response to their

granted by these innovations are to

contemporary application. In terms of

businesses in terms of understand-

cloud, he states that it is the requisite

ing their clients: “The ability to quickly,

foundation, although often a challenge

accurately and comprehensively

for companies with ‘legacy systems’ in

capture data for analysis, which in turn

JUNE 2020

allows us to make informed decisions, has absolutely improved our organisational efficiencies and effectiveness,”

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Leo Liu

he explains. “We leverage omnidata

Title: CTO

intelligence to help analyse the custom-

Company: Dentsu Aegis

ers’ journey and consumer behaviour

Industry: Advertising

psychology to generate insights and

Location: Singapore

enhance the effectiveness of marketing campaigns for our clients.” Conversely, Leo considers AI (artificial intelligence) to be widely misunderstood and relatively undeveloped in most organisations. “Many people are scared of the word ‘automation’; to a lot of frontline staff, AI equates to losing their job.”

Therefore, Leo views it as crucial that the development of AI goes hand-inhand with education and a mindset shift,

Leo built his first website back in 1996, while studying at U.C. Berkeley.

During his career he has worked at WebEx; at Cisco first as Greater China VP, and later, China R&D Center GM; and Tesla as Head of Technology. He joined Dentsu Aegis Network to lead digital transformation and innovation as CTO in APAC in 2018.

which he anticipates will be increasingly important in the next five years.

Despite 2020 shaping up to be an unprecedented year for everyone, Leo affirms that his team’s focus remains the same: accelerating digital transformation. Dentsu Aegis is currently leveraging the latest cloud-based technology and microservices into a service-oriented NextGen MarTech Platform. “This enables our clients to drive digital transformation with a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

199

D E N T S U A E G I S N E T W O R K A S I A PA C I F I C

200

JUNE 2020

CO MPAN Y FACT S

• Dentsu Aegis in APAC serves 17 regional markets, 400 clients, 15,000 staff

201

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

D E N T S U A E G I S N E T W O R K A S I A PA C I F I C

2013

Year founded

15,000 Number of employees

202

the modern digital data and technol-

working couldn’t be better: with the

ogy,” Leo says. “All our clients are also

COVID-19 pandemic derailing many

undergoing digital transformation

preconceptions about the way people

within their own organisation and

work, learn and play. “We kick-started

industry, so having a platform that ena-

the PowerUp initiative to accelerate

bles them to quickly adapt to the latest

our digital transformation within the

consumer trends whilst maintaining

organization early this year. The aspi-

customer loyalty is very important in

rational goal is to digitalise at least 100

this new digital era. Companies need

workflows this year. In Q1, we identi-

to expeditiously adopt to the digital,

fied hundreds of excel/email/paper

interactive, virtual, networked and

workflows and the team has already

simulated new media world.” The time

digitalised more than 65 in a relatively

for transforming a business’ way of

short period of time.”

JUNE 2020

203

“ Coronavirus will change how people work, play, learn, shop, social forever” — Leo Liu, CTO, Dentsu Aegis

Leo is confident that Dentsu Aegis Network can be a force for positive change in the new world. “I think how people live will change forever, both for our generation and for the generation to come,” he concludes. “Digitalisation is the new way of life. This year is the turning point of our digital transformation journey.”

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

204

SOLiD’s journey in driving digital transformation WRITTEN BY

LEILA HAWKINS PRODUCED BY

SCOTT GEORGE

JUNE 2020

205

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

SOLiD, INC.

HOW SOLID IS DRIVING BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION IN TRADITIONAL INDUSTRIES WITH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

I

t takes five to 10 years for an ‘overnight’ success,” says Mrinmoy Chakraborty, Vice President and Head of SOLiD Digital

business at SOLiD Inc, Korea. “During my last 10 years in the internet of things (IoT) industry I have learned that, for any great technology business, we typically overestimate what will happen in the next year and underestimate what will happen in 206

the next five.”

SOLiD is a leader in providing wireless solutions offering flagship products DAS and WDM solutions, that improve indoor connectivity and coverage in high-demand and hard-to-reach locations. SOLiD Digital business works with traditional core industries helping to transform them with new, digital technologies such as IoT, AI/ML, RPA and Blockchain.

Chakraborty believes that new technology should be embraced willingly by end users, stating that “even though new technology would bring disruptive change to business, it should bring gradual changes in the lives of people to make the change process natural and organic.”

Chakraborty has been at the company for over three years, but his journey here can be traced back to 2010, when he founded his first IoT startup JUNE 2020

207

From left to right: Jerry Lee (IoT Program Head), Mrinmoy Chakraborty & JungWook Lee (Business Operations Head) a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

SOLiD, INC.

“ Our future technology roadmap is geared more towards enterprise software suited for data-based services in large scale distributed environments” — Mrinmoy Chakraborty, Vice President, Head SOLiD Digital Business, SOLiD Inc

after graduating from Stanford Business School. His engineering team and co-founding CEO were Korean, and he became fascinated

by Korean technology and the Koreans’ exemplary work ethic.

“I was excited by the opportunity to combine innovations in Korean hardware and Indian software for the global market,” he says.

His startup introduced cellular technology into the pallet industry in the US market for the first time,

208

which paved the way for customers’ digital transformation from a traditional “supply chain company” to a “supply chain information engineering company”. However this technology was ahead of its time. Step forward a few years to 2016, when he met the SOLiD co-founders, Chairman and CEO Dr. Joon Chung and co-CEO Dr. Seung Hee Lee. “These two brilliant visionaries built SOLiD as one of the global leaders in in-building wireless solution space. The following year, they entrusted me to build the IoT business for SOLiD – I saw this as my second chance to create a world class IoT organisation.”

JUNE 2020

Nirvana IoMT CLICK TO WATCH

|

3:42

209 His arrival at the organisation is all

space, our services create action-

the more remarkable given that he’s

able intelligence from returnable,

the first foreign executive in SOLiD

reusable, high value assets such as

Korea’s 22-year history. “This journey

containers, trailers, and chassis in

started as an adventure with a lot of

cold chain and multi-modal logistics

unknowns in a foreign land, but it’s also

environments.

been the best one of my career so far,” he explains.

Chakraborty explains that SOLiD

“In IIoT, our focus is on offering industrial safety, asset monitoring and predictive maintenance as a service.

Digital has two main verticals: the

My team’s priority is to offer solutions

“Internet of Moving Things (IoMT)”,

that are technically feasible, economi-

which is essentially enterprise logis-

cally viable, massively scalable and

tics, and the Industrial Internet of

offer an exceptional end-user experi-

Things (IIoT), which relates to smart

ence that hides the complexity of

and safe factories. “In the IoMT

technology from that user.” a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

SOLiD, INC.

SOLiD’s tunable WDM solution transmits 96 wavelengths over single fiber

210

Chakraborty’s priority is to make

technologies), whereas in the last

SOLiD the preferred “internet

year it has evolved as a total solu-

of value” partner for enterprises

tion provider, focusing more on end

around the world, a term he prefers

application software-driven services.

to IoT, believing that the hero should

“Some of the areas where we are

be the business rather than the tech-

building next generation solutions

nology itself.

and co-innovating with partners are

To this end, the company’s tech-

in seamless universal tracking in

nology roadmap is market driven

indoor and outdoor environments,”

and built for solving complex high-

Chakraborty says. “We’re

impact customer problems. For

using hybrid sensor

instance, in 2018 it primarily focused

technolo-

on its hardware platform on LPWAN

gies

(low-power wide-area network

such

JUNE 2020

Nirvana: Actionable Intelligence from Whatever, Whenever, Wherever

as WiFi, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Ultra Wide Band (UWB) and GPS augmented positioning technologies.

“Our future technology roadmap is geared more towards enterprise software suited for data based-services in large scale distributed environments.

Edge intelligent solutions for 5G or private LTE environments will be some of our core future offerings.”

In the last three years SOLiD has worked closely with several industry leading customers, mostly with $1bn+ revenues, to help them launch their early or even first digital transformation initiatives. One of these was a leading Korean bank, for which the company helped launch asset monitoring services for managing collaterals.

This resulted in over 360% RoI over a period of nine months. In areas of safety and compliance, last year they conducted proof of concepts (POCs)

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Mrinmoy Chakraborty Title: Vice President Company: SOLiD Industry: Global technology Location: Korea Mrinmoy is a serial IoT-preneur and a ‘business artist’ with 17+ years’ experience and a proven track record in building and leading global technology businesses in Korea, India, the US, and the UK. He currently heads Digital Business at SOLiD, Korea, and had prior leadership roles at Cypress Semiconductor, Xchanging, Onmobile and at Boston-based startup, Senaya, as a co-founder.

Mrinmoy holds 23 US and one Korean (filed) IoT patents.

in one of the largest factories in Korea.

“We intend to take this service to production this year and it’s expected to be one of the world’s largest industrial safety services,” he says.

The benefits to transforming the traditional industries the company a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

211

SOLID, INC.

TATA COMMUNICATIONS MOVEâ„¢ www.tatacommunications.com

Intelligent Connectivity

Secure from Edge-to-Cloud

Visibility & Control

Global Footprint

213 works with using digital technologies include operational efficiency, safety and compliance, and productivity.

“Some of our new customers are also looking at servitisation, or creating new service revenue business models. Once the customers see

“ I saw this as my second chance to create a world class IoT organisation” — Mrinmoy Chakraborty, Vice President, Head SOLiD Digital Business, SOLiD Inc

the value of digitalisation in areas of cost saving, productivity and safety, I believe they will gain more confidence and look at IoT as their new revenue earner. We have started seeing this happening, and expect to see more in the next two to three years.”

Genesis DAS meets wireless coverage requirements of venues of any scale, coverage and capacity a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

SOLID, INC.

214

SOLiD — Driving Extreme Edge Connectivity CLICK TO WATCH

JUNE 2020

|

1:40

215

1998

Year founded

$198mn+ Revenue in US dollars (2019)

488

Number of employees

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

SOLiD, INC.

AI and ML are also key to transforming customer operations. “In our business, these technologies have significant implications in predictive maintenance, location positioning, edge intelligence and also in areas of industrial safety for predictive situational awareness solutions and in building a more resilient supply chain. Every IoT service is a databased service, and applying AI/ML can make each service more responsive, predictive and proactive.

“At the same time, we are conscious 216

of not force fitting technologies just because they’re cool and trendy.

Our approach is to find appropriate

“ Every IoT service is a data-based service, and applying AI/ML can make each service more responsive, predictive and proactive” — Mrinmoy Chakraborty, Vice President, Head SOLiD Digital Business, SOLiD Inc

JUNE 2020

technologies that create maximum impact for our customers.”

Chakraborty explains that managing this digital change must be done with a human-centric approach.

“Any new technology introduction is change management,” he says.

“It changes people’s lives and even people’s vocabulary. Digital technologies make data transparent, and at times eliminate middlemen, which can be scary for people that are part of the ecosystem.”

217

Looking ahead, he sees an expansion

outlook for the post-Coronavirus world,

in the company’s services. “In the past

especially for my friends and partners

three years we have created a track

working in technology industries. I

record primarily in the Korean market.

believe that digital transformation was

In the next few years, I see more large

never a question of ‘if’, it has always

scale business expansion globally, in

been a question of when. COVID-19

South east Asia, the UK and the US. Also,

has decided one thing for us – the

our services will be more data intensive

time is now.”

and more suitable for the 5G world.”

For many in the technology industry, the COVID-19 pandemic has fasttracked digitalisation. Chakraborty is optimistic. “I have a very positive a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

218

A data driven culture to transform the business WRITTEN BY

GEORGIA WILSON PRODUCED BY

SCOTT GEORGE

JUNE 2020

219

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

tiket.com

Maria Tjahjadi, VP of Data Analytics at tiket.com discusses the company’s use of data, becoming agents of change and driving a data driven culture

W

ith over 10 years’ experience with data and data analytics, Maria Tjahjadi is the current VP of Data Analytics at tiket.

com. “I joined the data industry by accident, I 220

never planned to take this route, when I graduated from school, I had one dream to become an ERP consultant. But I couldn’t find any suitable companies, so after 3 months, I decided to switch my career. I started my career as a business intelligence consultant in a technology consulting company. It was after becoming a business intelligence consultant that I realized there was a lot of opportunity in the data industry as at that time, people didn’t really understand how to use generated insights from the data.”

Over the years, Maria has seen the data industry change drastically. “Start from the evolution of big data. It started when we realised huge amounts of data were being generated by internet users and the data processing was not only for structured data, but also involved JUNE 2020

Data and corporate strategy team

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

221

tiket.com

“ As the hype of Big Data emerged, data analytics changed a lot, everybody wants to be experts in data” — Maria Tjahjadi, VP of Data Analytics, tiket.com

unstructured data,’ she explains.

“However, I have found that, although companies want to implement this technology, some of them are not ready for it. After the hype of big data, now we are in a period where people start to implement Artificial Intelligence.”

When it comes to managing its data, Maria revealed that tiket.com has a lot of variance of data sources, and that “to make sure the trusted source is being used by everyone in

222

the company, we developed a data

JUNE 2020

Tiket Hadapi Rindu CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:44

223 platform. That platform is being used

However, Maria explains that it is

to generate the insight for everyone in

not easy to change the mindset of

the company. By having this platform,

people to implement new technology

we made sure that everyone accesses

such as a single data platform. “The

the same data.” Before this innovation,

innovation challenge is people, it’s

Maria details that the company had a

not easy to change mindsets and the

lot of manual data. “Every department

way that people work. Implementing

has their own data producing their

technology couldn’t be separated

own numbers, this approach caused

from improving processes and

confusion as to whether the data was

changing the way people work.

accurate. Now that we are accessing

Without that combination, no one will

one data platform, we have increased

use the technology.”

the accuracy of our data. Now, every

In addition to this, Maria details

decision that anyone makes, they will

that one of tiket.com’s objectives is

refer to the same data.”

to become a leading Online Travel a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Data everywhere.

Analytics for everyone.

See it for yourself.

LEARN MORE

We help people see and understand data. tableau.com

“ The culture that we want to set is everyone in the data team is to become a consultant, meaning we should be able to give solution to any problem or any challenges that our users face” — Maria Tjahjadi, VP of Data Analytics, tiket.com

Agent that always focuses on customer centricity. “From a data team point of view, the culture that we want to set is everyone in the team should have a consultant mindset, meaning we should be able to answer any problem or any challenges that our users face. To become a data driven organization, our second mission is to become an agent of change. We need to help our stakeholders to put data first, by changing habits and behaviors to use data in everything they do.”

JUNE 2020

When it comes to securing the data that it uses, Maria explains that tiket.com harnesses technology to drive security within its operations “by using technology, we make sure that each person only has access to the specific data that they require.

We also implement data governance to create a data security metric, any data access should have an audit trail. Not only data security, data governance implementation also ensures that people have access to the high quality data that is maintained securely.”

In order to drive digital transformation with the organization, Maria believes that the company will need three things “The platform - or technology - the process and the people.

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Maria Tjahjadi

Title: VP of Data Analytics Company: Tiket.com Industry: Online Travel Agent Location: Indonesia With over 10 years of experience working with data, Maria works closely with both technical and functional subject matter experts to deploy projects, services and products.

When Maria is not doing the job, she loves to meet new people and explore new places. She also loves to teach, receiving many invitations to share her experiences.

So, we have very good technology partners and very good people in our team.” From a data perspective, Maria explains that the company is data driven all the way to the top.

“One of our partners - Tableau - has been one of the best decisions we have made,” comments Maria who reflects on the company’s success of adopting Tableau adding a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

225

tiket.com

2011

Year founded

1,000 Number of employees

226

DATA TR A N S F O R M AT I O N JOURNEY

• Customer centricity • People (Culture Shift and Change Management) • Strategic Vendor Management

JUNE 2020

227

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

tiket.com

228

“ Besides that, data team is an agent of change, who will work with strategic partners like Tableau and our stakeholders to make tiket.com a data driven company” — Maria Tjahjadi, VP of Data Analytics, tiket.com

that her Board of Directors began the hashtag #Tableauislife, “in his words, ‘Without Tableau, I have no life, because Tableau is my life now!’”

This showed Maria how much her management values data, “so I know our data-driven strategy is the right one, and with the help of Tableau we have adopted a user-friendly business intelligence software within our operations that is easy for our employees to understand and use.” Maria is also currently one of

JUNE 2020

229

Tableau’s User Group Leaders which

change. “We want to adopt user

helps the community of Tableau

friendly technology, if it is not user

users to learn the best practices

friendly it is useless for us to build

of the technology. “During the

it. This is something that I think is

meet-ups, even though Tableau can

very important in order to drive our

provide content and experts, the

transformation.”

Tableau user groups are entirely led by the customers for customers to learn and adopt analytics.”

Reflecting on the company’s data management, Maria reiterates her comment on being a company that is striving to be an agent of a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

230

JUNE 2020

Fighting cancer with technology innovation WRITTEN BY

GEORGIA WILSON PRODUCED BY

KRISTOFER PALMER

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

231

VA R I A N M E D I C A L S Y S T E M S

Yogeshkumar Ratnakumar, Director of Business Transformation at Varian Medical Systems , on its digital approach to create a world without fear of cancer

D

rawing on his 18 years’ experience within the healthcare sector and his Masters in Medical Physics, Yogeshkumar

Ratnakumar, has held various positions at Nucletron 232

and Siemens Healthineers during that time, Ratnakumar believes that navigating these different roles has given him a broad perspective of the happenings within the sector, stating “I have seen the level of interconnectivity, coordination and support required just within the departments at Varian Medical Systems to deliver the satisfying customer experiences that strengthen relationships.”

As the Director of Business Transformation at Varian Medical Systems, Ratnakumar describes the company as “very unique. Varian combines the ingenuity of people with the power of data and technology to achieve our fundamental goal ‘to create a world without fear of cancer’, which I believe makes a huge difference compared to other companies.” Over the last four and a half years working at Varian Medical Systems, JUNE 2020

233

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

VA R I A N M E D I C A L S Y S T E M S

“ Varian combines the ingenuity of people with the power of data and technology to achieve our fundamental goal ‘to create a world without a fear of cancer’” — Yogeshkumar Ratnakumar, Director of Business Transformation, Varian Medical Systems

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AT VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS “The technological innovation in the field of artificial intelligence (AI)

234

Ratnakumar has seen the organisation

and data, has contributed to a lot of

embark on multiple strategic initia-

changes in the healthcare sector in

tives, including its transformation

the past 10 years – I would say – It has

from a radiation oncology organisa-

provided a lot of support to healthcare

tion into a complete cancer care

professionals to make informed deci-

organisation” he explains.

sions and guide them to face greater challenges with greater confidence,” comments Ratnakumar.

“We innovate constantly, especially to create intelligent products, AI goes hand in hand with our digitisation and

JUNE 2020

IGRT Overview on Varian Trilogy CLICK TO WATCH

|

0:40

235 our investments in IoT for remote

ADOPTING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

monitoring and servicing of our treat-

Varian Medical Systems wants to

ment delivery platforms.

create an intelligent cancer care

Our fundamental data strategy

system by harnessing innovative

relies on an intelligent ecosystem that

technology such as AI, and machine

continuously improves the level of

learning to convert data into insights.

care clinicians provide patients. This

“We strive to bring people together

intelligence empowers them to make

around a holistic view of each

informed decisions in the fight against

patient, and to enable appropriate

cancer. We have multiple initiatives

multidisciplinary cancer care.

across the organisation all working to

In addition, we have also taken

harness data from a variety of sources

a learning ecosystem approach

that leverage machine learning and

to serve as an information bridge

AI to improve the ability to deliver

between clinics to streamline work-

extremely high quality care globally.”

flow and processes.” a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

We BRING and

COMPANIES CUSTOMERS TOGETHER

Hi, we’re Salesforce. We help companies unify marketing, sales, service, commerce, and IT on the #1 CRM platform, so you can give every customer the personal experiences they love. Visit salesforce.com/learnmore

In the past five years, Ratnakumar has seen Varian Medical Systems

those actions have on our operations.�

Varian Medical Systems has been

successfully transform several of its

an innovative company since its

business functions. As a result, the

founding in 1948, creating intelligent

organisation has a fantastic founda-

products to support its customer’s

tion to evolve as its customers evolve.

fight to cure cancer and reimagine

“At the root of our transformation is

patient treatment.

intense focus on what we do, why we

With this in mind Ratnakumar sees

do it the way we do, and the impact

Varian Medical Systems as a pioneer

237

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

VA R I A N M E D I C A L S Y S T E M S

238

JUNE 2020

“ The basics of digital transformation are to be agile and adaptive to prototyping” — Yogeshkumar Ratnakumar, Director of Business Transformation, Varian Medical Systems

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

1948

Year founded

$3.2bn+ Revenue in US dollars (2019)

10,000 Number of employees

within the healthcare sector in adapting innovative technologies. “Machine learning is a key component of our strategy for facilitating innovation,� says Ratnakumar. In 2014, Varian Medical Systems was the first company to develop machine learning products for radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer.

In addition, we are also using machine learning across multiple areas to drive predictive and proactive triggers to ensure smooth operations both internally and externally.

Moving on to artificial intelligence he continues, “our use of this technology

JUNE 2020

is very human centric, In 2019, we have

tasks to better place the focus

launched AI driven Ethos Radiotherapy

of people onto bigger problems.�

system, which is helping clinicians in

A STARTUP MENTALITY, CULTURAL CHANGES AND PARTNERSHIPS

the field today.�

Recently We have started RPA internally for repeatable and predictable

When driving its innovation strategy,

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Yogeshkumar Ratnakumar Title: Director of Business Transformation Industry: Medical Device

Location: Singapore 241

A result-oriented leader with strong track record in the healthcare business, having navigated through sales, marketing, strategic and integration operational roles over 18 years. Successfully utilising emerging technologies, analytics, trends and data-based decision-making skills to achieve multi-fold growth strategies across various geographies.

He is a seasoned integration business architect with a proven track record of execution of strategic plans, redefining, redesigning organisational architecture and implementing best practices across the organisation.

Further, he has seasoned people management skills in executing organisational transformation projects, building and developing virtual and cross functional teams and championing internal harmony among partners.

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

VA R I A N M E D I C A L S Y S T E M S

242

Ratnakumar explains that Varian Medical

Reflecting on the workforce at

Systems adopts a startup mentality.

Varian Medical Systems, Ratnakumar

“The basics of digital transformation is

believes that the organisation is

to be agile and adaptive to prototyping.

blessed with people that of which

A mentality which is common among

we are proud “We have a strong

startup organisations. So, at Varian we

value system at Varian, we drive indi-

have been driving agility and prototyping

vidual connections to drive cultural

within our operations in order to be adap-

change, which is critical to adopt-

tive to achieve our core mission goals.�

ing new technologies and adapting

Helping the organisation to adopt

processes.

this mindset and drive innovation

When it comes to its Enterprise

is its people excites Ratnakumar.

application partners, Ratnakumar

JUNE 2020

“ Our fundamental strategy is to develop an intelligent ecosystem for clinicians to continuously improve the level of care they provide” — Yogeshkumar Ratnakumar, Director of Business Transformation, Varian Medical Systems

providing different perspectives to the industry standards, as well as someone who can provide advice on sustainable investments for solu-

highlights key components that the

tions and who can work with us to

organisation looks for. “The first is

develop proof of concepts (POCs)

a co-creation mindset, this is impor-

as well as the final component.

tant for agility and prototyping. A

Reflecting on the organisation’s

co-creation mindset will coincide

biggest strengths, Ratnakumar

with this adaptive mindset, products

doesn’t hesitate to attribute this title

like Salesforce FSL have helped

to its people, “our people and our

improve field service user experi-

interconnected value system are

ence. We also look for partners like

our biggest strengths. Our biggest

Accenture who can support us in

success is the amount of lives that we have touched over the years and we won’t stop, every day we want to touch ”

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

243

NTT Ltd.: developing truly global partnerships

244

WRITTEN BY

SEAN GALEA-PACE PRODUCED BY

STUART IRVING

JUNE 2020

245

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

NTT

Anthony Shaw, Global Senior Vice President, Talent Transformation and Innovation at NTT Ltd., discusses the introduction of new technology and the effect it has had on his organisation and its clients

N 246

TT Ltd. is a global technology services company that brings together the expertise of leaders in the field. The

organisation partners with leading businesses worldwide to achieve success through intelligent technology solutions. To NTT Ltd., intelligent means data driven, connected, digital and secure.

Anthony Shaw is the Global Senior Vice President, Talent Transformation and Innovation at NTT Ltd. Having been with the company since 2012, Shaw has enjoyed a career centred around cloud.

“In university, I began my career in technology by working in the field of data centres and then worked for several cloud companies,” he explains. “I then joined Dimension Data (an NTT Group company) as a product development specialist and worked primarily on cloud technologies. Three years ago, I switched my career path to look at our transformation internally and build expertise in the company to generate more value for our clients.”

JUNE 2020

247

2019

Year founded

$11bn Revenue in US dollars

40,000 Number of employees

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Learning as it should be

LEARN MORE

LearnUpon LMS is a powerful platform with a practical approach to learning. By combining industry-leading capabilities, unmatched ease of use, and unrivaled customer support, organizations can manage, track, and achieve their diverse learning goals—all through a single, powerful solution.

Founded on over 25 years of eLearning experience, LearnUpon was started in 2012 by Brendan Noud and Des Anderson. Their mission is to help businesses get more out of corporate learning. By putting your goals first, LearnUpon ensures that every learning opportunity is an experience that advances employee, partner, and customer success. It’s learning as it should be.

Trusted by over 1,000 customers worldwide including Zendesk, TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Intuit Quickbooks, Logitech, and Twilio, LearnUpon is one of the fastest growing LMSs in the world.

LEARN MORE

NTT

“ Automation and DevOps is a fine balance between risk and agility” — Anthony Shaw, Global Senior Vice President, Talent Transformation and Innovation, NTT

With a large number of its clients being large enterprises, and government agencies, Shaw believes it’s essential for NTT Ltd. to leverage its expertise of operating in large environments in order to meet the requirements of major organisations. “Automation and DevOps is a fine balance between risk and agility,” says Shaw. “Aside from using our experience of operating in large environments, we also have the technical expertise to automate things. Over the

250

past few years, we’ve been increasing

JUNE 2020

NTT SCL: OAM Multiplexing Technology for TerabitClass Wireless Transmission CLICK TO WATCH

|

4:37

251 our interest in DevOps, not just at NTT Ltd., but also for our clients as well.

“We have also invested a significant amount in research and development (R&D) globally,” he continues. “Every year, NTT Group Invests US$3.5bn in R&D to innovate with technology that enables a sustainable future. We have a policy of collaboration across the company so if we work on a solution for a client, then knowledge and IP is shared and reused across the organisation.”

With the introduction of new technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and data becoming increasingly a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

NTT

252

JUNE 2020

“ We have a policy of collaboration across the company so if we work on a solution for a client, then knowledge and IP is shared and reused across the organisation” — Anthony Shaw, Global Senior Vice President, Talent Transformation and Innovation, NTT

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

253

NTT

254 influential, NTT Ltd. has begun to scale

to understand data privacy regulation,”

it in order to increase efficiency. “We have

says Shaw. “We’ve built a team that

an example of two teams that

does data privacy research of technolo-

are primarily using AI in analytics; the

gies. When we look at adopting cloud

financial and HR teams,” says Shaw.

technologies, we’ve built processes for

“It is mainly used for predictive studies

assessing the impact on our data pri-

around profitability and control, as well

vacy obligations. It’s important that we

as for analysing trends in the market.

consider how we can still meet our data

On the HR side, it’s important that we

and regulatory requirements, as well as

use it to better understand the market

reflect how we’re responsible for the

to help determine where we should be.”

data that we have.”

Shaw points to data privacy and affirms

NTT Ltd. has Global Delivery Centres

it is one of NTT Ltd.’s biggest challenges.

in India, the Czech Republic and

“It’s not only for big enterprises that

Malaysia to allow for standardisation

data privacy has become important.

across the organisation. “We’re getting

I believe that all online businesses need

more efficient and effective by improving

JUNE 2020

the processes and those delivery centres, as well as introducing automation,” says Shaw. “It’s far easier to introduce automation with centralised teams.”

When seeking to introduce new technologies and processes, NTT Ltd. has an architecture review board in place which determines the value of any potential innovations considered.

“If we’re looking to implement new technologies then we have a set of standards that we adhere to from the 255 E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Anthony Shaw Location: Sydney, Australia Anthony Shaw is a globally recognized technology leader with 12 years industry experience in software, cloud and talent management. Anthony graduated from the University of Reading in the UK in 2007 with a Bachelors’ degree in Computer Science & Cybernetics and kickstarted his career in tech as a product manager focusing on cloud-based platforms. In 2013, he joined Dimension Data (an NTT Group company) to manage and grow the software engineering team while also introducing automated testing and other best practices.

Since Dimension Data was integrated to form NTT Ltd., Anthony has been leading the innovation and talent development team, where he’s overseeing the talent strategy and talent acquisition, as well as managing the Learning and Development functions. a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

NTT

“ It’s far easier to introduce automation with centralised teams” — Anthony Shaw, Global Senior Vice President, Talent Transformation and Innovation, NTT 256

vendor architecture or the platforms that we’re looking to introduce,” says Shaw. “We are constantly seeking technology which is fully cloud-enabled and can run in different regions. The architectural review board researches and works with any vendors that we would bring in or any technologies that we would adopt. It would then score those technologies against that standard and once it’s been approved, we would then make a decision based on that investment criteria.”

JUNE 2020

Over the next couple of years, Shaw expects demand on global network capacity to drive new innovation in IP communications. “We’re developing new technologies to dramatically increase the capacity of the global networks, such as multi-core, multi-mode fiber optic that allows high-capacity transmission with a transmission rate on a single optical fiber that exceeds the current rate by a factor of 100 to 1,000. We’re also making advances in wireless networking, we succeeded in wireless transmission rates of 100 Gb/ sec by using a method devised by NTT combining a principle called “OAM Multiplexing” with MIMO technology.

This generates multiple radio waves of different frequencies so that they can transmit simultaneously without interfering with each other.

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

257

258

JUNE 2020

Transdev: data-enabled mobility WRITTEN BY

JOHN O’HANLON

PRODUCED BY

STUART IRVING

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

259

TRANSDEV AUSTRALASIA

Transdev Australasia’s CIO Peter Orlowski on transforming the company’s IT to deliver Mobility as a Service (MaaS), transport on demand (ToD), and introducing automated vehicles (AVs)

W

hen the French companies Veolia and Transdev merged in 2011, rebranding all operations as Transdev two years later,

the new entity set about consolidating its position as 260

a global transportation provider. Today, it has operations in more than 20 countries. It has been growing its presence in Australia and New Zealand since 2013, though in fact, Veolia has been present there since 1998. Today, it has 13 divisions in the region, providing bus, rail, tram, ferry and school transport services to Australia’s major cities from Perth in the west to Brisbane in the East.

In all it operates multiple modes of transport with New Mobility solutions deployments such as ARDi, the first automated on-demand shuttle, Transport on Demand services.

PERSONALISED, AUTONOMOUS, CONNECTED AND ELECTRIC (P.A.C.E.) Transdev is strongly advocating the MaaS concept across Australasia.

JUNE 2020

261

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

TRANSDEV AUSTRALASIA

“ We are building an ecosystem of partner companies to ensure the best service at the best cost” — Thierry Mallet, Chairman, Transdev 262

Innovations like this light up the eyes of Peter Orlowski, CIO of Transdev Australia since August 2019. He is also Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, and his vision is very much in line with that of Transdev’s Chairman Thierry Mallet, who announced recently: “We are building an ecosystem of partner companies to ensure the best service at the best cost,” tagging Transdev as The Mobility Company to reflect its more personalised, more autonomous, connected and sustainable approach. However, innovation should be built in an entrepreneurial and sustainable environment.

By its very nature, Transdev has grown as a collection of services differentiated by location, mode and history. “When you take over a contract, it comes with all the legacy. Don’t misunderstand me; all our operations are highly efficient, professional and customer-focused. Transdev recognises that transport is becoming predominantly data-driven. We are going through a huge transformation globally to embrace concepts like Mobility as a Service (MaaS), which relies on data platforms that allow you to integrate many providers.”

JUNE 2020

Meet our Journey Makers - Betzy CLICK TO WATCH

|

0:36

263 Customers, Orlowski says, expect

need rather than strategic result-

to commute with ease and not have

ing with islands of excellence and

to worry about who is operating that

of infrastructure where platforms

part of the network, or how they are

need to be replaced or put in place to

going to pay, because the payments

provide real-time data feeds from the

are largely automated. Though this

company’s systems and integrating

seamless experience is already

these with those of the public trans-

happening in some places, ANZ is

port authorities (PTAs) that make up

catching up quite rapidly, he has found,

the client base. “Of course, the PTAs

not least helped by the experience and

themselves differ in their level of IT

knowledge that already exists within

maturity and capabilities but they do

Transdev and its partner network.

share our ultimate vision and the new

Orlowski also observed that the

tenders coming out reflect that. MaaS

past investments into IT were tactical

will become reality only if we all focus

coming from immediate operational

on data driven customer convenience.” a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Transform your business with Infor Unique industry needs, purpose-built solutions Infor understands that one size fits all software doesn’t meet your business requirements.

That’s why we focus on building software for key verticals that have specialised needs.

From manufacturing and transportation to retail and fashion, we deliver industry-specialised ERP end-to-end software brought together by artificial intelligence technology.

• • • •

68,000 customers in 170 countries 71 million cloud users $2.58B invested in product development Enterprise leader in ERP

Infor customers include: • 19 of the top 20 aerospace companies • 9 of the top 10 high tech companies • 18 of the top 20 automotive suppliers • 14 of the top 20 industrial distributors • 13 of the top 20 global retailers • 4 of the top 5 brewers • 17 of the top 20 global banks • 9 of the 10 largest global hotel brands • 7 of the top 10 global luxury brands

LE A R N M O R E

infor.com 1.800.076.887

Copyright ©2020 Infor. All rights reserved.

G E T A DE M O

“ We are going through a huge transformation globally to embrace concepts like Mobility as a Service (MaaS), which relies on data platforms that allow you to integrate many providers” — Peter Orlowski, CIO, Transdev

Transnet group.” Though this meant that many of the companies were using common platforms, these have been adopted at different times using different consultancies, making it difficult to transfer staff; even though they may have been using familiar platforms they may not understand later iterations.

To counteract this, he has set up ‘communities of competence’ with a core team of experts linked to key users in the various businesses and modes. The communities can then look at standardising processes and integrating these centrally. “It’s about getting professionals under one roof to set a vision and

COMMUNITIES OF COMPETENCE DRIVING STRATEGY

that vision forward. I have found the

He has defined a strategy for his

community approach works better than

organisation with three main pillars.

centres of excellence locked in an office

Sound governance around IT, security,

with very little connection with the field.”

project and product management;

grow trust within the business to drive

The primary tool these communities

capabilities around people and tool-

use is Hastus for network optimisation

sets; and foundations. Out of that

and improvement. Orlowski states that

strategy, his team identifies 60 major

“if we can optimise the network the

transformation initiatives.

customers will be happy because the

Reviewing existing platforms, Orlowski

buses will not run empty, passengers

found much off-the-shelf technology,

will be happy because they will be

noting that “we only have a couple

picked up by a more frequent service,

of core systems developed within the

and the drivers will be happy because a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

265

TRANSDEV AUSTRALASIA

266

they will have less congested routes

driver for the new vision, and while

to negotiate.”

Orlowski is keen to develop as much

This phase is more about competency

internal expertise as possible, his team

and vision than about IT, but it’s vital

are working with partners to tap into the

to the digital journey to new levels of

newest solutions. “We are always better

automation. “Transdev has two main

together. For example, in the enterprise

focuses - operating and maintaining its

asset management space we have

assets - and we have to be master of

chosen Infor as our strategic partner.

both,” says Orlowski. “People in the IT

Infor’s global presence and experience

organisation and in the field can learn

in working with a broad spectrum of

from each other. You can only do so

fleet, equipment or machinery asset

much digitally – I am a big proponent of

companies is proven and their position

getting IT people out of the office if they

as a Leader in Gartner’s magic quadrant

are trying to create solutions just so they

further enhances our confidence.

can understand the real-world problem.”

“Infor EAM is also used by our global HQ in France and this partner-

STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIPS

ship continues to help us optimise

If that seems self-deprecatory com-

our asset management processes at

ing from a CIO think again. Data is the

Transdev. Infor’s ability to align with our

JUNE 2020

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Peter Orlowski Location: Melbourne, Australia Peter Orlowski is an influential, energetic, and performance-oriented natural leader driving information technologies, innovation and transformation to increase competitiveness and profitability. He has senior executive leadership experience in all aspects of IT, delivering meaningful outcomes across multiple industries. Orlowski is recognised for setting IT strategy, delivering digital solutions, embedding agility, managing risk and information security, and is a decisive leader known for making effective strategic and tactical data-driven choices. He has delivered outstanding results and innovative capabilities through proactive and effective development of business models, organisations and strategies for IT services and digital products, and is a passionate advocate of excellence in customer experience.A motivational team builder with exceptional interpersonal, communication and collaborative skills, he is used to working effectively in diverse environments, and promoting collaboration through teamwork, governance frameworks and stakeholder relations. Orlowski is authentic and transparent, and capable of achieving high levels of organisational and customer engagement.

He is committed to continual improvement, team development and client satisfaction. In his current role Orlowski is Transdev’s Executive CIO, leading IT, digital technology, network optimisation and innovations across all modes of transport in Australia and New Zealand. Actively promoting fully digital New Mobility solutions such as Mobility as a Service (Maas), Transport on Demand (ToD) and autonomous vehicles (AV) to reduce carbon impact and increase convenience and passenger satisfaction. a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

267

TRANSDEV AUSTRALASIA

268

JUNE 2020

2011

Year founded

5,800 Number of employees

269

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Purposeful technology, inspired and delivered by people.

We believe it’s people who give purpose to our technology, and it’s the power of purposeful technology that inspires people.

Business agility drives success in a world full of competitive pressure. When less than 30% of transformations are succeeding, how do you become a leader?

Telstra Purple believe that leadership starts by putting people and purpose at the centre. Bring together your experts with ours and harness the power of technology.

Click here to harness the power of technology

requirements and offer a robust cloud

modes resulting in more convenience

and mobile-first asset management

and choice for clients.

solution is something that is exciting for

The IT team at Orlowski’s disposal

us and our data-driven approach. We’re

is not huge at some 40 people serving

able to find new innovative ways to cap-

a large dispersed user base, but by

ture operational data and augment it with

involving external partners that capac-

data we collect from assets. That data

ity is multiplied. A robust telecoms

turns into information; that information

infrastructure is vital to connect the

into actionable insights that is accessible

communities together. “Thus far,

across management dashboards. We

Telstra has been a great partner, taking

can leverage data science to predict

over 90% of the data traffic involved,”

future scenarios, prevent unexpected

explains Orlowski. “However, it’s an

downtime and plan ahead to deliver

aggressively competitive telecom envi-

in line with our expected service levels.”

ronment and Transdev is open to any

Applying that paradigm across all

innovation such as 5G roll outs, LiFi or

functions and modes will enable and

alike inviting companies to be creative.”

enhance the vision of MaaS, on-demand transport and the eventual introduction

TOWARDS A CLOUD-BASED FUTURE

of autonomous vehicles (AVs) to all

Most of the operations cover the regional areas around the principal cities,

“ Transdev has two main focuses — operating and maintaining its assets — and we have to be master of both” — Peter Orlowski, CIO, Transdev

he adds. They will always look for what works best in any particular location whether it’s telecoms or another technology. “To realise MaaS aspirations our assets all have to be telco enabled as we have IoT devices that collect a lot of data as they move about. We need that capability and also the ability to be able to plug into the different devices like people counters, door sensors, TV cameras, a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

271

TRANSDEV AUSTRALASIA

272

“ Our assets all have to be telco enabled” — Peter Orlowski, CIO, Transdev

JUNE 2020

audio sensors to provide real-time data feeds so that people can, for example, plan their route using Google.�

The ability to optimise routes, pay for tickets by card or phone and all the conveniences that travellers now look for all comes from IoT. Close cooperation with Orion Network, our partner for IoT innovation, digital two-way radio coverage and data analytics is fundamental in our journey towards digitisation.

Moving from traditional twoway radios to modern digital communication supported by operational platform to the latest Motorola digital communication supported by operational platform and analytics Orion has enhanced its digital capabilities. Working together on leading edge technology projects allow us to achieve benefits from data, for example ensuring better asset health via predictive analytical models.

Transdev is thus a data-rich environment in both ‘static’ data that can be a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

273

TRANSDEV AUSTRALASIA

“ We are now connecting our infrastructure to the cloud in a way that allows us to work seamlessly with our on-premise platforms” — Peter Orlowski, CIO, Transdev

Join the Industrial Network Revolution.

Business Critical Voice & Data Communications.

The Orion Network is the proven Industrial Network for the Transport & Logistics, Aviation, Utilities, Facilities, Government & Contruction Industries delivering operational and business outcomes to customers.

Learn More

states in Australia legislate that data should be resident and processed within the state.

Clearly it will take time and phased investment to realise Thierry Mallet’s ‘mobility of tomorrow’ across the multi-modal and geographically dispersed networks of Australia and New Zealand, Orlowski concludes. But he is in no doubt that his team has a central responsibility to deliver that vision.

As a footnote, it’s interesting to note Orlowski’s reaction to the coronavirus outbreak just beginning to affect life in Sydney. Yes, it will disrupt things, but it interrogated and ‘streaming’ data well

will break many old patterns. “Working

supported by cloud that can be analysed

from home, having to use collaboration

on the go. “Transforming IT infrastruc-

technology and finding smart ways to

ture is a key foundational prerequisite

overcome the restrictions and chal-

for digital transformation. The legacy

lenges will be the new order, but after

technology is not geared up to help me

the crisis has passed, you wouldn’t

solve that equation. Now I am at the start

simply revert to the status quo ante

of the journey. Many of our vendors are

bellum. Ideally the crisis will stimulate

already in the cloud so they can add real

new efficiencies and accelerate inno-

value through their services. We are con-

vation in every sector.”

necting our infrastructure to the cloud in a way that allows us to work seamlessly with our on-premise platforms and by the end of this year we will be all hooked up.”

There are restrictions to consider. Some a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

275

276

WRITTEN BY

LEILA HAWKINS

JUNE 2020

PRODUCED BY

SCOTT GEORGE

277

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

NTT

NTT Ltd., the global leader in technology and communications, is going through an exciting digital transformation, as John Lombard, CEO of Asia Pacific, explains

I

n July 2019, NTT formed a new company following the merger of 31 brands, including hybrid IT consultants Dimension Data,

NTT Security and NTT Communications. The 278

merger took place with the long-term goal of, among other things, streamlining operations for their clients to move applications to the cloud; little did they know how crucial this would become for workplaces all around the world.

“Globally we’ve brought together 31 different companies under the NTT Ltd. brand, and here in Asia Pacific we’ve brought together six companies to create this new organisation,” says John Lombard, CEO of NTT Ltd. in Asia Pacific. “My strategy is to make sure that we’re effectively operating across all of those organisations as a single unified team, ensuring that as we do that we’re bringing in the services that our clients are looking for.”

Lombard has more than 30 years’ experience of working in the IT industry, and was CEO of Dimension Data Asia Pacific for four years JUNE 2020

279

2019

Year founded

40,000 Number of employees

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

COMMAND THE NEW ERA OF HYBRID MULTICLOUD. Bring the best of a public cloud experience – speed, simplicity, and flexibility to your private clouds and hybrid clouds. And get one consistent experience with ease from NetApp. For more information, visit netapp.com

before moving into his current role.

To do this the company is deploying

He describes how the company has

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

adapted to address the impact of the

across back end systems to streamline

COVID-19 crisis. “There’s an immedi-

areas like finance, HR and procurement.

ate digital requirement that we need to

It is also consolidating its back-office

implement on behalf of our clients to

ERP with the SAP HANA database,

support this short-term pain that eve-

and is making sure systems across

ryone’s going through. The short-term

the organisation are streamlined. “Our

goal is to make sure everyone’s safe

call centres and help centres are fully

and healthy, and working effectively

integrated, so if you’re contacting NTT

from home. But the long-term goal

anywhere in the world, we’re using

doesn’t change, and we’re making sure

the same system to capture all of the

that we bring all of our services together

clients’ requests, and all of that connec-

in a unified fashion to our clients.”

tivity comes through a single portal.”

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

281

NTT

NTT Ltd’s robust R&D department

open source techniques to arrive at

invests over US$3bn a year in comput-

new solutions internally. “We’ve got

ing, connectivity, cyber security, AI,

lots of teams around the world building

and ML, as well as investing in startups

these new solutions, and inner sourcing

through their NTT Ventures branch.

is a way of making sure that we tap into

“NTT Ventures is a special purpose

the collective brain power of our com-

vehicle that allows us to take strategic

pany and our organisation,” Lombard

stakes in organisations and startups,

explains. “A good example of where

giving us early access to some of that

we’ve done this really effectively is the

content. It’s really important that we’re

Tour de France. We’re the competition’s

constantly looking at new ideas.”

technology partner and we also have a

The organisation uses the concept of “inner sourcing”, a term created in 282

2000 to describe the practice of using

cycling team – NTT Pro Cycling.”

In partnership with Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.), the company

NTT Ltd. and Dell Technologies: Transform your IT for the digital age CLICK TO WATCH

JUNE 2020

|

3:37

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

John Lombard Location: Singapore John Lombard was appointed Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific of NTT Ltd. on 1 July 2019. As CEO, John manages the end-to-end go-to-market, sales, delivery, operations, and profitability for Asia Pacific. NTT Ltd was incorporated on 1 July 2019 to bring together 31 brands, including Dimension Data, NTT Communications and NTT Security, into a single global technology services company John joined Dimension Data Asia Pacific as the CEO in May 2016, with over 30 years of leadership and management consulting experience. Prior to Dimension Data, John worked for SAP as Head of Services for Asia Pacific Japan, as well as the CEO and Managing Director of Crowe Howarth.

During his time at SAP, he was responsible for services and support across 14 countries in the Asia Pacific Japan region and was central to driving the company’s Cloud Services, Consulting, Custom Development and Education portfolio.

John is also the co-founder of #HeforShe for LeanIn Asia, which helps create an environment that enables women to #LeanIn to their careers and passions.

He also serves on the board of directors of Very Special Arts Singapore. John holds a Bachelor of Computer Science from Swinburne University of Technology in Australia. a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

283

HYBRID MULTICLOUD: THE KEY TO ENABLING ENTERPRISE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONS

BY SANJAY ROHATGI SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER FOR ASIA PACIFIC

Given the rise of the digital economy and empowered consumers, organizations are ramping up their digital transformation efforts. IDC predicts that more than US$7.4 trillion will be spent on digital transformation technologies globally, from 2020 till 2023.

For digital transformation technologies to deliver value, they need to be supported by a hybrid multicloud environment that allows IT resources to be deployed whenever and wherever they are required. This, in turn, enables organizations to use data to improve the efficiency of their existing operations, gain business agility to quickly adapt to changes, and drive new sources of competitive differentiation.

However, hybrid multicloud can come with some management challenges. If the different environments (i.e., on-premise, private cloud, or public cloud) aren’t well integrated, organizations will find it challenging to have visibility, control, or use their data to achieve business objectives.

Recognizing this issue, NTT and NetApp are jointly empowering organizations to seamlessly and securely liberate, integrate, and unleash the full potential of their data across the hybrid multicloud environment. Since the partnership combines NTT’s in-depth industry knowledge and technological expertise with NetApp’s integrated hybrid multicloud portfolio, NTT can now deliver a unified and cohesive cloud strategy that is tailored to each client’s business transformation efforts.

By using a consulting-led approach, NTT ensures that its clients’ hybrid multicloud allows their data, workload, and applications to be portable and scalable as well as delivers local customizations to meet their needs in every market they are in. This helps clients to become

data-driven, agile, and deliver good user/ end-customer experiences -- ultimately enabling them to achieve their business goals.

Since there is no single right path for digital or business transformation, organizations are increasingly looking at trusted advisors such as NTT for guidance in their digital transformation efforts and measuring the resulting business outcomes. To date, NTT and NetApp has jointly helped organizations across industries – including automotive, financial services, manufacturing, logistics, and transportation – in Asia and across the globe to turn their data into a strategic asset to capture opportunities presented by trends such as Industry 4.0, Smart Cities, and Artificial Intelligence. Together, we will continue to co-invest in R&D and co-create solutions that are relevant to client’s needs today and tomorrow, so that they are always prepared for change and can continue fueling growth using data.

Learn More

behind some of the world’s most

likelihood of the peloton catching the

prestigious sporting events, NTT Ltd.

breakaway team during each stage

built a live-tracking system connecting

of the tour. Compared to professional

tracking devices on each bike to the

pundits we’ve been more accurate.”

cloud, providing real time data to broad-

More recently NTT Ltd. announced

casters. In 2017, it began using AI and

the construction of a subsea cable that

ML to make predictions on who would

will run between Singapore, Myanmar

win each stage of the race. By captur-

and India. This will have the largest cable

ing live data such as temperature and

capacity in the region, at 240Tbps.

weather conditions and combining this

These innovations are possible partly

with historical data from previous races

because of how efficient operations

such as past winners, it has been able

are now they’re digitised. “We want

to build algorithms that have achieved

to ensure that all the products and

71% accuracy in its top five predictions

services we’re taking to our clients are

each day. “We can also predict the

built on a standard framework so we’re not giving them different solutions,”

“ Inner sourcing is a way of making sure that we tap into the collective brain power of our company and our organisation” — John Lombard, CEO, Asia Pacific, NTT Ltd.

says Lombard. “It allows us to have a seamless relationship with our clients.

It just brings a lot more efficiency to the way that we take our services to market. It provides a more consistent client experience, and makes sure they get access to all of the best practice that we have within our organisation.”

In March 2020, NTT was in the highest ranking of the Gartner Critical Capabilities for Network Services report, and named a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Network Services. “I believe this is a direct a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

285

What is good (and bad) customer service in 2019?

Asia Pacific Consumer Research Report

Get the report

Play video

result of us coming together as a sin-

also about bringing teams of people

gle organisation,” explains Lombard.

together to work on specific problems.”

“We’re recognised as having one of the

Before launching the newly merged

world’s leading managed securities

organisation, they set up “joint pursuit

services capability.”

teams” to do just that, completing a

This is not an insignificant feat. He

“dry run of the new organisation before

explains that communication, starting

we launched it, so we could get our

from the top is key. “The Asia Pacific

new culture working”.

leadership team is very visible. We’ve

Another important factor is ensuring

got to make sure we’re communicat-

cybersecurity measures are consist-

ing to our employees, but also to our

ent both internally and for their clients.

clients and to our partners, to make

This is achieved by creating services

it really clear what we’re about as an

that are secure by design, and having

organisation. That communication

company policies and procedures that

has to be confident and frequent. It’s

ensure their infrastructure is secure.

NTT Ltd.: Right to learn, our mission to empowering 840 girls in India by helping them stay in school CLICK TO WATCH

|

3:01

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

287

NTT

“All the services we take to market,

NTT has numerous partnerships

whether that’s networking capability,

that have been integral to its digital

our global data centres, hybrid infra-

transformation. Lombard cites Cisco,

structure, applications, collaboration,

Google Cloud, Microsoft and SAP

customer experience, everything that

as being very important, as well as

we have is secured by design. Internally,

Genesys, which is a leader in call

it’s one thing to have the right anti-virus

centre technology, both in the cloud

and all the other technology mecha-

and on premise. “They provide an

nisms, but you also need to make sure

omnichannel experience for their cli-

that people are trained to understand

ent base, and that’s something we very

their role in securing an organisation,

much believe in. We work well together

having the right culture around security,

because we’re both recognised as

and also having the right technology.”

global market leaders.”

289 Another long-term partner is NetApp, a hybrid cloud data services and data management company. “They’re all about allowing organisations to really unleash the full potential of data across a multi-cloud environment,” says Lombard. “NetApp also has a consulting-led approach to making data and applications portable and scalable, and that’s important for us as well.”

Additionally, NTT and Dell EMC partner to serve clients through leading technology supporting outcome-based solutions and disruptive innovation.

Together they offer clients a robust set

“ We want to ensure that all the products and services we’re taking to our clients are built on a standard framework so we’re not giving them different solutions” — John Lombard, CEO, Asia Pacific, NTT Ltd.

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

NTT

of integrated capabilities, leveraging NTT’s global service breadth and Dell EMC’s technology solutions.

Lombard is a co-founder of the #HeForShe campaign for LeanIn Asia, a network derived from the nonprofit organisation of the same name founded by Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg in 2013. “We’re a group of executives across Asia who want to help women achieve their ambitions,” he explains. “We’re trying to remove both the unconscious and the con290

scious bias that unfortunately exist in the workplace.” This sees the group hosting workshops that bring together

“ Here in Asia Pacific we’ve got such great diversity in our teams, with people representing the business across all parts of the region, getting exposed to the different cultures” — John Lombard, CEO, Asia Pacific, NTT Ltd.

men and women to discuss different workplace scenarios and how to deal with them, with the aim of creating a more equal playing field for women in the workplace.”

He’s also involved with Very Special Arts, a Singapore-based charity that supports people with disabilities to develop a career in visual or performing arts. “It’s something I’m really proud and excited to be involved in, and something that NTT Ltd. plays an important sponsorship role in as well.”

JUNE 2020

291 Lombard sees a bright future for NTT

involved in a large integration project,

Ltd. “I’ve got some really bold ambitions

being able to lead such a fantastic

here in Asia Pacific to make sure we

organisation. To bring together all

remain the leading systems integration

these different organisations with these

company across this region, and we’re

incredible client relationships is one of

well placed to be able to achieve that

the greatest opportunities. Here in Asia

goal. For us leading is not just about

Pacific we’ve got such great diversity

being number one in terms of size and

in our teams, with people representing

scale, it’s operating across all of the

the business across all parts of the

different markets and being the geo-

region, getting exposed to the different

graphical market leader.”

cultures. Being able to drive this digital

On a personal note, he says he feels

journey with those clients is so exciting.”

“blessed” to be in his role. “There’s only a handful of times in your career when you get the opportunity to be a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

292

Indosat Ooredoo: modernising legacy infrastructure WRITTEN BY

SEAN GALEA-PACE PRODUCED BY

TOM VENTURO

JUNE 2020

293

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

I N D O S AT O O R E D O O

Farizul Ahsan, Vice President, Network Programs and Solutions, VP (A) Network CME Infrastructure for Access and Data Centres, discusses his organisation’s challenges in the industry

I

ndosat Ooredoo (IO) is a leading telecommunications company in Indonesia with around 60 million subscribers. IO

is the largest operation of Ooredoo Group and 294

operates in 10 countries. With a focus on human growth, IO strives to improve the quality of life through the digital world. Helping to achieve that is Farizul Ahsan, Vice President, Network Programs & Solutions as well as Acting Vice President of Network CME (Civil, Mechanical & Electrical) Infrastructure for Access Sites and Data Centres.

Upon arriving full-time at the organisation in 2016, Farizul helped oversee the deployment of Indonesia’s first state-of-the-art high density (13 kW per rack) data centre and Ooredoo Group’s first data centre using DRUPS (Digital Rotary Uninterrupted Power System) technology.

IO subsequently built two more new data centres, all of which successfully passed the Uptime Tier III Design and Built certifications.

JUNE 2020

295

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

I N D O S AT O O R E D O O

“ There is a real focus on uplifting and modernising many dozens of our legacy data centres that can support the new generation high density equipment” 296

— Farizul Ahsan, Vice President, Network Programs and Solutions, VP (A) Network CME Infrastructure for Access and Data Centres, Indosat Ooredoo

IO not only possesses modern data centres but also has legacy data centres across many regions of Indonesia. “The company was established in 1967 and has subsequently owned the current infrastructure for a considerable length of time,” Farizul says. He has an ambitious drive to modernise IO’s legacy data centres infrastructures but understands the challenges of doing this while still operating legacy systems and processes. “Currently, there is a real focus on uplifting and modernising dozens of our legacy data centres that can also support the new generation high density ICT equipment,” he adds.

JUNE 2020

Compro INDOSAT OOREDOO SUB ENGLISH 1 CLICK TO WATCH

|

2:07

297 Farizul understands the importance of treating each location separately and catering to individual

and -48VDC power and distribution infrastructure.”

In the past, most telecommuni-

requirements. He points to several

cation equipment were based on

key challenges that IO faces. “We

-48VDC equipment, however IO has

assess our needs and validate which

now ensured that all telco nodes

data centre location can support and

are transitioning to a cloud-based

which can’t. It’s about re-engineering

infrastructure and use 380/230

available capacity while coping with

VAC equipment generally. “We have

network growth. Generally, we are

decided to phase out the -48VDC

agile enough to upgrade. However,

power and distribution infrastructure

it’s not always possible if the utility

which will contribute to dramatic cost

company has limitations in some

reduction as well,” explains Farizul.

areas. There are also challenges

“Cable infrastructure is another chal-

to maintain both 380/230 VAC

lenge that we face. To combat this, a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

I N D O S AT O O R E D O O

298

JUNE 2020

“ If we’re building a new data centre or upgrading existing ones, we take input from our subsidiaries and we all have our own part to manage” — Farizul Ahsan, Vice President, Network Programs and Solutions, VP (A) Network CME Infrastructure for Access and Data Centres, Indosat Ooredoo

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

299

Learn More

LEARN MORE

we’ve introduced a backstop which

to have a strong foothold in a host-

will allow us to expand in steps. We

ing/colocation business utilising

also now design the upstream and

existing data centers. Lintasarta has

downstream at optimum capacity

been receiving international awards

and therefore no longer need to

and accolades such as “best data

change the cables every time we

centre provider” due to its vast certi-

need to upgrade.”

fied personnel, who are adhering to

IO is not only one of the largest telecommunication providers but also a provider of a full range of digital

the highest level of operation and maintenance standards.

One of IO’s modern data centres is

services including satellite commu-

located right at the heart of Jakarta’s

nication along with its subsidiaries,

commercial and financial business

Indosat Mega Media (IM2) and

district, attracting banks and other

Lintasarta, which have enabled IO

large entities. “We have strong

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Farizul Ahsan Farizul has been working in Telecommunication industry for over 15 years in various technical and management roles. He is a subject matter expert for Cellular site and Data Center infrastructure solutions.

He is one of the key members among all the Ooredoo Group Operations to transform to high density mission critical facility infrastructure strategy. He is very passionate in finding ways to introduce innovative solutions to drive down the total cost ownership while improving resiliency. Farizul holds Electrical Engineering and Computer Science degree from Texas Tech University, USA. He received various professional certifications for Data Center facility infrastructures from UK as well. Prior to Telco industry, Farizul acquired experiences in custom circuit design for automotive, avionics and communication technology. a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

301

I N D O S AT O O R E D O O

1967

Year founded

29.8tr+

Rp 

Revenue in rupiah

302

JUNE 2020

synergy despite working in different areas within the business,” explains Farizul. “For example, if we’re building a new data centre or upgrading existing ones, we take input from our subsidiaries and we all have our own part to manage. Collaborations such as this are very important.”

IO spends millions of dollars every month on its energy bill due to its vast number of cellular sites and data centers. “There is a strong drive to reduce energy spending, not only for cellular sites but also for data centres without compromising resiliency and agility to grow quickly to meet the business needs. We are laser focused now to improve PUE (Power

“ There is a strong drive to reduce energy spending, not only for cellular sites but also for data centres without compromising resiliency and agility” — Farizul Ahsan, Vice President, Network Programs and Solutions, VP (A) Network CME Infrastructure for Access and Data Centres, Indosat Ooredoo a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

303

I N D O S AT O O R E D O O

ALL-IN-ONE CONTAINERIZED DATA CENTER SOLUTIONS Quick deployment for edge computing in the IoT world Learn more

305 Usage Effectiveness) for all legacy

partnered with these big players in

data centres,” says Farizul.

power and environmental infrastruc-

To build new and upgrade exist-

ture because they possess sound

ing cellular and data centre sites, IO

technical competencies with an ade-

entered into strategic partnerships

quate product portfolio and required

with Huawei, Delta/Eltek and Vertiv.

implementation capacity to support

Huawei has built our first 2 state-of-

group wide strategy with agility.”

the-art high density data centres in record time. Farizul believes a solid partnership is extremely essential to have a successful outcome. “That’s why these partners had undergone competitive assessments by Ooredoo Group and its operating companies,” explains Farizul. “We’ve a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

306

Vocus Group: brilliantly simple networks WRITTEN BY

JOHN O’HANLON PRODUCED BY

STUART IRVING

JUNE 2020

307

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

VOCUS GROUP

Pushing the envelope hard, Vocus Group is creating the Future State of network infrastructure in Australia

V

ocus’s mission is most certainly a critical one. So much of the efficient working of government, infrastructure, business and

communities across Australia and New Zealand depends on the reliable operation of the networks that manage them internally and connect them externally, and Vocus Group is the leading provider 308

of these networks in the region. Its mantra is ‘brilliant made simple’; its aim is to give its clients a network that is reliable and simple while leaving them in control of their operations.

Founded in 2008, Vocus floated on the ASX since 2010, where it has grown organically and by acquisition, into a AUD$1.9bn company. We have frequently considered the vital strategic role played by technology in the telecoms industry today, and Vocus is no exception. CTO Vic McClelland joined the group in September 2018 at the invitation of Kevin Russell, current CEO of Vocus. His role is to define the technology strategy including how to combine Vocus acquisitions into the best fibre network in Australia and New Zealand – and with numerous large-scale

JUNE 2020

309

“ We had one of everything, just about, and we don’t need that!”

— Vic McClelland, CTO, Vocus Group

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

VOCUS GROUP

“ The Future State Network involves technology, people, processes and culture” — Vic McClelland, CTO, Vocus Group

acquisitions over the last five years he found plenty of legacy networks and systems to integrate. With more than 30 years’ experience and having held senior executive positions in Australia and Silicon Valley with major players including Vodafone, Hutchison, Ericsson and Telstra, Russell knew he had the right person.

“Vocus now has a very extensive fibre network across Australia, between and within the capital cities,” McClelland explains. “And we’ve also

310

invested in building the Australian Singapore Network, a submarine cable that gives us international submarine capacity out of Australia, up into Asia, and into other countries such as the USA via swaps.”

Acquisition at the time of mass consolidation driven by creation of the National Broadband Network some four years ago have given Vocus some amazing Fibre and Network assets.

As expected, acquisition comes with complexity. “We had around six separate Layer 2 and 3 networks with eight Business Support System (BSS) stacks, ll with separate vendors. At that level of complexity and juggling JUNE 2020

Vocus - Brilliant made simple CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:09

311 multiple separate contracts it is dif-

initiative to finally consolidate and mod-

ficult and costly to grow capacity,

ernise legacy systems. “This involves

difficult to innovate and build new

technology, people, processes and

products and takes more people to

culture,” he explains. “On the technol-

provision customer services. We had

ogy side, we plan to build a brand new

one of everything, just about and we

L2/3 network at the edge and points of

don’t need that!”

interconnect and then migrate custom-

Keeping things simple being part

ers off our legacy Layer 2/3 networks

of the company mantra, Vocus has

to this new network. Our new network

been rationalising where possible,

will be supplied by our chosen supplier

migrating customers and shutting

Arista Networks. Doing it this way we

down some redundant systems. This

have new inventory records to deal with

saved some resources, however in

rather than having to sort out historic

late 2019, he and his team initiated the

records from each legacy system,

Future State Network, a three-year

which would be a huge task.” a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Nokia and Vocus are taking light to the limit A strategic partnership that brings optical and IP networking innovations on one of the largest fibre networks in Oceania

Learn More

www.nokia.com

Six months into the programme,

so that the customers experience

the team have built the platforms and

is a true digital experience – for new

are creating a digital programmable

orders as well as for assurance, all

network from end to end including

dynamic and delivered to the custom-

integrating to Digital Portals and

ers in real time.”

creating products in the new stack.

The Future State program is

“In some cases digital transformation

delivered in three steps. McClelland

projects digitise only the front end but

already has the capability to provision

leave the back end with manual pro-

basic services within seconds. “Just

cesses. For the Vocus Future State

now we’re stitching together all of the

program we are making sure that we

capability around the offer and the

are automating as much as possible

digital experience before we launch

end-to-end through the entire stack

our first dynamic provisioning product 313

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Victa McClelland Victa is currently Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Vocus Group, based in Sydney Australia where he is responsible for Technology Strategy, Architecture and Security functions.Previously he held roles in Technology Operations, Product Management, Engineering and Strategy in major Telecom Service Providers in Australia including Director of Strategy and Architecture in the CTO Office at Telstra, Director of Networks (CTO) at SingTel Optus, CTO at Hutchison (3 Mobiles), roles at several start-up companies such as Time Telekom Malaysia, Commander Australia, Collinear Networks in Silicon Valley and held a role at a network supplier as Head of Software Services Strategy at Ericsson in Silicon Valley. Victa has a Degree in Electronics from Ballarat University. a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

VOCUS GROUP

314

“ If you can program services with intent, then you can reprogram them with intent when something breaks” — Vic McClelland, CTO, Vocus Group

JUNE 2020

315

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

VOCUS GROUP

316

for our customers . When this phase

Future State platform in a similar way

is delivered customers will deal with

that Vocus connectivity products are

us via a digital portal or APIs, enter

provided using standard API’s. “For

their requirements, get a quote, then

example, if a customer requests a vir-

if accepted click to accept that and it

tual security function from a particular

will activate within seconds. Just like

supplier along with their connectivity

ordering something from Amazon!”

then we will be able to offer that to

Step two he calls the partner eco-

the customer and they will be able

system, this step gives Vocus the

to order it. We can then dynamically

ability to implement partner products

connect it for them via our partner

and services into the new Vocus

ecosystem capability, regionally or

product catalogue. Partner solutions

globally. International network provid-

will be offered to complete customer

ers will be able to provision capacity

solution needs, orchestrated via the

on our network in Australia and we’ll

JUNE 2020

be able to provision capacity on their network overseas dynamically via this capability as well.”

The third step is self-healing delivered through closed loop automation.

This step will implement dynamic resolution of faults in the network or infrastructure by re-provisioning

“ Nokia is a key partner of ours on our intercapital transmission network” — Vic McClelland, CTO, Vocus Group

services then those faults occur. “If you can provision new services with

“Once we implement this step the

intent, then you can reprogram those

Future State Platform can redesign

services with intent when a fault

the customers solution on the fly to

condition occurs, a little like what

meet customers requested SLAs

happens today inside Data Centres

and automatically fix problems,”

when a server fault occurs, there the

McClelland continues. “To truly

system automatically redesigns all of

deliver fundamental changes in

the workloads without the customers

customer experience, telcos like us

application knowing.

need to implement digitalization endto-end through the stack. So, that’s what we’ll be doing. We’ll be moving from a digital front end with manual steps in the back-end to a fully automated end-to-end digital stack.”

“We have selected DGIT Systems to provide our Future State Ordering, Product Catalogue and Billing systems and Ciena Blue Planet orchestration platform to perform our infrastructure orchestration capability.” a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

317

VOCUS GROUP

318

Telecom Networks in Australia are

bushfires. “Delivering the Future

seeing demand for flexing connec-

State Network is a priority as it will

tivity due to moves to hybrid-cloud

improve Vocus capability to provide

connectivity, driven by the rapid

resilient and flexible solutions to our

growth of IoT and industrial automa-

customers,” he says.

tion, unforeseeable events such

Future State will also help with

as the COVID-19 emergency caus-

putting data at the centre of decision

ing huge segments of business to

making. “Today we have traditional

move to home working, and recent

data warehouses that provide

JUNE 2020

319

“ Legacy is a limiting factor and we are working through a lot of data cleansing to create a single source of truth” — Vic McClelland, CTO, Vocus Group

reporting on things like churn management, financial analysis, sales opportunity management, and the like,” explains McClelland. “As we implement Future State we will implement AI capabilities that leverage data and analytics capabilities to provide a better experience to our customers.” a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

VOCUS GROUP

Software Driven Cloud Networking Arista Networks has been appointed as the sole supplier of Vocus’s Layer 2 and Layer 3 Networking Equipment.

Arista is a leader in building scalable, high-performance and ultra-low latency cloud networks with low power consumption and a small footprint for data centre and campus environments.

Arista has a prestigious set of global customers and is committed to open standards across private, public and hybrid cloud networks.

Learn more

Contact us

321 Australia has never placed more demands on its networks than today, following the recent bushfires and the current COVID-19 pandemic. The latter causes massive spikes in traffic as everyone who can works from home and even more data is electronically shared than before. At this time, says McClelland, he is really appreciative of the partners that support Vocus in normal times but really step up when things are tough. “Nokia is a key partner of ours on our inter-capital transmission network. We’ve relied on

2008

Year founded

AU$1.9bn Revenue in Australian dollars

5,000+

Organisations have made the switch to Vocus

Nokia for many years and they have a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

VOCUS GROUP

322

JUNE 2020

delivered through the good times and equally through tough times.

We’re currently going through a situation where we’re working closely with Nokia on the supply chain issues that they’ve got because of COVID-19 in Europe and they’re just fantastic.

They’ve been doing a great job for us and they will continue to be a key partner for us.” Cisco is also another dependable partner for Vocus providing our core network equipment.

For the Future State program Vocus has chosen that are not traditional telecom equipment suppliers. “We deliberately chose partners that were able to work with us in a flexible way and that shared challenger vision.”

You don’t make progress without taking risks, insists McClelland. Vocus under the leadership of Kevin Russell is happy to be a challenger: the ideal environment for its energetic CTO.

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

323

324

Disrupting superannuation administration with the cloud WRITTEN BY

HARRY MENEAR PRODUCED BY

ANDREW STUBBINGS

JUNE 2020

325

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

RECREO FINANCIAL

Petros Gionis, CTO, and Dan Renoux, Head of Product, of Recreo Financial discuss disruptive, cloudbased superannuation administration platform, OneTrust

O

ver the last decade, the advent of new technologies and business practices has seen a pervasive digital transformation

sweep across the globe. Companies in global and domestic markets, across every industry, are feeling the pressure to adapt and adopt new solutions.

326

Those that don’t take steps to become the disruptors are at risk of being disrupted themselves.

However, digital disruption has been more pervasive in some industries than others. In the Australian superannuation sector, for example, rigorous compliance and regulatory structures, as well as significant operational complexities, have created high barriers to market entry.

“Superannuation platforms in Australia are ageing, with the most commonly used platforms dating back over 20 years. There has been limited innovation.”

So explains Dan Renoux, Head of Product at superannuation technology firm Recreo. “These ageing platforms are difficult to maintain and now lack the features required to administer a fund in the modern day,” he adds. “Historically, trustees and administrators developed bespoke versions of platforms in JUNE 2020

327

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

RECREO FINANCIAL

“ What Recreo offers is a clean slate. It’s an attempt to build something to modern standards that comes in one whole package” — Dan Renoux, Head of Product, Recreo

order to support manual administration practices but nowadays it’s about automation and admin by exception only, which is harder to achieve with older technology” says Renoux, who would know as he’s been working in the superannuation business since leaving university in the late 90s.

Petros Gionis, who took over as CTO of Recreo in September 2019, notes that, not only is the technology the superannuation industry is built on a complicated beast, but the

328

industry itself is no picnic. “It’s a complex ecosystem. There are multiple superannuation providers in Australia, ranging from industry super providers - who manage funds for a specific sector like mining, health services, retail, etc. - and then you have the big retail funds offered by the banks - which are typically run-for-profit funds,” he explains, noting that, “more or less every one of those providers over the last 30 or so years has built its own bespoke superannuation system or, if not, has purchased one from a legacy vendor.” He adds that these systems are still, by and large, based on old technologies that companies today JUNE 2020

329 end up spending tens of millions of

and fund administrators need to meet

dollars on to keep functioning.

future challenges,” says Renoux.

Recreo has spent the past few years

We spoke with Gionis and Renoux

developing the world’s first cloud-

to find out more about Recreo’s ambi-

native, SaaS-based superannuation

tious, disruptive project, the challenges

administration platform: OneTrust.

they faced along the way, and what’s

Built on a unified Microsoft technol-

next for the company poised to change

ogy stack and hosted by Amazon Web

the face of superannuation forever.

Services (AWS), OneTrust is the first truly modern, digital solution to enter the

WHAT IS SUPERANNUATION?

superannuation industry. “What Recreo

Created in 1992, superannuation is a

is offering is a clean slate. We’ve built a

compulsory employer and employee

platform that’s free of historical com-

contribution scheme designed to

plexity, that meets modern standards

provide income streams and lump

and provides the functionality trustees

sum payments to retirees. It’s similar a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

RECREO FINANCIAL

330

to national insurance and pensions in

buoyant than it otherwise might have

the UK and social security in the US.

been, there are tons of benefits.”

The money collected (which started

Collecting, managing, investing

out as a legislated 3% of salary con-

and redistributing these vast pools

tribution by employers and is slated

of capital is a complex financial and

to reach 12% by 2025) is reinvested in

regulatory task. Recreo believes that

the economy, something Renoux says

its new OneTrust system can not only

has been a real saving grace. “We’ve

improve on existing platforms, but also

got these massive pools of cash

help create efficiencies for its users.

that create buffers throughout the economy. It’s a fantastic safety net in

A CLEAN SLATE

lots of ways,” he explains. “It’s funded

“Recreo is the first company to do

infrastructure throughout the country,

superannuation administration in the

it’s kept the stock market a lot more

cloud,” says Renoux. You look at some

JUNE 2020

of these companies that are dragging

there was often a six week lag to pro-

the ball and chain of legacy solutions,

vision that and the project went into

and they’re spending tens of millions a

the region of hundreds of thousands

year upkeeping all these old systems

of dollars just to spin up a temporary

that can’t do what they need them to

environment to run a superannuation

do.” Gionis adds that these legacy sys-

system in test mode.”

tems are frequently deployed in house,

With Recreo’s cloud native solution,

which incurs a capital hit - as compa-

high up-front costs and lengthy setup

nies need to invest heavily in server

windows are eliminated. “We can

infrastructure, databases and software

spin up an environment in a matter

licenses to ensure systems are sup-

of days,” says Gionis. “I think those

ported and compliant. He recalls that,

advantages are too good to ignore,

“in previous roles when all we needed

which is where a lot of the legacy

was an environment to do some testing,

players can’t compete or keep up.”

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Dan Renoux Title: Head of Product

Company: Recreo

Industry: Superannuation

Location: Australia

A superannuation veteran with experience at Barclays, Prudential and Colonial First State. Dan is a solution and product designer and consultant whose role now sees him be responsible for defining, prioritising and planning the delivery of product development for Recreo’s fully featured administration platform.

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

331

RECREO FINANCIAL

Enhance your

Cyber Security Resilience Security Assurance & Consulting Managed Security Services Security Testing & Red Teaming

@TSSCyber

tsscyber.com.au

“ Recreo is the first company to do superannuation administration in the cloud” — Dan Renoux, Head of Product, Recreo

“Being able to quickly spin up and down environments and scale the specifications of servers with customer’s requirements have allowed pay-as-yougo pricing structures. Ultimately, the less a customer consumes the less they pay,” Renoux states.

Not content to rest on its laurels,

When needs change, environ-

Recreo’s teams are setting even more

ments can simply be switched off or

ambitious goals for themselves: being

scaled down and the costs go away.

able to spin up complex superan-

No servers to repurpose or sell, no

nuation environments in the cloud in

long-term licenses sitting unused;

a matter of minutes. “The fact that

the age of superannuation as a ser-

Recreo’s timeframes for releases are

vice has arrived.

measured in days rather than months - that was a real eye-opener for me,”

SAFETY IN THE CLOUD

recalls Gionis. “It’s great that we have

Australian superannuation fund assets

the agility to deliver for our custom-

totaled approximately $3trn at the

ers faster than our competitors made

close of 2019. Recreo’s first customer,

possible by our talented team and our

Mine Super - which represents mining

leading-edge cloud infrastructure. It’s

and related assets across Australia -

a real competitive advantage,” he adds.

accounts for $11bn in superannuation a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

333

RECREO FINANCIAL

funds. With such vast amounts of

this sector, but we come at it from

capital being moved, invested and

multiple angles,” Gionis explains.

distributed to fund members, security

“First, we utilise all the Amazon

and threat prevention in the industry

security protection features that are

is a top priority. Offering superannua-

available to us, and operate our envi-

tion administration services through

ronments in line with best practices

the cloud means that the onus for

as espoused by AWS. Over and above

protection is shifted from on-premises

that, we also have our own coding and

security to Recreo itself. Both Renoux

security guidelines that we adhere

and Gionis are confident that the com-

to. We are ISO27001-compliant and

pany’s offering provides a step up in

have been through checks by the

security over other competitors.

Australian Prudential Regulation

“We obviously take cybersecurity very seriously, as does everyone in

Authority (APRA) to make sure we’re compliant there as well. Obviously, our

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Petros Gionis Title: CTO

Company: Recreo

Industry: Superannuation

Location: Australia

Petros Gionis has over 25 years of experience in software development and systems engineering.

He’s helped build weapons systems for submarines, worked in stock exchanges, and excels at designing mission critical systems to solve complex, high-priority problems.

JUNE 2019

“ The ability to spin up an environment in a matter of days is a massive advantage” — Petros Gionis, CTO, Recreo

than the industry has seen before. “what we’re trying to do,” Renoux adds, “is build a simple, scalable and most importantly secure platform that will outperform anything currently operating in the market.”

STRONGER TOGETHER Cybersecurity isn’t the only area

customers also risk assess and audit

where Recreo is turning to its part-

us as well, and the other thing we do

ner network to ensure its offering

is engage suppliers like TSS Cyber,

is best-of-breed. In today’s digitally

which offers threat detection and

transformed world, the companies

event monitoring.”

engaging with specialist vendors

Based in Canberra, Australia, TSS

and partners throughout their eco-

Cyber is one of Recreo’s most valu-

systems are providing better, more

able strategic partners. “They’re a

comprehensive services at lower

massive help to us,” adds Renoux.

costs. “One of the strategic deci-

“They look at the traffic through the

sions we made last year was that we

system to make sure nothing looks

weren’t going to try to be everything

wrong - so apart from all the systems

to everyone,” explains Renoux. “You

we have in place ourselves, we also

can get quite confused quite quickly

have teams of people monitoring the

trying to fulfil every role in the super-

data all day, every day, to make sure

annuation ecosystem - it’s a very big,

that anything abnormal is identified,

very diverse space.”

digested and flagged for action imme-

By engaging partners like Tata

diately.” By harnessing the power of

Consultancy Services - which pro-

the cloud and Recreo’s partner eco-

vides the resources that allow Recreo

system, OneTrust can boast a more

to flexibly scale up and down in an

watertight cybersecurity proposition

agile way - and MongoDB - which has a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

335

RECREO FINANCIAL

336

C O M PA N Y FACT S

• Global superannuation funds are worth $3trn in total • Recreo’s first customer, Mine Super, oversees a fund worth $11bn

JUNE 2020

lent its powerful database solutions to the OneTrust project - Recreo’s team has been able to focus on the important things that set their offering apart.

“What we wanted to do was to be the best superannuation platform,” says Renoux. “But we’re not necessarily focusing on trying to be the best at everything by going it alone.”

Gionis agrees: “Our strategy is to bank on our strengths and leverage them but, where we have a gap, absolutely look to our partners to fill that gap. All in all, that makes Recreo a stronger platform than it would be without its partners.”

Cooperation and collaboration is also a vital part of Recreo’s internal structure.

Gionis acknowledges that successfully managing his teams is a critical piece of the puzzle. “I’ve got a lot of talented, really bright engineers, architects, and business analysts. A lot of our IP resides in their heads,” he explains.

“A big part of my job is keeping them motivated. I want them to come to work because they love it, love the technology that they’re working on and love solving the problems that they’re having thrown at them every day.” a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

337

RECREO FINANCIAL

MAKING IT BULLETPROOF Recreo plans to continue making use of its partner ecosystem and the expertise of its teams as it goes forward. Renoux explains that he and Gionis have a two-pronged approach to the coming year. After the mad dash towards launching OneTrust in September 2019, now is a good time to take stock and start putting effort into ensuring the platform lives up to their high standards. “It’s a new platform. We’ve been in production for about seven months now and we need 338

the system as a whole to be working optimally,” explains Renoux. “We’re bedding down this already-strong

“ What we’re doing is far more bulletproof that anything you could do on an on-prem system” — Dan Renoux, Head of Product, Recreo

platform and making sure that it’s as bulletproof as it can be.” As a systems architect of over 25 years, Gionis notes that he’s never worked with a system where things haven’t gone wrong.

“When things do go wrong, we want to make sure that everything is traceable and recoverable.”

The other aspect of Recreo’s plan is to embrace the power of integrated digital offerings to ensure that OneTrust is the best complete offering that it can be. While Recreo

JUNE 2020

2009

Year founded

70

Number of employees

339

makes sure its core offering is bul-

“It’s honestly a bit mind-boggling to

letproof, Renoux notes that this is the

comprehend when you consider that

year where the team is going to start

many have tried to achieve what we

adding “wow-factor” features. “We’re

have accomplished and failed,” he says.

talking about digital communications,

Before signing off, Gionis adds: I can’t

segmentation, an improved front-end

understate how complex this under-

portal, cross-platform interactions,

taking has been. The folks at Recreo

notifications - all that flashy stuff in a

have done an incredible job to get the

unified, seamless experience.”

platform where it is today.”

Looking back over the incredible journey that has resulted in OneTrust - the first cloud-native superannuation platform - Renoux shakes his head. a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

340

JUNE 2020

ACHMEA AUSTRALIA EMBRACES DIGITAL TO KEEP FARMERS FARMING WRITTEN BY

SEAN GALEA-PACE PRODUCED BY

ANDREW STUBBINGS 341

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

ACHMEA AUSTRALIA

Emma Thomas, CEO of Achmea Australia, discusses the importance of meeting the changing needs of Australian agribusiness through a digital transformation

A

chmea Australia is committed to helping agribusinesses protect their livelihoods and business continuity. It understands

the power of embracing digital innovation to reach new heights, without compromising on the value of face-to-face service to deliver on its purpose of keeping farmers farming.

342

The insurer is part of the wider Achmea Group, which began 200 years ago in the Netherlands with 39 farmers cooperating together to collect money in a glass jar, to compensate each other in the event of a haystack fire. From there, the Achmea Group became a global insurance brand.

With 14,500 employees in the Netherlands and 2,500 internationally, the Achmea Group supports the lives of 13 million people in six countries.

Through its brands, the Achmea Group has supported the Netherlands in becoming the world’s second largest agricultural exporter Emma Thomas is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Achmea Australia. Passionate about accelerating its sustainable business growth, Emma says through cherishing Achmea’s cooperative heritage, Achmea Australia has ensured JUNE 2020

343

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

ACHMEA AUSTRALIA

“ WE DISTINGUISH OURSELVES IN THE MARKET THROUGH OUR HISTORY; OUR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IS PARAMOUNT” — Emma Thomas, CEO, Achmea Australia 344

that helping agribusinesses and supporting their communities continues to be at the heart of its strategy. “We distinguish ourselves in the market through our history; our social responsibility is paramount,” she explains.

“We are a direct insurer, which means agribusinesses can partner directly with us, the insurer for their farm insurance, as opposed to purchasing insurance products through a broker or another third party. Through this direct relationship, we offer Australian agribusinesses an insurance product that is built on 200 years’ expertise, whilst providing local on-farm service.

Our purpose is to keep farmers farming; we exist to protect the continuity of farming businesses and the livelihood of farmers – as we have been since 1811.”

Achmea Australia has made a long-term investment in its digital transformation, with its digital initiatives translating into increased agility and speed for the entire organisation. As the world confronts the challenges of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Achmea Australia’s digital strategy enabled the company to move quickly

JUNE 2020

Lending farmers a hand for over 200 years CLICK TO WATCH

|

0:30

345 to transition employees from its office

Having grown up on her family’s farm

buildings and to work from their homes.

in the Otago region of New Zealand,

“Through the integration of technology

Emma has built a comprehensive

into all areas of the business, we have

understanding and passion for agricul-

built capacity for crisis resiliency. This

ture that she combines with more than

meant that we were in good shape to

20 years’ experience in the financial

accommodate this shift to remote work-

services industry. “As a child, when I

ing, whilst continuing to manage service

wasn’t at school, I was on my grandpar-

delivery without service disruptions to

ents’ merino sheep farm. Later I moved

our clients. COVID-19 has changed the

with my husband to a small farm on the

way we work, and it has underscored

Kapiti Coast, where we brought up our

the business continuity mandate. With

children,” she says. “We lived on our

secure and flexible cloud solutions, we

farm while I held several senior roles

can continue to service our clients from

spanning from finance to sales at a

anywhere – and at any time.”

large rural insurer in New Zealand.” a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

ACHMEA AUSTRALIA

346 In 2017, Emma moved to Sydney

of seeing the results of hard work and

to begin her role as CEO of Achmea

appropriately balancing opportunity

Australia, and instantly felt her personal

and sustainable risk management,”

purpose aligned with the company’s

she affirms.

values. “I am passionate about continu-

Achmea Australia has experienced

ing Achmea’s co-operative principles,”

rapid growth over the past few

she says. “I come to work each day

years. Having begun in Australia in

and proudly support a sector and

2013 with just two executives and a

country that helps feed not only the

couple of laptops, it is now achieving

nation but the world.” Emma believes

double-digit year-on-year growth.

that her personal family history is a

“Over the last three years, we have

major driving factor in how she lives

embarked on a journey of digital

her life today. “I have a love for the land.

transformation, our startup culture

This is where my personal values were

has evolved into a disrupter in the

shaped to appreciate the satisfaction

agricultural insurance industry,”

JUNE 2020

says Emma. “Since joining Achmea

With digital transformation playing

Australia, I have led the team to dou-

an increasingly prominent role across

ble the size of the business based

all industries, Emma says technology

on employee numbers and turnover.

is a core part of Achmea Australia’s

Achmea Australia has been a final-

growth strategy. “We have planned

ist in the Australian Direct Insurer

ahead to ensure a strong technol-

of the Year for 2018 and 2019 (by

ogy foundation for our future. It was

the Australian and New Zealand

important for us to differentiate

Institute of Insurance and Finance),

ourselves in the competitive insur-

and last year we were rated five

ance industry and speed-to-market

stars for our claims service by LMI

and enhancing service delivery were

ClaimsComparison.”

critical business drivers for us.

347

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Emma Thomas Title: Chief Executive Officer Company: Achmea Australia Industry: Insurance

Location: Australia

As Chief Executive Officer, Emma leads Achmea Australia’s rapid growth as a direct and specialist farm insurer. Having recently delivered a significant modernisation of its insurance technology platform, Emma is proud to continue Achmea’s co-operative principles which are underpinned by continued innovation, excellence in customer service and working together with industry partners to build a ‘better tomorrow’. Her credentials include: Chartered Accountant, CA ANZ, ANZIIF Senior Associate, Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting and Diploma for Graduates in Management (University of Otago, NZ). Passionate about continued personal development, Emma recently became a member of Australian Institute of Company Directors. a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

ACHMEA AUSTRALIA

348

JUNE 2020

349

“ PARTNERSHIPS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER AND INTEGRATED OFFERINGS ARE GAINING IN POPULARITY THROUGH THE EFFECTIVE USE OF DATA” — Emma Thomas, CEO, Achmea Australia

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

We help Achmea know and serve farmers better. guidewire.com

“ I COME TO WORK EACH DAY AND PROUDLY SUPPORT A SECTOR AND COUNTRY THAT HELPS FEED NOT ONLY THE NATION BUT THE WORLD” — Emma Thomas, CEO, Achmea Australia “What we look for in a strategic

Guidewire Software, Inc. has not only given us a competitive edge, it has also enabled us to differentiate ourselves and grow by adapting to the changing needs of our clients. This, in turn, has enabled us to employ more people in regional Australia, focus on mutually beneficial partnerships with agricultural associations and help to realise our vision of protecting and enhancing agricultural communities.”

Despite the considerable growth

partnership is an alignment of cultural

and focus on digital transformation,

values, in which each partner has a

Emma affirms that its people remain

clear role to play. As an insurer with

the lifeblood of the organisation.

co-operative values, we take a long-

“Along with a cloud-based telephony

term approach, choosing to partner

system, the successful deployment of

with Guidewire Software, Inc based

our cloud-based policy administration

on a shared understanding of strate-

and underwriting solution has allowed

gic needs and priorities for innovation.

us to focus on developing our people,

They have provided us with a state-of-

so that they in turn can concentrate on

the art, intuitive, cloud-based policy

delivering the best service possible

administration and underwriting sys-

to our clients.”

tem. Achmea Australia and Guidewire

“In a time of accelerating change,

Software, Inc both share a passion for

I am inspired by the positive mindset

enabling the growth of their clients,

of our people and how we are working

meaning we seek to understand their

together with our partners to actively

needs and determine how to best serve

think outside the box, present innova-

them. Partnering with first-class tech-

tive ideas and business adaptation,”

nology service providers, including

she continues. “We are working together a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

351

ACHMEA AUSTRALIA

“ I AM INSPIRED BY THE POSITIVE MINDSET OF OUR PEOPLE AND HOW WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR PARTNERS TO ACTIVELY THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX TO DELIVER ON OUR PURPOSE” — Emma Thomas, CEO, Achmea Australia

352

JUNE 2020

in challenging times, and by adapting and embracing digital opportunities, I am confident we will emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than ever.”

Emma believes that Achmea Australia is not just an insurer, but also a disrupter that delivers a farm insurance product to meet the evolving needs of Australian agribusinesses. “Instead of only providing an insurance solution, our focus on both digital optimisation and on-farm service has enabled us to service our clients, both now and into the future. Through our direct approach, we discuss with our clients how they can proactively prevent the types of losses we have seen in our 200 years of international experience and local rural knowledge, and what impacts to consider should they need to rebuild after a loss,” she says. “We talk to our clients about what risks they can prevent without insurance, and then for the remaining risks, our clients have the ability to tailor our cover so they can insure what they want and how they want it. Through our direct distribution model, we can meet faceto-face with our clients to discuss the a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

353

ACHMEA AUSTRALIA

354

needs and requirements unique to

help our clients to limit climate-related

their farm.”

damage on the one hand (adaptation)

Emma believes Achmea Australia’s

and on the other support them in

proactive and innovative approach

reducing their carbon footprint (miti-

gives the insurer an edge over com-

gation). We must work together on

petitors in the industry. “We are

a healthier, safer and more future-

continually looking for ways we can

proof society. At Achmea Australia,

stay ahead of the market. We research

we do this in a committed, customer-

methodologies and invest in tools and

driven and results-oriented way and

expertise so we can help our clients

it doesn’t get much more important

by providing insight and solutions,”

than our core company values. One

explains Emma. “As an insurer, we

of these is “we aim for solutions” which

are looking at offering services that

is all about innovation and looking

JUNE 2020

355

“ OUR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION HAS MEANT GREATER EFFICIENCY FOR OUR PEOPLE AND BETTER SERVICE OUTCOMES FOR OUR CLIENTS” — Emma Thomas, CEO, Achmea Australia

outside the box for a solution that is a win-win for both our clients and the Achmea Group.”

Sharing information and ideas, particularly during these difficult economic times, can help to transform businesses, elevate performance and deliver value according to Emma. Achmea Australia values its partnerships and affirms that in collaboration with its partners, the insurer is continuously seeking innovative solutions that strengthen its business proposition as much as a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

ACHMEA AUSTRALIA

356

possible. “To meet today’s global chal-

From August 2019 to January 2020,

lenges, partnerships are more important

Australia experienced an unprec-

than ever. Integrated offerings are

edented bushfire emergency which

gaining in popularity through the effec-

burned more than 18 million hectares

tive use of data,” she explains. “How

of land and destroyed thousands of

we remain relevant as a partner to our

homes and businesses. Tragically,

clients, true to our purpose whilst agile

34 people lost their lives and up to

in solving the new problems that our cli-

one billion native animals were lost.

ents face, will ensure Achmea Australia

Achmea Australia’s people witnessed

continues to strive as a business.

first-hand the devastation caused

We cherish our cooperative principles

in communities across the coun-

that we can achieve more by working

try. “The destruction caused by the

together for a sustainable future.”

catastrophic bushfires has served to

JUNE 2020

“ WE UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF TECHNOLOGY TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS, WITHOUT COMPROMISING ON THE VALUE OF FACE-TO-FACE SERVICE TO KEEP FARMERS FARMING” — Emma Thomas, CEO, Achmea Australia

With the future in mind, Emma has a clear idea of how her organisation can continue to grow over the next few years and help agribusinesses do what

remind us of the essential nature of

they do best. “The digitalisation of

food security, reinforcing the value of

agriculture is seen as the next (fourth)

the agriculture sector and the impor-

agricultural revolution, it is trust, trans-

tance of insurance for continuity of

parency and relevance that will keep

supply,” explains Emma. “Our insur-

farmers farming,” she says. “Through

ance platform enables our people to

this revolution, we will continue to

focus on what we do best: stand shoul-

walk side-by-side with our clients and

der-to-shoulder with our clients to

communities, using our international

rebuild livelihoods and get farms back

expertise and local knowledge to aim

up and running again when something

for solutions to emerging problems.

unexpected happens.

I am passionate about accelerating

“It is being recognised that Achmea Australia’s focus on both digital opti-

our sustainable business growth as a direct insurer.”

misation and on-farm service is truly something special. We understand the power of technology to reach new heights, which has allowed us to respond to the challenges arising from COVID-19, without compromising on the value of face-to-face service to keep farmers farming.” a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

357

Acumentis: combining digital culture and brand 358

WRITTEN BY

WILL GIRLING

JUNE 2020

PRODUCED BY

ANDREW STUBBINGS

359

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

ACUMENTIS

Craig Ulrick, Acumentis’ Chief Information Officer, discusses the company’s rapid expansion, digital rebirth and the brand culture which made it all possible

360

F

ounded in 1982 as LMW, Acumentis’ presence in the Australian real estate industry has been long and distinguished.

Representing the only property valuation and advisory services firm on the ASX, the company currently employs over 300 people across 40 offices spread around the country, including Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. Capable of providing a range of services, such as residential property valuations, strategic portfolio advice, data analysis and agribusiness, Acumentis’ breadth of knowledge is matched by its desire for expansion. Having acquired several other valuers over the course of its existence, most recently in mergers with MVS in 2017 and Taylor Byrne in 2018, the company finally decided to rebrand itself in 2019 to reflect its new commitment to digital transformation.

Having joined the company two years ago, as the excitement of its expansion was fully underway, JUNE 2020

361

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

ACUMENTIS

“ Our transformation has been a combination of digital, culture and branding: we have a new brand that has been informed and shaped by our team and it reflects the culture of this business�

Craig Ulrick, Chief Information Officer, Acumentis 362

JUNE 2020

Welcome to Acumentis CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:24

363

Craig Ulrick, Chief Information Officer

real insights about our customers and

(CIO), wanted to capture the energy

make informed decisions,” he explains.

and sense of urgency permeating

“We had to build smart-tech solu-

the atmosphere of Acumentis in

tions to replace slow and sometimes

his approach to digital transforma-

ancient business processes.” For

tion. Placing an immediate focus on

Acumentis, the mission to undergo

increasing efficiencies and driving

digital transformation can be summed

the revitalisation of legacy systems,

up in two words: Project One.

Ulrick was determined to bring the

In order to adequately serve its

company fully into the digital era.

customers, the company had to find

“Acumentis is one core platform; one

a way to analyse quality data in real-

core brand with multiple combined

time - fast enough to help them make

services, which share the same data

crucial real-estate-related decisions

across the group and allow us to gain

in an informed manner. “It was nice a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

ACUMENTIS

364

getting stuck into a nice, big, juicy project like that,” says Ulrick. “Project One was part of our rebrand development to transform the company into a cutting-edge platform. The business made a decision to transform because it wasn’t sustainable to maintain the many systems we had under different contracts and arrangements previously.” Gathering information about properties from myriad sources, including government bodies, local authorities, councils and geographic surveys, the voluminous sum of this JUNE 2020

1982

Year founded

$42mn+ Revenue in AUS dollars

300+ Number of employees

research can be overwhelming, particularly as it must be interpreted and used to a customer’s advantage.

The role of AI and algorithm-

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Craig Ulrick Title: Chief Information Officer

powered analytic systems has been

Company: Acumentis

pivotal in making sure that quality,

Industry: Property Valuation

data-driven decisions can be made.

Location: Sydney, New South Wales

“Acumentis uses something called an ‘automatic valuation machine’ (AVM). It’s not quite AI; it’s more like machine learning,” clarifies Ulrick.

“So you type in an address and it processes some associated data. It then informs you what that property might be worth right now. It’s not perfect, but it gets a lot of the things spot on.” Ulrick opines that the further automation of these labour-intensive tasks will form the core focus of the real estate industry moving forward, particularly regarding valuation

Craig possesses a wealth of IT experience and has held CIO roles in a range of industries including health care (medical devices) and financial services, giving him extensive knowledge in driving innovation for large organisations. Following major acquisitions in 2017 and 2018, there was a need to digitally transform the operations of the business. Craig was tasked with this alongside streamlining core platforms.

services. Software similar to facial recognition technology is being trialled on photographs of properties in order to determine if the quality, condition and value of a property can be estimated by a machine programmed to notice key features.

However, whilst maintaining a visionary approach is important when a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

365

BUSINESS ÂŽ INTELLIGENT CALUMO is a powerful Business Intelligence and Corporate Performance Management platform created by Finance people.

Your best choice for Analytics, Dashboards, Budgeting, Planning , Forecasting and all kinds of consolidated reporting including Financial, Operational and Statutory.

TRY IT NOW www.calumo.com info@calumo.com

“Acumentis is one core platform; one core brand” Craig Ulrick, Chief Information Officer, Acumentis

considering the application of new

largely spreadsheet driven process

technology, it is equally important to

of commissions. It’s allowed us to

leverage the services of key suppliers

streamline our data and just focus on

and partners. However, more than

making informed decisions with it.”

simply delivering a great service or

Equally vital is the digital marketing

project, Ulrick emphasises that the

agency Orange Digital, Ulrick says.

company’s ideal partner would want

“Orange partnered with us to align our

to actively understand the real estate

people and our brand, assisting us to

sector and want to join in the mis-

shape our ongoing culture program

sion to improve it. Software solutions

and allowing us to bring a combination

developer CALUMO is a powerful intel-

of minds into our strategy and people

ligence platform which Acumentis uses

engagement.” With a passion for cul-

to run its budgeting and forecasting.

ture and brand, the Brisbane-based

Enabling the company to collate infor-

company is also an expert in web

mation across multiple platforms, Ulrick

design, development, apps, videos and

enthuses that CALUMO provides a

search engine optimisation. Its ser-

fantastic tool for business automa-

vices during Acumentis’ rebrand have

tion. “We used it recently to replace a

been significant and transformative. a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

367

ACUMENTIS

“ We are the custodians of our customers’ data” Craig Ulrick, Chief Information Officer, Acumentis

368

JUNE 2020

Acumentis’ digital transformation has gone hand-in-hand with its increased focus on security. Following a data disclosure incident in early 2019, the way the company handled data had to be overhauled and bolstered accordingly. Rather than choosing not to comment on the issue or acknowledge areas that required improvement, Ulrick states that the company took the occurrence in its stride and remained open and frank with the public. “We are the custodians of our customers’ data,” he says, and Acumentis wasted no time in finetuning its approach. Achieving ISO 270001 certification in late 2019, covering the technology and infrastructure supporting its valuation services in the residential, government, commercial, insurance and property advice sectors, Ulrick believes the company has reaped a positive result from initially unfortunate circumstances. “We can segregate our customers’ data and encrypt it, along with any attachments.

We consider how long information is needed for and only store it for the absolute minimum of time.” It is also a vigorous approach to client protection a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

369

ACUMENTIS

4 out of 5 team members can’t remember their company values Orange Digital can help you use powerful branding to drive incredible cultural alignment Book your FREE Culture Consultation

371 which he considers a distinguishing

Australia’s best-in-class valuation and

feature for Acumentis among other

advisory agency. “We will continue to

companies in the sector.

expand and invest in our people and

When asked what the future might

clients, in order to understand what

hold for Acumentis in 2020, Ulrick is

problems they’re having and how we

quick to intimate that further expansion

can solve them,” Ulrick concludes. “Our

within Australia remains a high priority,

transformation has been a combination

particularly with regards to overcoming

of digital, culture and branding: we have

the geographical challenge of serving

a new brand that has been informed

such a large country effectively. Further

and shaped by our team and it reflects

automation and value-added services,

the culture of this business.”

such as illicit substance screening capabilities for properties and quantity surveying services, will help shape the company’s ongoing quest to become a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

FINOLAB: DRIVING INNOVATIVE STARTUPS IN FINTECH

372

WRITTEN BY

GEORGIA WILSON PRODUCED BY

NATHAN HOLMES JUNE 2020

373

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

FINOLAB INC.

Makoto Shibata, Head of FINOLAB, CCO at FINOLAB discusses the company’s efforts to support startups and how it is disrupting the fintech industry

B

efore joining FINOLAB, Makoto Shibata, Head of FINOLAB, CCO at the business, had worked in banking and finance for

many years. “I have spent almost 20 years in digital banking, digital innovation and financial services.

374

I joined FINOLAB in April 2019 with the aim of leveraging my years of experience within the digital banking and innovation space to support startups and corporate members within FINOLAB,” says Shibata.

“When I started my career in the industry, online banking had just started. I have seen how online banking and mobile banking have evolved over the years, in particular how smartphones have changed the ways in which customers interact with their banks, and the ways in which new entrants into the sector look to penetrate the market and build relationships with their customers.”

Shibata describes FINOLAB as a fintech incubation office that supports 56 startups with 17 corporate members. “We not only support startups, but we try to connect those startups with corporate members, so that they can pursue their open JUNE 2020

375

2019

Year founded

$3mn

Estimated revenue in US dollars for FY2020

20

Number of employees a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

FINOLAB INC.

376

“ In 2017 fintech investments into startups in Japan reached US$105mn, in 2018 it rose to US$542mn, which is about 1% of the global figures, and it is continuing to grow” — Makoto Shibata, CCO, Head of FINOLAB

innovation initiatives,” says Shibata.

“I believe that we are unique because we are located in the heart of the financial district, making us very accessible for all, including large financial institutions, financial people and startups.

FINOLAB was created in 2016, and has had the support of Dentsu Group, the biggest advertising group in Japan, and Mitsubishi Estate, the biggest real estate company. “From these two groups, ISI Dentsu and Mitsubishi Estate have become our shareholders, they have made the investment for making FINOLAB sustainable to support startups and corporate members on a long term basis. So, while we are an independent public company, we are supported by two large companies.”

Currently within Japan, “the Fintech industry is growing”, states Shibata. “In 2017 fintech investments into startups in the nation reached US$105mn, in 2018 it rose to US$542mn, which is about 1% of the global figures, and it is continuing to grow. There is also a big appetite for these financial institutions to promote digital transformation, something which I believe we still have room to grow within Japan,” adds Shibata.

JUNE 2020

FINOLAB: Japan’s first Fintech hub in Tokyo’s financial district CLICK TO WATCH

|

5:15

377 To drive this growth FINOLAB has been collaborating with startups and

initiatives within the financial industry.”

Since becoming independent,

large financial institutions to accelerate

Shibata explains that the company has

innovation. “There are many disruptive

been adopting digital solutions from

initiatives happening within Japan at

multiple startups to become the case

the moment. For example, there is a big

study for startups to make their opera-

drive towards a cashless economy, in

tions more efficient with their digital

which the government is promoting the

solutions. “For example, when it comes

use of digital transactions. FINOLAB

to identity management, accounting,

supports these initiatives by partner-

payments or invoice management, we

ing with startups who use cashless

have been adopting these solutions from

solutions, as well as working with insti-

startups, and by constantly adapting

tutions who are looking to collaborate

these solutions we are trying to make

with cashless startups. We also work

our own operations a testbed for

as an enabler to promote disruptive

them. At the same time we maintain a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

FINOLAB INC.

378

transparency to all startup members so

experiences with our startups to apply

that they can learn from what we have

big data and robotic process automa-

been using in our daily operations.”

tion to other areas. We have access

Currently, FINOLAB has limited

to major plays within these emerging

use cases of innovative technology,

trends and have been accumulating

however, some it uses include cloud

case studies within our ecosystem.”

and artificial intelligence (AI). “We learn

Since its establishment, FINOLAB

from different cases within our com-

has helped startups to raise funds and

munity, for example we are using cloud,

provide them with a work environment.

which we have partnered with Amazon

“As part of our support we provide

Web Services, which provides consult-

office environments and facilities so

ing services to our startups. Meanwhile

that startups can come in and start

for AI, we have several startups within

their business. In addition to physical

the community, we share ideas and

support, we connect startups with

JUNE 2020

379

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Makoto Shibata Mr. Shibata is currently in charge of FINOLAB community operation. In his former position at The Bank of TokyoMitsubishi UFJ, he was leading R&D initiatives in emerging technology and online/mobile financial service. He also held positions in corporate planning, accounting, corporate finance and retail customer services at the bank. He is one of the founders of FINOVATORS and Executive Fellow at Japan Digital Design. He holds a Bachelor of Economics from University of Tokyo and a Master of Science in Development Economics from University of Oxford. a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Bank wherever you go and whenever you want.

Bank the smarter way.

Seven Bank: ATM Service & International Money Transfer Service In Japan

LEARN MORE >

suppliers and professional advice.

We have a mentor group called FINOVATORS, this group consists of lawyers, bankers, venture capitalists, ex government officials and technological experts to connect startups with different stakeholders.” One example of collaboration was between our startup member CAULIS and our corporate member Seven Bank. They together collaborated with The Kansai Electric Power Co. to implement Fraud Detection for Account Opening Using

“ I think our biggest success has been the recognition that FINOLAB has received within the fintech industry in Tokyo” — Makoto Shibata, CCO, Head of FINOLAB

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

381

FINOLAB INC.

382

JUNE 2020

“ We not only support startups, but we try to connect those startups with corporate members, so that they can pursue their open innovation initiatives” — Makoto Shibata, CCO, Head of FINOLAB

383

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

FINOLAB INC.

384

JUNE 2020

Power Supply Information. Since many fraudulent accounts are opened at banks using empty house address, they came up with the idea to use power supply data to judge whether the address used has a resident or not. The idea was developed, and they applied for the regulatory sandbox as it was not clear whether an electronic power company can provide information of individual households. And, after testing in the sandbox, they were legally granted to implement. It was one of the early cases of making use of sandbox, and FINOLAB and FINOVATORS supported their collaboration process.

Reflecting on the company’s operations, Shibata believes its biggest strengths are its geographical locations in the heart of the financial district that connects all of its stakeholders to the fintech industry. “I think our biggest success has been the recognition that FINOLAB has received within the finTech industry in Tokyo,” he concludes.

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

385

386

Helping clients navigate risks in uncertain times WRITTEN BY

WILL GIRLING PRODUCED BY

KRISTOFER PALMER

JUNE 2020

387

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

MARSH

Douglas Ure, President Director and CEO of Marsh Indonesia, shares his thoughts on growing a business and why putting clients and colleagues at the heart of everything is paramount

E

stablishing its national presence in 1983, Marsh Indonesia is part of Marsh & McLennan Companies, a global pro-

fessional services firm specialising in insurance 388

brokering and risk management solutions. The company distinguishes itself by its commitment to an always client-centric mode of operation and a breadth of expertise that focuses on the client’s specific industry for a higher quality of advice and service. Following a merger with Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT) Indonesia in early February 2020, Marsh now employs over 200 staff with more than 30 certified practitioners ready to dispense advice and create bespoke insurance solutions.

To this end, the company is able to offer a suite of varied and interconnected services to satisfy the needs of its clients, including insurance claims management, valuation services, specialised risk management assessments for core industries and more.

JUNE 2020

389

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

MARSH

“ Marsh has global strength, a geographical footprint and it covers so many different aspects of the sector” — Douglas Ure, President Director and CEO, Marsh Indonesia 390

The consummate professionalism and depth of knowledge are what first struck Douglas Ure, President Director and CEO, when he joined the company 13 years ago. “Marsh offers something different to a large number of other organisations,” Ure explains.

“It has global strength, a geographical footprint and it covers so many different areas of expertise. If you look at the broader Marsh & McLennan Companies, I could not envisage many companies that would match the broad range of expertise across the business.” Starting as a managing consultant within Marsh’s consulting practice based in London, he took on a wider Asia regional role based in Singapore, before taking up his current role as CEO of Indonesia, based in Jakarta. Coming from a background in risk management at Accenture and Primary Group, Ure states that this experience has been invaluable in shaping his approach to the role.

“We put our clients at the heart of what we do and that means helping them manage risks through these uncertain times. There’s more risk facing our clients today than ever before: cyber

JUNE 2020

Marsh Captive Solutions CLICK TO WATCH

|

2:32

391 threats, political uncertainty, terror-

currently looking to set up our digital

ism, war and pandemics,” he says.

team by attracting a lot of people into

Marsh’s aim, then, is to redress the bal-

the Marsh organisations globally who

ance by serving its clients by helping

don’t necessarily have any insurance

them manage those uncertainties and

or risk management experience,” he

positioning them for growth.

says. “Then, the collaboration with

Achieving that goal necessitates

our other teams will ensure that we

a company which knows how to

provide our clients with risk and

assemble a great team and drive col-

insurance solutions in a much more

laboration at all levels of the business.

efficient way.” However, this is a depth

Recently, Ure points out, this meant

of collaboration which doesn’t simply

thinking outside the box in terms of its

rest at the colleague-to-colleague

digital transformation strategy: hiring

level; Marsh also engages its partner

tech-savvy people to augment the

companies to join its mission to put

company’s field of expertise. “We’re

clients first, understand the problems a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

MARSH

392

they face and put forward workable

knowledge to be able to quantify risk,

solutions on the best way to proceed.

the understanding of other common

In combination with financial strength,

associated risks and communicating

stability and overall trustworthiness,

a more effective way to manage them.

this cultural fit is the most invaluable

Ure highlights this as something that

aspect of a partner’s business to Marsh.

the company feels very strongly about.

Coinciding with the rise of the

“Marsh is practicing what it preaches

global digital revolution has been the

by making sure that its operations

proliferation of cyber threats and the

are digitally secured by the right tools

need for greater online security. As

and with the proper infrastructure in

an expert in risk management, Marsh

place to protect both client and col-

has been more than up to the task:

league data.� Despite best intentions,

providing the right advice to help

however, the fast-paced nature of the

clients manage specific risks, the

tech industry means that new threats

JUNE 2020

1983

Year founded

35,000+

Number of employees (Globally)

200+

Number of employees (Indonesia)

are always appearing just as the old ones are resolved. This means Marsh has to stay agile and be mindful of innovative new developments in order to guarantee best-in-class service.

“It’s very difficult to completely remove risk,” Ure says. “The idea is that we’re trying to minimise the increase in risk and manage it effectively.”

Cybersecurity is necessarily a primary concern of companies in the insurance sector, owing to the voluminous quantities of data which must be gathered in order to operate

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Douglas Ure Douglas Ure is the President Director and Chief Executive Officer of Marsh Indonesia, with over 20 years of experience working in insurance and risk management.

He began his career in in the manufacturing sector where he was responsible for corporate risk management and insurance before moving into the consulting industry. Ure joined Marsh in 2007, and has been involved in various roles covering consulting, analytics and claims across UK, Europe, and Asia.

Ure moved to Asia in 2014 to be based in Singapore, before moving to Jakarta, Indonesia in 2019. a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

393

Insurance that sees the heart in everything

At MSIG, you are at the heart of all we do.

MSIG is about going above and beyond. We do this by doing and being more. We actively strive to exceed the expectations of our customers and clients. We aim to be an active partner and advisor, to give you the support you need when you need it. And we do this to make sure you can be confident in our promise to protect your needs. msig.co.id Home | Motor | Personal Accident | Fire | Cargo | Travel | Engineering

“ We put our clients at the heart of what we do and that means helping them manage risks and through these uncertain times” — Douglas Ure, President Director and CEO, Marsh Indonesia

advice,” Ure explains. Bringing together the various strands of a digital transformation could prove challenging, particularly in the Asia Pacific market which has some disparity between the needs of emerging and developed sectors. However, the company understands that, geographically, everything doesn’t move at the same pace and that different countries or regions have specific requirements.

Unfortunately, the event which has framed remote working as a key work trend globally, COVID-19

effectively. Marsh is no different and

(coronavirus), is still around and is

already invests significant resources

likely to shape the fortunes of whole

into its analytical capabilities, helping

industries, let alone individual com-

it assess data to help clients make

panies, for at least the next year.

informed decisions. Developed tech-

However, Ure believes that Marsh’s

niques include its Marsh Analytics

decades of experience in the field

Platform (MAP), Global Loss Data

of risk management has it perfectly

Library (LDL) and its Economic Cost

poised to support its clients and col-

of Risk (ECOR) measure. “Making

leagues as they navigate this very

sure that the data collected is help-

uncertain time. “COVID-19 is going to

ful and meaningful for our clients is

have a profound effect on the global

paramount. As the more information

economy, so putting our colleagues

gets collected, the more we’ll need to

at the heart of the decisions we take

ensure that it’s accurate, hasn’t been

and making sure that they are feeling

duplicated and is providing a correct

secure is critical,” he explains. “There

analysis in order to deliver reliable

might be fewer face-to-face meetings a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

395

MARSH

396

JUNE 2020

“ The Marsh global strategy comprises four critical pillars: aligned clients, colleagues, communities and growth” — Douglas Ure, President Director and CEO, Marsh Indonesia 397 and certain opportunities that we thought were going to happen in 2020 might be delayed to 2021, or might never happen at all.” However, despite this, Marsh’s overall plan and vision for the rest of the year remains relatively unchanged: continuing to grow as an organisation and making sure that clients receive a service that’s superior. Ure introduced a flexible working policy for Indonesia in 2019, providing employees much more flexibility in how and where they work.

This included moving to a smart office and having all colleagues equipped with a laptop, still not commonplace a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

MARSH

399 in Indonesia. Marsh has been a pio-

business with Marsh,” he states. “The

neer of remote working for its staff

Marsh global strategy comprises four

in Indonesia and has been utilising

critical pillars: aligned clients, col-

conference call facilities across its

leagues, communities and growth. If

operations for a number of years. As

we do those things right, provide lead-

such, the current disruption caused

ing advice using the best sources of

by COVID-19 has not yet presented

information and use the best people

much disruption in business continuity.

to put clients at the heart of every-

When asked how Marsh will con-

thing we do, then we’ve probably got

tinue to ensure a quality service and

a better chance to build long-term,

guarantee client retention, Ure is can-

stable relationships.”

did about the threat of complacency for such a large and well-established enterprise. “I don’t think we have any given right to automatically assume that clients are going to renew their a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

400

JUNE 2020

Defence Health: defence community health insurance WRITTEN BY

WILLIAM SMITH PRODUCED BY

ANDREW STUBBINGS

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

401

D E F E N C E H E A LT H LT D

Defence Health Limited leverages technology to better deliver health insurance to the Australian defence community

402

D

efence Health provides health insurance for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the wider defence community. The

company was founded in 1953, and is dedicated to supporting members with managing the health care of themselves and their families. Today, the company counts more than 260,000 Australians among its members.

Those eligible for membership include ADF members, their partners and children. In the wider defence community, Defence Health also includes World War II veterans and ADF members returning to civilian life. The company also caters to past and present employees of the Department of Defence and other defence related departments, defence suppliers and the extended families of past and present ADF members, from parents to siblings and grandchildren.

JUNE 2020

403

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Oracle enables Defence Health Insurance Transformation Defence Health has partnered with Oracle Health Insurance for its core technology platform as it embarks on its digital transformation journey.

“The goals we're trying to achieve with the Oracle platform is to enhance member experience through digital processes and needs that they're expecting from us today.

Defence Health enhances the customer experience through digital with Oracle Health Insurance

This decision was driven by the need for an agile, proven health insurance solution that enabled health insurers to simplify healthcare IT, achieve greater levels of operational efficiency, reduce costs, and adapt quickly to ongoing market and regulatory demands.

With this partnership, Defence Health will be able to leverage the global best-in-class o�ering from Oracle Health Insurance to drive member engagement and adapt to market needs locally. The platform enables Defence Health to automate processes and increase its auto-adjudication rates by using business rules-driven processes.

We using the Oracle Health Insurance platform because it's modernized and got a whole heap of APIs that we can utilize to become a �exible platforms into our digital transformation journey, as well.

Joanne Kadlecik Chief Operations O�cer Defence Health

CONNECT WITH US oracle.com/healthinsurance blogs.oracle.com/�nancialservices linkedin.com/showcase/oraclefs twi�er.com/oraclefs

Oracle Health Insurance Oracle provides an innovative Core Administrative Processing Solution for Health Insurers to drive Group, Individual, Medicare, TPA and ASO businesses. Health insurers can optimize administrative costs, increase operational e�ciency, streamline claims processing, improve billing accuracy and elevate the member experience, whether on-premise or in a secure Oracle Cloud.

Learn more at oracle.com/healthinsurance

Defence Health: Transitioning from Defence CLICK TO WATCH

|

3:46

405

The company emphasises the focus

cover and limits and making claims.

on members as opposed to profit,

That latter function is made possible

operating on a not-for-profit basis with

with an online portal or via a mobile

no shareholders and with contributions

app, which allows for the submission

staying in the fund in order to give back

of receipt photos.

more in benefits and keep premiums

Internally, the organisation has

low. A choice of providers is main-

switched to Oracle Health Insurance to

tained, with benefits being received

enable and support its digital transfor-

no matter the provider visited. 94%

mation. With the platform already being

of every premium dollar in 2018 went

used by insurers across the world,

back to members in benefit.

Defence Health last year became the

Technological solutions are another

first Australian private health insurer to

focus. Joining, for instance, is made

utilise the technology. HealthDispatch

possible entirely online, as is viewing

quoted Defence Health CEO Gerard a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

6

D E F E N C E H E A LT H LT D

“ The organisation has switched to Oracle Health Insurance to enable and support its digital transformation�

JUNE 2020

407

a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

D E F E N C E H E A LT H LT D

Fogarty as saying: “The service experience for our members is paramount.

We need a highly agile technical platform if we’re to meet the digital expectations of our members. [...]

We’re renowned for our excellent customer service and this investment is vital if we’re to maintain our high levels of member satisfaction.”

The company also professes a focus on issues particularly peculiar to Australia, such as bushfires – with the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season

Australia’s most recommended runway to the cloud.

Custom hybrid cloud solutions for your unique environment.

Protection from data breaches.

42% of Federal Government agencies trust us.

Home grown with 28 years experience.

We own our own state-of-the-art data centres.

24×7×365 Australian-based support & industry leading +87 Net Promoter Score.

Simple billing structure, no hidden costs and no bill shock.

Click for a complimentary IT workshop and recommendations report on your unique environment.

macquariecloudservices.com

409 being bad enough to have earned the colloquialism of ‘Black Summer’. In a blog post, the company emphasised the toll on mental health such events can take, saying: “Anxiety, depression and other mental health issues are the most common reason for Australians living anywhere to seek medical attention. But in the bush, where help is so much harder to find, the problem is particularly acute.

“As a result, suicide rates are much higher in Australia’s rural areas than in the big cities, and almost double in very remote rural areas.”

“ The company

emphasises the focus on members as opposed to profit, operating on a not-forprofit basis” a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

D E F E N C E H E A LT H LT D

410

“ Members can have confidence in the prudent, ethical and responsible management of their health fund” — Major General Gregory Garde, Chairman, Defence Health JUNE 2020

According to statistics quoted by the company, one in five Australians will experience mental health illnesses during their life. Consequently, aside from offering professional mental health help, the company has said: “Make use of art, listen to music, or even keep a journal to help gather your thoughts and express yourself. Take up a hobby and set small, achievable goals – and don’t give up on them. Small wins can have a big impact on your mood.”

Staff surveys report very high levels of engagement and satisfaction; and members indicate outstanding levels of satisfaction for the service they receive.”

He continued: “Members can have confidence in the prudent, ethical and responsible management of their health fund. We have a skilled and experienced Board of Directors which rigorously reviews management’s proposals. I am grateful for their dedication and unwavering commitment to the health and wellbeing of our members.”

Recently, the firm was named ‘Major Private Health Insurer of the Year’ in the Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards. Roy Morgan’s CEO Michele Levine said of the awards that they Defence Health’s 2019 report outlined

are “the gold standard in recognising

the fact that total benefits paid reached

companies and brands that stay ahead

some A$517.9mn, while extras benefits

of the pack by knowing what their

paid reached $137.4mn. Having had

customers want and delivering it con-

1894 births, 732 knees replaced and

sistently.” Its focus on customer service

295,570 people covered, the company

has also led to it being awarded with

reported 98% member satisfaction.

the Financial Review’s Smart Investor

Chairman Major General Gregory

League of Exceptional Service Awards.

Garde said in the report: “I would like to highlight the enthusiastic and genuine passion of Defence Health staff for their work and interactions with members. a n z . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

411

412

JUNE 2020

413

Ninja Van: preserving the startup spirit WRITTEN BY

WILLIAM SMITH

PRODUCED BY

CAROLINE WHITELEY

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

N I N J A VA N

Vin Perez, COO, Philippines, discusses how Ninja Van is maintaining its position as the vanguard of ecommerce logistics in Southeast Asia

L 414

ogistics technology company Ninja Van is one of a number of high tech startups in Southeast Asia, a region ripe for

disruption. That’s precisely what attracted COO, Philippines, Vin Perez back to the region after studying for an MBA at Harvard Business School.

“There’s explosive growth happening here in Southeast Asia, following what happened in the West maybe 15 years ago and China 10 years ago.

Because of that, I was really quite keen on going back. I happened upon this opportunity at Ninja Van, where the company was really looking to establish the regional ecommerce logistics industry.”

While the region brings enormous opportunities, it also has its own challenges. “Ecommerce markets in the West develop straightforwardly. There’s existing infrastructure, there are regulations, technology is quite advanced. Customer adoption of ecommerce is therefore really direct. In Southeast Asia, the infrastructure is not as good. There are JUNE 2020

2014

Year founded

10,000 Number of employees

415

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

N I N J A VA N

“ We believe in a virtuous cycle of technology helping us to be lean, which allows us to adapt new technologies that in turn allows us to become leaner, and so on” — Vin Perez, COO, Philippines, Ninja Van

a lot of logistical challenges to make sure that the parcels arrive on time.

Some of the challenges are to do with events like typhoons and the disruption they cause.” Overcoming such issues requires a certain flexibility. “We really have to be creative,” says Perez. “The percentage of the population that uses credit cards is very low, so a large chunk of our deliveries go through as what we call cash on delivery or COD. That’s not so common in the West, but it makes up more than 90% of our

416

deliveries here.”

JUNE 2020

Ninja Van: On the Record with CEO Lai Chang Wen CLICK TO WATCH

|

3:04

417 Ninja Van’s success has also required the intelligent application of technology. “Trying to address the complicated last mile problem here in Southeast Asia starts with technology. We have a talented development team that constantly thinks about these problems and how we can address them. We use a lot of different proprietary technologies in our internal platform, which allows us to provide the quality of service we do.” It is thanks to technology that Ninja Van can take an evidence-based approach to the decisions it makes. “I’m a firm believer a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Your window to endless sourcing possibilites.

We offer global sourcing solutions and tailor them to your needs and requirements. Specializing in construction materials and logistic packaging, our goal is not just to meet your expectations but to exceed them by always being one step ahead in terms of products and services.

Learn More

Hongkong SSG Limited

in data. It’s essential to understand

a certain culture and demographic to

how you’re performing, how the

be able to adapt to this kind of tech-

market is reacting and how we can

nology,” says Perez. “In order to have

be more proactive in addressing the

the objective in mind and to be able to

market’s needs. But working with data

reach it, it’s key that everyone is going

is easier said than done. A lot of it’s

for the same goal and has that com-

about making sure you have the right

mon purpose. More often than not, we

database tools and understanding

find the younger demographic to have

who has the ability to deal with such

the ability to operate in this environ-

an infrastructure. You have to adapt

ment.” That emphasis on youth led to

your organisation to be able to address,

new and unexpected solutions to logis-

handle and then really trust the data.”

tics issues. “Especially early on in our

Technology means little without the

tenure, we really looked into the young

proper culture in place, however. “We

problem solvers who may not have

discovered along the way that it takes

had the most experience in logistics,

JUNE 2020

but were willing to explore different

we’d be stuck with an organisation una-

problems in order to solve logistics

ble to adapt. A startup has to always

problems in a very different way.”

be aware of where it is investing its

That startup spirit is not just present

resources, making sure that it doesn’t

in the younger members of the team,

grow wasteful. I think that’s essential,

however, having instead suffused the

and it feeds back into how we use

entire organisation from the very start,

technology. We believe that, because

as Perez explains: “Over the past sev-

of technology and how we deploy it,

eral years we’ve been growing more

we are able to scale while remaining

than 10-fold over the span of a year,

lean. We believe in a virtuous cycle of

and in certain periods even quicker.

technology helping us to be lean, which

If we hadn’t kept the team lean and

allows us to adapt new technologies

agile and willing to explore new ways

that in turn allows us to become leaner,

of serving our clients and operating,

and so on.”

419

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Vin Perez

Vin Perez graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of the Philippines, and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. Prior to Ninja Van Philippines, he has acquired operations management experience as a Demand and Supply Planning Executive for Nestlé. His vision for Ninja Van Philippines is to connect every Filipino to the parcels and products they want one delightful delivery at a time. In his spare time, Vin plays basketball and is working to finish the latest role playing video game on his PlayStation. a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

N I N J A VA N

420

“ We really looked into the young problem solvers who may not have had the most experience in logistics, but were willing to explore different problems in order to solve logistics problems in a very different way” — Vin Perez, COO, Philippines, Ninja Van JUNE 2020

Ninja Van partners with some of the biggest ecommerce operators in the region in the form of Shopee and Lazada. “We have a mutually beneficial relationship with them, where we essentially serve their logistics needs.

So we integrate with their platforms, we speak the same language in terms of technology and customer experience, and that allows both parties to provide a solid experience.” The super app Grab is another key synergistic partner. “Grab offers many different services in many different areas, including delivery, and

421

that’s where Ninja Van comes in, provid-

of the big ticket items. Operationally,

ing delivery outside of the main metro

I see it just getting more and more opti-

areas,” Perez explains. “At the same

mised.” Such improvements are all in

time, we’re cognizant that a big chunk of

the service of improving the customer

business in the market is still happen-

experience. “At the end of the day, being

ing in the physical retail space. Smaller

able to provide a solid, reliable experi-

SMEs haven’t been well served - that’s

ence to the people who ship with us and

a very underserved part of the market

the people we deliver to is key.”

that we really want to serve a lot better.”

Going forwards, Perez still sees room for improvement, particularly when it comes to automation. “Right now we’re looking at fully automated facilities that can process parcels for us. That’s one a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

422

JUNE 2020

423

Terex’s supply chain digitalisation approach WRITTEN BY

SEAN GALEA-PACE PRODUCED BY

CAROLINE WHITELEY a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

T E R E X C O R P O R AT I O N

Colby Mayberry, Director of Logistics APAC at Terex, discusses Terex’s digital transformation journey in the supply chain space

C

olby Mayberry is Director of Logistics APAC at Terex. He has experience working in several different markets such

as North America, Europe and now Asia. Mayberry recognises that each market poses a different challenge. “One of the biggest things that I’ve learned is that if you had a strategy six months ago 424

in China then it’s no longer valid,” says Mayberry.

“This is due to the speed that the market changes.

You have to be quick, dynamic and on your feet to adapt to the requirements of the market. You can’t afford to just assume it’s a phase and will go away like in other markets.” That proactive and agile approach is a key pillar to Mayberry as he and his team comes up with all sorts of creative solutions to adapt to the ever changing environment.

“We could have a simple problem such as the wifi being down but within 20 minutes everyone has their phones out hot-spotting,” explains Mayberry.

“I find that kind of thing extremely encouraging because it shows you don’t need to have a bar chart on everything. Sometimes, the best solutions are determining what needs to be fixed, testing the solution and making it all work out.”

JUNE 2020

425

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

T E R E X C O R P O R AT I O N

“ You have to be quick, dynamic and on your feet to adapt to the requirements of the market” — Colby Mayberry, Director of Logistics APAC, Terex

Over the past few years, Terex has made great strides in its digital transformation journey. “Two years ago, I’d have just said that we were trying.

But now, it’s becoming an absolute necessity,” says Mayberry. “The biggest thing we’re centered around is IoT and it’s a massive part of our journey as we look to innovate and drive change in the marketplace. Most of our major product lines are equipped with telematics systems.” Terex’s telematic systems are not only providing

THE SUSTAINABLE CHOICE IN SHORT-SEA RORO TRANSPORTATION IN EUROPE We operate a fleet of 17 pure car and truck carriers (PCTC) that are designed to meet the necessary flexibility and efficiency requirements of the short sea market.

LEARN MORE

Genie *Lift Connect Launch CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:54

427 information to the users but also giving

looks cool. It’s all about defining the

Terex access to the usage data to pro-

problem that we’re going to solve.”

vide new opportunities for supporting

The value of partnerships are a key

our customers. Mayberry understands

area of interest to Mayberry. Terex

the importance of leveraging technol-

has formed strategic relationships

ogy that makes a difference rather

with Hoegh Autoliners, UECC and

than utilising it for technology’s sake.

Land Transport. “We really went

“We can always tell how well received

through a transformational journey of

any of our technology is because of

what we would consider a strategic

customer feedback,” affirms Mayberry.

sourcing initiative,” says Mayberry.

“Before introducing any new systems,

“Through that, we’ve launched a series

we must work out why. We have to

of bids for different markets and types

always ask ourselves: ‘what problem

of freight to choose not only provid-

are we trying to solve?’ We can’t just

ers that will offer us good value, but

implement technology because it

will also compliment our business. a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

T E R E X C O R P O R AT I O N

428

JUNE 2020

“ Sometimes, the best solutions are working out what needs to be fixed and trying whatever you can to see if it works” — Colby Mayberry, Director of Logistics APAC, Terex

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

429

WE KNOW WHAT WE’RE DOING Höegh Autoliners is a global leader in deep sea RoRo transportation services. To transport wider, longer, heavier and higher cargo, we have developed specialised handling equipment to ensure your cargo’s smooth and safe transportation. With over 90 years experience in shipping, we can safely say we know what we’re doing and we do it well.

LEARN MORE

1800 076 304 admin@landtransport.com.au

SERVICING YOUR TRANSPORT NEEDS

Learn More

Contact Us

Over the past few years, we’ve put

same customer urgency that we do as

an increased focus on aligning our

well as treat customers the same way,”

values with our partners. These part-

says Mayberry. “Whereas locally, it’s

nerships are the next level of what

all about adaptation. Take Australia

is needed in the logistics industry,

for instance, that’s a very customer-

whether that’s on the inbound side

focused market. If you have someone

to get raw materials to the factory

driving a truck and they’re upset or not

or the outbound side to get the unit to

in a good mood, then it could impact

the customer.” Mayberry understands

your next sale. So, when we’re looking

the importance of differentiating global

for partners we’re looking at how they

and local providers and believes both

train their staff, run their day to day

are influential. “With a global provider,

operations and solve problems. It’s key

it’s about having the ability to react in

that any potential partnership stands

all of the markets. They must have the

up and doesn’t just look good on paper

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Colby Mayberry Title: Director of Logistics

Company: Terex

Industry: Lifting equipment Location: Asia Pacific region He currently leads the APAC region, optimising supply chain routings and selecting carriers to support business growth and stability globally. He has worked across supply chain functions for Terex on three continents, leading system implementations as well as aftermarket purchasing departments for their Aerial division. He is an active member on the Western Washington University supply chain board. a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

431

T E R E X C O R P O R AT I O N

432

“ The biggest thing we’re centered around is IoT and it’s a massive part of our journey as we look to innovate and drive change in the marketplace” — Colby Mayberry, Director of Logistics APAC, Terex

but that they can actually perform the business too.”

Mayberry is well aware of the latest trends in the logistics industry, particularly from an environmental point of view. “New environmental standards are affecting a range of different markets. We must always ensure we’re transparent with our partners; we know there are new structures that are being put in place but how are they planning for it? Are they ignoring the changes and hoping it goes

JUNE 2020

433

away? Are they investing in technol-

initiatives such as one-day delivery,”

ogy to combat it? That is really where

he explains. “We know that’s not eco-

strategic discussions are important

nomical, however, it might be what the

because it encourages collabora-

market is demanding. We’re working

tion.” Sustainability is a key topic area

on solutions that satisfy the customer,

for Mayberry and he recognises the

environment, and cost.”

challenge of competing with giants

Looking to the future, Mayberry has

such as Amazon and staying true to

an idea of what the future will hold

Terex’s sustainability drive. “Emissions

for the logistics industry over the

from ships and airlines are one of the

next few years. “I believe there will

biggest contributors to air pollution

be increased pressure for real-time

so we must be conscious of that,

information,” says Mayberry. “You do

particularly when Amazon introduces

have that Amazon-esque experience a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

T E R E X C O R P O R AT I O N

434

JUNE 2020

where you can track packages, however, the shipping industry is still quite far behind. Digitalisation will start to become more transparent; whether that be standardising our radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking on the ocean freight side or clearances becoming more efficient by utilising new technology like blockchain. We’re also starting to see more creative solutions, particularly in terms of reverse logistics. It’s all centered around how we can reuse and recycle more because logistics can be quite wasteful. Being carbon neutral will be a huge thing and I expect the logistics industry to be under increased pressure which will likely drive prices up to a degree as well. However, it’s up to us and our partners to work together and strategise a way to prepare for the upcoming future. Increasing efficiency while being more environmentally friendly remains the biggest challenge but something we continually work towards.”

a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

435

Pack the essentials for your business trip: Laptop Charger Business insights Payment solutions

From T&E expertise to business insights to payment solutions, the American Express Corporate Program gives you all the tools and services you need, so you’re fully prepared for business wherever you are.

To learn more about the American Express Corporate Program, visit www.americanexpress.com.