Business Chief Asia – March 2020

ASIA EDITION MARCH 2020 asia.businesschief.com

Enabling sustainable development Developing data and the workforce

INTEGRATED, STREAMLINED AND SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC TRANSPORT How Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation is making cities smarter City Focus

SEOUL

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ASIA

FOREWORD

W

elcome to the March issue

In this month’s City Focus, we are

of Business Chief Asia!

transported to the South Korean capi-

On the cover of Business Chief Asia this month is Hong Kong public transport provider MTR Corporation.

We speak to CEO Dr Jacob Kam, who explains how the organisation is maintaining its reputation for efficient and reliable railways with the assistance of technology.

tal of Seoul. The high-tech metropolis is one of Asia’s economic powerhouses, and home to giants such as Samsung. But, as we discover, it increasingly balances this reputation with efforts to become a more sustainable, liveable environment.

In our Top 10 we examine the largest soccer teams in Southeast Asia,

“We believe that the only way to push beyond the current high per-

with entrants from Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

formance is through better digital technology,” says Kam. “One

Do you have a story to tell?

aspect is discovering how best to

If you would like to be featured

predict failure, so that we can act

in an upcoming issue of Business

on that failure before it happens.

Chief Asia, get in touch at

This predictive maintenance relies

william.smith@bizclikmedia.com

on image and data analytics supported by artificial intelligence and

Enjoy the issue!

helps us to regularly inspect our

William Smith

equipment and detect any problem early and consistently.”

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

03

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10

CONTENTS

HONG KONG’S MTR CORPORATION MAKES NAVIGATING OUR CITIES SMARTER, MORE EFFICIENT, AND MORE DIGITAL THAN EVER

32 How increased diversity and inclusion enables success

50

42 60 72 82 Southeast Asian football teams

98

110

NTUC Enterprise

Archroma

124

136 142

Jimit Dattani

Mercer

TOTAL Solar

150 Aditya Birla Group

162 Azerconnect

174

192

Watercare Services

Deloitte

206

222

ELMO Cloud HR & Payroll

Hansen Yuncken

10

HONG KONG’S MTR MAKES NAVIGATING OUR CITIES SMARTER, MORE EFFICIENT, AND MORE DIGITAL THAN EVER WRITTEN BY

RACHAEL DAVIS PRODUCED BY

KRISTOFER PALMER

MARCH 2020

11

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

MTR

Renowned for its efficient, reliable and tech-optimised railways, MTR is making travel smarter than ever. CEO Dr Jacob Kam tells how technology enhances integrated, streamlined and sustainable public transport

V

enturing into a new decade, a crucial and pertinent question in urban planning revolves around how to make our cities

smarter. A pivotal aspect of more intelligent city 12

living is public transport, ensuring residents can navigate their daily lives efficiently, reliably, and increasingly more sustainably.

MTR operates Hong Kong’s railway services, and is also a key property developer and manager in the city. It additionally invests, or takes part in O&M contracts for rail services in eight other cities globally: Beijing, Hangzhou, Macao, Shenzhen, Melbourne, Sydney, Stockholm and London.

In Hong Kong, the railway is the backbone of the city’s transport. Public transit is the most used mode of transport: 90% of citizens use public transport in their daily lives. Train travel is the most efficient way of moving large amounts of people through the compact city, and MTR has made social and environmental friendliness a priority.

MARCH 2020

13

Advanced digital technologies are enhancing MTR’s asset management and customer service. a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Intelligence that perfects travel door to door Countries, cities and transport operators rely on Thales’ ground transportation solutions to adapt to rapid urbanisation and meet new mobility demands – locally, between cities and across national frontiers.

Our expertise in signalling, communications, fare collection and cybersecurity gives people and goods the connected journey they need to move safely and efficiently.

And no matter how challenging the project, we stay by your side, committed to helping you creating the digital railways of the future.

Learn more

Keep Hong Kong Moving: How Thales and MTR Corporation Drive Digitalisation of Metro Systems Thales and MTR are entering their 25th year of collaboration.

Since first cooperation on the Lantau Airport Railway, MTR has trusted Thales to assist in the rapid expansion and digitalisation of its metro systems. As a central contributor to this project, Thales’ systems in the OCC have played a key role in its success. Driven by data, the multiple systems control components of the MTR ranging from power supply, electromechanical equipment, and the environment facilities within the network. This helps to ensure smooth train services and optimizes power consumption, making the network greener and more efficient while consistently providing an excellent passenger experience.

Through early localisation of its Hong Kong business, Thales garnered a deep understanding of the customer requirements allowing to quickly support local needs. This has been a crucial step in building trust with local partners and establishing a long-standing and robust relationship with MTR. The partnership now focuses on digitalisation. Thales has been committed to digital technology for many years and has been supporting the MTR’s transformation by advancing the rails’ connectivity and smart capabilities.

The Hong Kong MTR will soon employ Thales’ predictive maintenance facilities to anticipate technical faults in trackside equipment. Leveraging Big Data and AI, this warning system can pinpoint in advance exactly when and where equipment failure will occur, enabling corrective maintenance to correct it before its failure. This is critical to the continued improvement of services.

MTR is taking its expertise in railway operations worldwide.

In 2019, Thales extended the scope of its partnership with MTR to the expansion of the Central Control and Communication Systems for the Sydney Metro to City & Southwest.

Thales continues to be proud partners with MTR, supporting their ambitions to provide its exemplary service both at home and abroad, and keep cities across the world moving.

Learn more

See the world from a new perspective At Otis, we’re dedicated to helping you see the world in new ways.

Learn more about Otis technology, service and expertise at otis.com.

Made to move you

Digitalisation is at the heart of

“We believe that the only way to

MTR’s drive to enhance public trans-

push beyond the current high perfor-

port for the masses, says CEO Dr

mance is through better digital

Jacob Kam. Utilising smart technology

technology,” says Kam, and utilising

facilitates enhanced customer ser-

this technology in asset management

vice, improved asset management,

is an important step. “One aspect is

and a more efficient and reliable ser-

discovering how best to predict fail-

vice. MTR’s trains already run at an

ure, so that we can act on that failure

on-time performance of 99.94%, but

before it happens. This predictive

customers want better. Through its

maintenance relies on image and

ongoing digital transformation, MTR

data analytics supported by artificial

aims to enhance the reliability, effi-

intelligence and helps us to regularly

ciency and integration of their

inspect our equipment and detect

services, not only in Hong Kong but

any problem early and consistently,”

in its other global cities of operation.

Kam explains.

MARCH 2020

DI D YO U K N OW?

• On-time performance is at 99.94% • 90% of Hong Kong’s residents use public transport

17

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Jacob Kam Dr Jacob Kam joined the Company in 1995 and had held various management positions in Operations, Projects and Mainland China and International Business Divisions.

He was appointed as the CEO on 1 April 2019, and has been a Member of the Board since then. Before the CEO appointment, Dr Kam was the Operations Director between January 2011 and April 2016 and the Managing Director – Operations and Mainland Business from May 2016. As CEO, Dr Kam is responsible for all performances of the Company and its group companies both in and outside of Hong Kong. a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Your Trusted Digitalization & Automation Experts Roctec Technology Limited was found in 1987 and is a leading solution provider and system supplier in Hong Kong while our footprint covers Asia-Pacific area.

We have over 30 years of experience in implementation of large-scale data communications, multimedia, IOT and IT projects in railway & transportation industry. Over the years, we have positioned as a technology leader in delivering multimedia & communications systems, network & security solutions and various communications applications.

Experts at - One - Stop Solutions for Communications, IoT, Networking Security, Public Address, Multimedia Display and Simulation System - IT Infrastructure and ELV Engineering Consultation - Expertise in Cyber Security and Data Network solutions - Tailor-made complex railway and transportation solutions - Hardware design and software development

Learn More

Roctec Technology Limited E: info@roctec.com.hk W: roctec.com.hk

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Shaping connected mobility With a comprehensive and on-demand digital portfolio globally, Siemens Mobility not only creates values for partners sustainably over the entire life cycle, but also enhances people’s seamless travel experience every day

siemens.com/mobility

AI is also used to assist with planned construction and maintenance on MTR’s railways. Using AI to optimise planning, it is possible to maximise the usage of the line when it is not in service to minimise the disruption when unavoidable planned construction or system upgrades are

1975

Year founded

$53.9bn Revenue in HK dollars

necessary, and ensure that ongoing works do not disrupt the functional rail lines.

AI-enhanced driving is a tool which goes hand-in-hand with more reliable operations. MTR’s trains already have

47,327 Number of employees

automatic operation, but sometimes the fail-safe principle will slow operations. By introducing artificial intelligence into the driving of trains,

Intelligent Inspection Robot

Big Data Studio

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

21

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“ To use public transport is, in itself, a way of making travelling more efficient and environmentally sustainable — but of course we have ongoing energy saving schemes which we invest a significant amount of money in” — Dr Jacob Kam, CEO, MTR

23

MTR’s state-of-the-art Operations Control Centre is at the heart of Hong Kong’s heavy rail network.

MTR will be able to mitigate this risk

meet a customer demand. Furthermore,

when every second counts in train

MTR is providing real-time service

operations.

information to their customers, such

At the heart of these applications

as when the next train is due to arrive,

of technology is the drive to improve

and plans to expand its offerings to

the customer experience. Advanced

include how crowded trains will be and

data analytics are being used by MTR

which carriages have space available.

to predict customer movements and

This real-time information is even

demands to better plan its service – in

available for very frequent services,

due course, the same technology will

Kam explains. “On many of our lines,

be used even to respond in real-time to

our train service frequency is already a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

FOR BETTER RAIL TRANSPORTATION Traffic Control Technology (“TCT”) is the most innovative and customer centric player in the rail transit industry, formed a close partnership with HK MTR – the world’s leading transit rail service provider to develop state-of-the-art systems, including big data analytics in supporting real time track side equipment performance monitoring and analysis, intelligent detection system as “the independent and additional robotic intelligent driver’s eye” to improve operation safety under manual or degraded modes.

LEARN MORE

MTR Global Brand Video CLICK TO WATCH

|

3:30

25 at a few minute intervals. However,

accessible on demand. By investing

our customers still want to know

its assets into the concept of MaaS,

when the next train is coming,” he

MTR is subscribing to the cohesive

says. This use of data not only allows

concept of a door-to-door transport

MTR to help its customers plan their

system, aiming to provide a “total

journeys, but also allows the opera-

solution” to its customers’ transport

tor to assess demand and improve

needs, Kam says.

availability, frequency and reliability in the long term.

Reliability and maximum conveni-

In practice, this would mean that when customers need to use a variety of modes of transport — for example

ence are two of the core values of

taking a taxi to a train station, taking

Mobility as a Service (MaaS), an

an MTR train, then taking a bus to

industry-wide initiative which aims to

their final destination — MTR can

integrate various modes of transport

have a hand in arranging every aspect

into a single mobility service,

of this service to make it as consistent a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

MTR

C OM PA NY PARTNERS

Kone “The new Kone escalators and lifts are equipped with a digital controller to view a status and fault log for troubleshooting, and to remotely control ON/OFF to pave for smart station operation.”

26

Roctec “Roctec is an Information & Communications Technology solution provider for MTR. They provide Integrated Speed and Position Supervision System (iSPS) in Light Rail, Smart Tunnel for location tracking, and Infotainment & Advertising Systems.”

Traffic Control Technology Co.,Ltd “TCT provide advanced MARCH 2020

technological alternatives to enable a wider spectrum for smart metro operation options in MTR, including the trial of a Train Intelligent Detection System on one of our metro lines.”

Hyundai Rotem “Rotem is currently working on the incorporation of a digital track inspection system onto the new FAO train for a new line, and they are also actively working on the technical proposal on automatic wheelset maintenance centre using robots.”

Siemens “There are several asset condition monitoring data analytics projects which MTR is conducting Proof of Concepts together with Siemens.

These systems include Platform Screen Doors, Signalling system, Main Control System, etc.”

OTIS

Arup

“OTIS has provided strong support to MTRCL in conducting studies on innovation initiatives for escalators, including Escalator Comb Object Identification, Escalator Step Vibration Monitoring and Automatic Speed Change Systems. These aim to enhance passenger safety, escalator reliability and customer service.”

“We have worked with Arup on some initial concepts of applying technologies to our Smart City initiatives, focusing on sustainability initiatives such as driverless modes of transport, use of drones and innovations in operation of shopping malls and initiatives on energy saving concepts. We are also looking at possible collaboration on applying more digital technologies for project and construction management.”

Thales “Thales started early collaboration with MTR on smart operation in pilot implementation of full automatic control in Disneyland Resort Line. They continued various provision of advanced train control systems in our network for both greenfield and brownfield application.”

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

27

Transforming connectivity Combining our deep technical expertise with advanced digital technology, Arup helps to realise the vision for next generation urban rails that connect people and places, improve lives and enables sustainable growth.

We shape a better world | www.arup.com

“ Our on-time performance is already one of the highest in the world — but our customers want even better” — Dr Jacob Kam, CEO, MTR

as possible. Its analysts will gain access to enhanced user and demand data, leading to new opportunities to serve unmet demand.

MTR is able to take this concept a step further, as its ventures include a property business run under the same umbrella as its railway. MTR properties, which incorporate not only railway stations but residential and commercial buildings as well as luxury, regional and neighbourhood shopping malls, “creates a better, 29

MTR has achieved financial and environmental sustainability by integrating rail and property. a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

more integrated living and travelling

together. Consolidating the supply

environment for our customers,”

chain of multiple industries, and

Kam says.

thinking macroscopically about soci-

“Theoretically, customers could

ety as a whole gives MTR an edge

travel from their home — a property

in building customer trust and retain-

managed by us, to an MTR railway,

ing loyalty across different markets.

to their office block which is man-

Naturally, the various innovations

aged by us, have lunch or meet

and initiatives are supported by a

friends in a shopping mall managed

range of partnerships. MTR works

by us,” he expands. This synergy

closely with Kone, Rotec, Beijing

not only retains custom and builds

Traffic Control Technology, Hyundai

trust within the market, but creates

Rotem, Siemens, OTIS, Thales and

an integrated society where loosely-

Arup to deliver its services efficiently

related aspects of daily life are

and sustainably by employing pio-

connected to run seamlessly

neering technology.

“ The only way to push beyond the current high performance is through better digital technology” — Dr Jacob Kam, CEO, MTR

MTR actively encourages the use

analytics to push efficiency to a new

of public transport by making the

level, MTR fulfills its mission to “Keep

process streamlined, efficient and high-

Cities Moving” with a sustainable finan-

functioning: an essential stance not

cial model, upgraded assets, and an

only as the world’s cities become more

intelligent approach to public transport.

populated, but also as a defence against unsustainable, environmentallyhazardous travel habits. Using electric trains and energy-saving schemes, reducing waste and employing data a s ia . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

31

LEADERSHIP

32

How increased diversity and inclusion enables success Diversity and inclusion is a growing but generally under-developed aspect of APAC business - Business Chief examines the challenges and benefits of incorporating it into an overall strategy WRITTEN BY

MARCH 2020

WILL GIRLING

33

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

LEADERSHIP

34

A

s societies across the globe

The problem is compounded in the

continue to break down

Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, where

old barriers between sexes, races

over 4.6 billion people live in more

and lifestyles, it is only natural that

than 40 countries, speaking almost

businesses should also adapt to

2,200 languages. Furthermore, given

accurately reflect and represent

the obvious difficulty of harmonising

the countries they are operating

such a rich collective culture into an

in. However, as a relatively new

egalitarian framework, the question

concept around which there is little

might arise: ‘what are the practical

consensus, diversity and inclusion

economic reasons for doing so?’

(D&I) measures can be difficult to implement effectively or understand.

FEBRUARY 2020

In a study by Hiromi Ishizuka, Professor at the School of Management,

35

Sanno University, on gender diversity in corporate upper management, it was found that companies in different areas of the APAC region approached the issue with noticeably varying levels of commitment.

Comparing numerical data from businesses based in Japan, China and South Korea, Ishizuka estimates that 74.2% of major companies in China placed D&I as a top 10 strategic issue, with South Korea scoring 44.2%

“ The problem is compounded in the Asia-Pacific region, where over 4.6 billion people live in more than 40 countries, speaking almost 2,200 languages� a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

LEADERSHIP

36

and Japan only 25%. Another report conducted by Heidrick & Struggles found that, although 100% of APAC companies surveyed had some kind of D&I programme in place, only 31-53% thought it was important (depending on the emphasis placed).

Placing women in positions of leadership accounted for the majority’s (89%) focus on D&I, followed by racial and ethnic equality (56%) and sexual orientation equality (42%).

MARCH 2020

“ Despite relatively uneven uptake in the APAC business community, there is still reason to be optimistic about more widespread D&I development”

Bloomberg Live: Asean Business Summit — A More Equal Future CLICK TO WATCH

|

34:32

37

UNLOCKING POTENTIAL

operations, has said that, whilst “the

It is with empirical data demonstrating

world around us is becoming increas-

that D&I can lead to a stronger busi-

ingly diverse”, the cultural lineage of

ness that CEOs and MDs might be

many countries leaves employees

encouraged to take ownership of a

intimidated and employers unsure of

company’s D&I programme. Fostering

how to approach the issue. “The per-

interest in the subject as an essential

ception of diversity is not translating

pillar of corporate strategy is crucial

across local workplace cultures, where

to its implementation, particularly as it

employees are quite concerned about

has been, in the past, regarded merely

speaking up for fear of discrimination

as an HR formality or ‘box-ticking’ exer-

whether that is related to gender, race,

cise. Katy Steven, Director of software

position or otherwise. Clearly, there is

company Culture Amp’s Asia-Pacific

much more to be done,” she said. a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

LEADERSHIP

Despite relatively uneven uptake in the APAC business community, there is still reason to be optimistic about more widespread D&I development.

With younger, more open-minded leaders taking the reins of major corporations, there is a distinct sense that more APAC businesses simply want the finest talent available, regardless of a person’s background or lifestyle choices. Doing the opposite has been shown to reduce a company’s productivity and limit a country’s potential 38

for economic growth: the average percentage of APAC female workers at board-level has been estimated at only 10.2% (the UK has 26.1%), which the Asian Development Bank considers representative of a trend that has stymied Asia’s GDP per capita by as much as 30%. Opening a company’s hiring pool to include as many people as possible increases the chance of finding the right talent for the job, which will serve to benefit the individual, the company and the wider community.

A ROUTE TO INNOVATION Solid evidence of D&I’s value in other regions may also assist APAC MARCH 2020

companies to plan their D&I implementation. A report by McKinsey & Co examining D&I across a range of industries in North America, South America and the UK found that, in general, the more diverse a company’s hiring policy, the more successful it was overall. The organisation theorised that a greater incidence of innovation was also the logical conclusion of superior D&I practices. “The more diverse companies, we believe, are better able to win top talent and improve their customer orientation, employee satisfaction, and decision making, and all that leads to a virtuous cycle of increasing returns,” the report said. Among McKinsey & Co’s findings was the apparent correlation between diversity and profits: companies in the top 25% for workforce diversity were 35% more likely to have higher revenues than other companies in the same industry, with the inverse (less diversity resulting in less-than-average revenue) also appearing to be true.

Innovation, which intrinsically relies on fresh ideas and perspectives a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

39

LEADERSHIP

40

“ Increased diversity and inclusion can present companies with a distinct advantage over industry rivals who are slower to adopt it�

MARCH 2020

to flourish, is an aspect of business that APAC must remain competitive in the global market. Increased D&I can present companies with a distinct advantage over industry rivals who are slower to adopt it.

In an executive report by Mercer, Karl Reston, Head of Group D&I at Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore, stated his belief that increased D&I was a great opportunity for certain areas of Asia’s economy to overcome stagnation. “I believe Asia has a truly unique opportunity to learn from other regions where diversity and inclusion has been pursued more directly,” he said. “In addition, given Asia’s unparalleled economic growth, the region also faces a unique opportunity to make significant progress more quickly.” Although the challenge of finding solutions to APAC’s D&I shortcomings might prove difficult.

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

41

TECHNOLOGY

42

MARCH 2020

Cleansing the complex Cleansing CRM data doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task - it can be an easy, manageable and efficient process, as Oleg Rogynskyy, CEO of People.ai explains WRITTEN BY

OLEG ROGYNSK Y Y 43

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

TECHNOLOGY

T

he origin of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) can be traced back to the 1990s, when companies such as Siebel helped gradually drive the evolu-

tion of contact management software towards CRM systems. Previously, CRMs were built on hierarchical databases, but these have since been wiped out by SQL (Structured Query Language) CRMs. Since then, the likes of Salesforce have moved SQL CRM into the cloud, but the problems that inhibited the platforms 20

years ago, such as inaccurate, incomplete and 44

untrustworthy data, still exist today.

This is a problem that limits the true potential of CRM software. The technology was built for static data while today’s business data is, in fact, very dynamic. Information is constantly developing and so can quickly become outdated. The current use of CRM is like using flipbooks to try to watch a movie: the method has become obsolete and overtaken by newer, more efficient forms of technology.

The main issue is that modern CRM platforms, despite their sophistication, focus primarily on processing and consuming data instead of collecting and keeping it accurate. According to Ben Horowitz, we have witnessed the demise of systems of record from the rise of AI. CRMs were built in the point-in-time sales world, meaning that they were built in the days of one-time sales, where MARCH 2020

“Today’s business data is, in fact, very dynamic” Oleg Rogynskyy, CEO and Founder, People.ai

45

activity data and the dynamic nature of contacts didn’t matter. Since then the world has transitioned into a continuous sales world, leading companies like Zuora and Gainsight to try to fix the point-in-time nature of CRM and successfully address data inaccuracy and duplication.

SPECIALISED TOOLS A ‘CRM Scan’ can quickly identify data quality metrics and incorporate them into an overall metric called the a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

TECHNOLOGY

“ We have witnessed the demise of systems of record from the rise of AI” Oleg Rogynskyy, CEO and Founder, People.ai

46

‘CRM Health Score’, revealing where

1. Is the activity data complete?

efforts need to be focused. This

2. Is there a single representation of

assessment sheds light on CRM fitness and, when combined with a strong understanding of how sales and marketing teams are using the

the activity data?

3. Does the activity data correctly represent the real world?

Although it is possible to create the

activity data, elevates confidence in

metrics internally, this would take sev-

prioritising efforts to improve the

eral weeks. Not only does this dis-

CRM system.

courage teams who are investing

Within this process, it is para-

significant time in this work, but it also

mount to focus on three primary

paralyses them as they often don’t

dimensions of CRM data quality to

know where to start or whether their

establish the baseline:

efforts are making a difference.

MARCH 2020

How Cogniance Enables Their Sales Team CLICK TO WATCH

|

2:18

47

IMPORTANT FIRST STEPS

1. DEFINE DUPLICATES

Identifying data duplication is another

The first step is to define what is con-

hurdle that can undermine productiv-

sidered a duplicate. For instance, in

ity. Duplication is typically due to a

contacts and leads this can be email

lack of standard and unique identifiers

address matches, identical name

for companies and the people that

matches and account associations.

work for them. Despite the use of domain and email addresses, these

2. S ET UP PREVENTATIVE DEDUPE RULES IN THE CRM

are often not unique, as the names of

Businesses should then use fea-

companies and people can change or

tures established by Salesforce to

have variations. To tackle duplicates,

block and prevent the creation of

businesses need to:

duplicate records.

common proxies, including web

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TECHNOLOGY

3. I DENTIFY AND CLEAN EXISTING DATA DUPLICATES The ‘CRM Scan’ can be used to identify duplicates and clean them up.

This requires some planning based on the CRM system in use. There are specialised tools that make this process easier, but in some cases it can be a good step to reinforce the process by taking it offline to use spreadsheet analysis.

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4. IMPLEMENT ONGOING MONITORING FOR NEW DUPLICATES Once data duplicates have been identified and cleaned, it is important to set up preventative de-duplication rules in the CRM platform to monitor and repair duplicates.

QUICK, VISIBLE RESULTS Specialised scan tools, custom reports and dashboards are used to identify, clean and enrich data. This focuses on finding invalid data, such as digits or special characters in contact names, email addresses, web domains and incomplete mailing addresses. This can be done by combining spreadsheets and simple MARCH 2020

“Organisations need to set targets that are tied to business priorities�

Oleg Rogynskyy, CEO and Founder, People.ai scripts to build update files for a CRM loader, as well as using a database built for this purpose.

The timescale of this process varies depending on data quantities, the number of duplicates and the amount of data that needs cleansing. With the right tools, reliable measurement and ongoing commitment, results can be visible almost immediately.

In order to achieve this, organisations need to set targets that are tied to business priorities. This will enable businesses to communicate results, rebuild trust in the data and celebrate milestones to keep the momentum going. Benefiting from CRM data doesn’t have to be overwhelming, impossible or disheartening. It can be relatively easy, straightforward and more than satisfying.

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S U P P LY C H A I N

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ADOPTING BIG DATA AND ANALYTICS TECHNOLOGYIN SUPPLY CHAINS Business Chief speaks with supply chain experts to discuss the benefits and challenges of adopting Big Data and analytics in supply chains

WRITTEN BY

MARCH 2020

GEORGIA WIL SON

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S U P P LY C H A I N

“P

eople talk a lot about data being ‘the new oil’, and cognitive supply chains are indeed making a huge

impact, allowing businesses to use Big Data

to drive themselves onto the next level. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning to process data makes it increasingly realistic for systems to make smart decisions without the need for human intervention,” says Fred Baumann, GVP for Industry Strategy at Blue Yonder. “When businesses are able to identify disruptions and act with immediacy and decisiveness, the effect will be transformational.

52

Alongside the short-term problem solving, cognitive supply chains provide longer-term learned recommendations to enable businesses to stay ahead of the curve.”

Agreeing with Baumann, Grant Millard, Director and Technology Services Specialist at Vendigital, explains that traditional data analysis methods are outdated and inefficient.

“More often than not, companies are operating in a data vacuum. Analysis is based on static data sets which are created, and then recreated, from the ground up. Companies are continuously manipulating the data to get the insight they are after and then repeat this process every time insights are required.

This is not only inefficient, but costly, and the result is reliance on systems that fail to deliver MARCH 2020

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“ Government and regulators have a role to play to ensure that legislation is clear, to guide companies on the correct usage of this technology” — Raj Bawa, Operations Director, JBi Digital 54

clear and credible data-based insights.

This is where Big Data and analytics can help so that the user is no longer required to analyse data. Rather, the

COO at Oliver Wight EAME adds that

THE CHALLENGES OF ADOPTING BIG DATA AND ANALYTICS WITHIN SUPPLY CHAINS

“it is a proven benefit that advanced

“The world is becoming more complex

analytics for the supply chain indus-

as more business and consumer inter-

try increases yield, whether through

action channels migrate into the digital

improved production or reduction of

space. This complexity is evident in the

waste. Advanced analytics can play

amount of data these interactions

a vital role in identifying issues that can

create across an increasing number

impact yield, as well as help to reduce

of channels,” says Jonathan Clarke,

operating costs, manage inventory

Manager, Statistical Modelling at

and create a more personalised cus-

LexisNexis Risk Solutions. As a result,

tomer experience.”

when it comes to Big Data and analytics,

system is telling them what action they need to be taking.” Kirsty Braines,

MARCH 2020

55

there are a number of challenges that

implemented. If organisations don’t

companies can face including data

align technology with their business

manipulation, adherence to GDPR,

plans, they risk making a very expensive

credible data, talent and digital maturity.

mistake in terms of time and money.

“Technologies such as AI, Industry 4.0,

This applies to data too. Unless organi-

blockchain, Big Data and analytics are

sations dedicate time beforehand to

game changers for businesses, how-

understand what information they want,

ever it’s all advanced technology and

what purpose it’s going to serve and

the clue is very much in the name.

how they’re going to manage it, analyt-

A huge proportion of companies haven’t

ics becomes an exercise in futility,”

reached the maturity to completely han-

comments Braines.

dle data, with the technology not fully understood, let alone successfully

“Additionally, there is little point in importing this technology into the a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

S U P P LY C H A I N

business if the data that exists is not

management, they need to understand

credible, as this could lead to incor-

that there is no one-size-fits-all. If these

rect predictions,” adds Millard. “It is also

factors are not fully considered at the

important that business leaders import

outset, any investment could deliver

the right expertise. Sometimes, they fail

negligible value.”

to do this and either get a data scientist

56

Contemplating the future of Big Data

who doesn’t understand the business

and analytics within supply chains,

context or an industry expert who knows

Baumann speaks of the potential of

nothing about data science. Getting Big

the technology, stating that “the use

Data and analytics to deliver value is a

of Big Data and analytics in supply

multi-disciplinary activity.” Ultimately,

chains is rapidly increasing, with it

Millard stresses that “for organisations

being possible to achieve a near-auton-

considering investment in Big Data and

omous supply chain

analytics to improve their supply chain

in the

MARCH 2020

Big Data Supply Chain CLICK TO WATCH

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2:47

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“ When businesses are able to identify disruptions and act with immediacy and decisiveness, the effect will be transformational” — Fred Baumann, GVP for Industry Strategy, JDA Software

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S U P P LY C H A I N

“ Technologies such as AI, Industry 4.0, blockchain, Big Data and analytics are game changers for businesses” — Kirsty Braines, COO, Oliver Wight EAME 58

future. However, for this to happen, businesses need to get to a point where they feel confident and can trust that technology can identify disruption and subsequently take action. Once this has been achieved, the effects will be incredible: just imagine the possibilities that will be provided by a self-learning, self-healing supply chain that is able to predict challenges and transform them into opportunities for growth.” Agreeing with Baumann, Peter Ruffley, CEO of Zizo, sees emerging technologies, such as the internet of things (IoT) and AI, having the ability to generate greater efficiency within the supply chains of the future. “Edge computing is also going MARCH 2020

to provide a much easier way for businesses to quantify and understand what they are investing in when looking at collecting data, processing it and moving it. It provides the opportunity to have greater agility and real time analytics.”

Clarke does however comment that, in order to speed up the adoption of these technologies, “government and regulators have a role to play to ensure that legislation is clear, to guide companies on the correct usage of this technology. The significant benefits offered by the increased use of Big Data and analytics has to be balanced with the lawful, compliant use of data.”

Raj Bawa Operations Director at JBi Digital adds that, “while the culture has improved significantly in this area,” he too believes that the need for impactful enforcement or policing of big companies is urgently needed to truly reap the benefits of the technology.

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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

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Nine ways your business can better consider the environment Wilf Robinson, owner and co-founder of Certified Sustainable, offers his top nine tips on how businesses can be more mindful of the environment WRITTEN BY

MARCH 2020

WILF ROBINSON

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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

A

new international study conducted

by Unilever has revealed that a third of consumers now favour brands

which they feel are doing social or environmental ‘good’. Unsurprisingly, this trend is becoming poignant in the world of business

too. Investing in companies with a vibrant green thumb has become an evident priority for potential clients, making this an important consideration for all businesses.

However, despite the many benefits which 62

follow businesses who decide to ‘go green’, CitySprint has revealed that whilst 90% of SMEs thought sustainability is an important aspect of conducting business, over half of these businesses are failing to invest in any sustainability goals. It seems there is an equal number of businesses that pride themselves on fulfilling a greener agenda, for example by selecting suppliers and contractors who are known for sustainable conduct (31%), and businesses who dismiss green-oriented goals altogether. Essentially, the world of sustainability is at a loss; businesses are overpromising and underdelivering.

As influential companies continue to demonstrate an ‘all or nothing approach’, MARCH 2020

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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

changes must be made. Meanwhile, it has been concluded that SMEs don’t feel confident enough to pursue greener agendas; they simply don’t understand how their businesses can become more sustainable. As it’s been found that 51% of businesses lack critical information regarding how efficient methods can be developed and maintained, this failure becomes more understandable.

To help you better understand how your business can successfully con64

sider the environment, encouraging others to follow suit, here are nine ways that companies can better consider the environment.

like to become more sustainable, for example by saving water or reducing

1. SET A MISSION STATEMENT

waste and incorporate your revised

If you want to determine whether a

values, creating a short, concise mis-

company is excelling sustainably,

sion statement which reflects your

then the first thing to check is its

green priorities.

mission statement. As a compilation of guiding principles, mission state-

2. BE MINDFUL OF YOUR ENERGY USAGE

ments encompass the organisation’s

There are many ways by which you

values and goals.

can become more energy efficient,

Any company hoping to improve its

having a positive impact on the

sustainability efforts ought to incor-

environment in turn. For example,

porate this into its mission statement.

you can use alternative energy

Discuss with your team how you’d

resources; solar and wind power

MARCH 2020

“Certifications can support your sustainable image exponentially� — Wilf Robinson, Co-Founder, Certified Sustainable 65

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Wilf Robinson Wilf Robinson is the co-founder of Certified Sustainable.

Providing accreditations to businesses in the sector which have made a clear and demonstrable commitment to best-practice sustainability and waste management, Wilf helps businesses to become more sustainable. He is passionate about the environment and the impact that unsustainable waste-streams are having on our planet. Many large corporations do not inform customers of how they dispose of their waste, which is something that needs to change. As a father, Wilf realised the importance of protecting the environment for future generations to enjoy and has taken a lead to revolutionise the waste management industry.

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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

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are just two examples of the many

3. GET CERTIFIED

sustainable options which provide a

Becoming more sustainable as a

greener alternative.

company is an admirable goal and it’s

Consider also replacing old appli-

equally important that you showcase

ances with more energy efficient

your achievements. Being seen as

ones. Cost-cutting rarely benefits

a sustainable business means you

the environment, contributing to

need to highlight this in your brand-

unnecessary energy wastage which

ing, PR and marketing strategies.

certainly doesn’t portray your com-

Certifications can support your sus-

pany in a favourable light. By investing

tainable image exponentially. These

in energy-efficient alternatives, you’ll

accreditations demonstrate that

create a sustainable working environ-

your achievements are recognised

ment that’s long-lasting.

externally, as your processes are quality-approved by experts.

MARCH 2020

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For example, the ‘Certified Sustainable’ accreditation provides a clear and visible means for UK manufacturers to showcase the company’s commitment to best-practice waste management and sustainability. Started by a team of independent waste management experts, the certification encourages manufacturers to operate in a truly sustainable manner. By becoming ‘Certified Sustainable’, these businesses better communicate the sustainability efforts, sharing achievements with clients, partners and employees alike.

“ Going paperless is an environmental saviour, whilst it’s also been said to enhance productivity” — Wilf Robinson, Co-Founder, Certified Sustainable

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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

4. GO PAPERLESS Going paperless is an environmental saviour, whilst it’s also been said to enhance productivity. Findings suggest that employees spend one-third of their time looking for paper documents, an indisputable waste of their skill sets. Adopting a paperless strategy means that important information can’t be lost or misplaced easily, whilst allowing your employees to use their valued time more efficiently. Meanwhile, your 68

business will proactively protect our trees, a commitment to be proud of.

5. INVEST IN SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS Companies that consider important causes are certainly favourable among consumers and clients. This purposeful image demonstrates your ability to support the wider world. As a consequence, you could consider investing in sustainable projects; for example, by supporting charities which proactively work to create a more sustainable planet, you’ll be seen as a ‘greener’ company, with the environment at the top of your priority list.

MARCH 2020

“ Use your platform as a successful business professional to champion a local cause” — Wilf Robinson, Co-Founder, Certified Sustainable

6. ASSIGN A SUSTAINABILITY ADVOCATE Creating sustainable plans might be simple, but their maintenance requires commitment and monitoring. I recommend having a sustainability leader who can act as an advocate for your company’s sustainability practices.

The individual will work to bring your goals to fruition, communicating these with the rest of your team.

7. BECOME AN ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPION IN YOUR LOCAL AREA Where possible, use your platform as a successful business professional to champion a local cause, contributing to a project which makes a difference close to home. This will encourage fellow members of your team to embrace a more sustainable and supportive lifestyle themselves, using their expertise for good. In turn, your company will consist of passionate employees who aim to live sustainably both professionally and personally.

8. CONSERVE WATER There are numerous ways by which your business can conserve water.

Start with a water audit; many compaa si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

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MARCH 2020

nies underestimate how much water they’re using, however audits can help to uncover any leaks and unnecessary wastage. Once you know where your water’s being used, you can better educate your team. Encouraging them to become more water-aware will help to reduce the environmental impact your business is having, making gradual steps towards a more efficient and sustainable workplace.

9. BE WISE WITH YOUR WASTE Every business will produce waste, regardless of how many changes you implement. It would be extremely difficult to avoid waste entirely. However, there are sustainable uses for your waste, putting your by-products to the best possible use. For example, you can reduce packaging, eliminate plastic water bottles, or contribute to local food banks. Above all else, ‘recycle and reuse’ should be values which lie at the core of your business.

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CITY FOCUS | SEOUL

City Focus

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MARCH 2020

Business Chief explores South Korea’s capital city, and the balancing act between its role as an economic powerhouse and ongoing efforts to provide a greener, more sustainable future for its occupants WRITTEN BY

HARRY MENEAR

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CITY FOCUS | SEOUL

T

he capital and largest metropolis in South Korea, Seoul is one of the most powerful metropolitan economies in

the world. The annual revenue of the public companies headquartered there is just short of US$1.5trn, the fourth-highest of any city worldwide. In 2019, the population of Seoul proper (known as Seoul Special City) was over 9.6 million, a 0.01% decrease from the previous year, and the total metropolitan area is home to more than 25.6 million people.

Seoul’s population density is almost double that of New York City, four times higher than

74

Los Angeles and eight times higher than the density of Rome. More than half the population of the country lives in and around Seoul.

In many senses, the city is South Korea.

This month, Business Chief is exploring South Korea’s capital, and its ongoing balancing act between its role as an economic powerhouse and the ongoing efforts to provide a greener, more sustainable future for its occupants.

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR As with every megacity, high population density, vast numbers of cars (in excess of 23 million with fewer than 60,000 being electric) and large manufacturing capabilities mean that Seoul has to contend with the MARCH 2020

75

pressing issue of air pollution. While air quality in the city has improved dramatically over the past two decades, levels of fine dust in the city’s air supply are still “twice as high as other developed countries and the number of days with high concentrations of fine dust has been increasing,” writes Tae Yong Jung, a researcher at Yonsei University in Seoul.

In response to the growing need for clean air solutions, President Moon Jae-in’s administration officially established the National Council a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

CITY FOCUS | SEOUL

76

“ The meeting point between economic stimulus and sustainable strategy in Seoul is taking place in the city’s startup scene” on Climate and Air Quality (NCCA) in April 2019. Led by former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the NCCA’s goal is to work with neighbouring countries to find solutions to the issue, which the nation’s national assembly categorised as “a social disaster.”

In addition to placing restrictions on coal-powered electricity and old diesel vehicles, South Korea is actively working to increase the number of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles on its roads. The country’s environmental MARCH 2020

ministry is working to deliver a hydrogen-powered bus project in seven cities, including Seoul. It also plans to boost the number of green cars in South Korea to 500,000 units, including 430,000 units of electric vehicles and 67,000 units of hydrogen-powered cars, by 2022, Business Korea reports.

THE BALANCING ACT In addition to its climate challenges, South Korea is facing challenges of an economic nature. In 2019, the country experienced the worst two year period

Seoul’s City Promotional Film featuring Steve McCurry CLICK TO WATCH

|

3:11

77

of economic growth since the mid-20th Century. Thrown into uncertain territory by a downturn in the global microchip market and ongoing trade disputes between Washinton and Beijing, the country is fighting back with a $51.2bn stimulus package aimed at bolstering national infrastructure, representing a 12% increase in spending on public institutions. Reportedly, the bulk of the money is being set aside for infrastructure building and housing construction, in response to house prices in Seoul hitting an all time high in December of 2019. a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

CITY FOCUS | SEOUL

Samsung Electronics, the largest

Hong Kong protests. As the country

company in the country and the world’s

enters 2020, market experts are

largest manufacturer of electronic

reportedly optimistic, buoyed by a

goods, has its headquarters in Seoul.

rally in the price of microchips and

In 2019, the company reported sales

electronic goods, as well as the gov-

in excess of $221bn and controls more

ernment’s economic support and

than $304.1bn worth of assets.

efforts to reduce income inequality.

Korea’s total exports fell by 10.3% in 2019 to $542.4bn after reaching a

UNDERGROUND GROWTH

record high in the previous year, due

The meeting point between economic

to the US-China trade dispute, Japan’s

stimulus and sustainable strategy

restrictions on exports, Brexit, and

in Seoul is taking place in the city’s

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MARCH 2020

startup scene. One prime example of this synergy is currently taking root beneath the city’s streets.

Over the past 12 months, subterranean vegetable farms have begun cropping up at subway stations across Seoul. The project is a col-

The 20 Seoul-based Startups that exhibited at CES this year 1. Warp Solution Inc.

laboration between Seoul Metro

2. Kono Corporation Ltd,

and agricultural startup Farm8 with

3. IRISYS Co., Ltd.

the goal of utilising vacant spaces

4. R.O.C.K Co., Ltd.

beneath the city and diversifying the

5. Dot Incorporation

subway operator’s revenue sources.

6. Neosapience, Inc 7. Enable Wow 8. DermaMirror Co., Ltd 9. Perfitt, Inc 10. Hancom Mobility 11. Cube AI 12. Dash Company 13. Thirdeye Robotics, Co. Ltd. 14. Enernet 15. Luple 16. Smart Diagnosis, Inc 17. Curaum 18. Nuvi labs 19. PiQuant Co. Ltd 20. Letsee

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CITY FOCUS | SEOUL

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9.7mn Population of Seoul (2017)

$1.63trn

GDP of South Korea in USD (2019)

MARCH 2020

Using hydroponic farming techniques - which reduce water wastage and ensure that crops are grown quickly year-round - Farm8 plans to cultivate “some 30 types of vegetables, including varieties of lettuce, basil and edible flowers” in a 200 square meter cultivation room. According to the Nikkei Asian Review, Farm8 plans to harvest between 30 and 40 kg of vegetables every day for sale in adjoining cafes and local restaurants.

NEXT GENERATION INNOVATION Seoul, like many large cities, is abuzz with young, innovative firms looking to make their mark on the global economy. Primarily tech driven, local startups are focusing on developing smart city initiatives to benefit the lives and businesses of the city’s population.

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the Seoul Business Pavillion played host to 20 “homegrown startups,” as well as demonstrations of the municipal government’s own smart city initiatives.

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T O P 10

Southeast Asian football teams by stadium capacity

82

Business Chief takes a look at some of the leading clubs in Southeast Asian football WRITTEN BY

MARCH 2020

WILL GIRLING

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T O P 10

9,000 STADIUM CAPACITY

£6.03mn SQUAD VALUE

League THAI LEAGUE 1 84

10

Port F.C. BANGKOK, THAILAND

Based at the PAT Stadium in Bangkok, Port FC was founded in 1967 and has become a highly successful team in Thai football. Port FC have won the Kor Royal Cup eight times and the Queen’s Cup six times. Currently managed by Choketawee Promrut, the club is nicknamed ‘The Port Lions’ and has been competing in Thai League 1 since 2017. The team has so far managed two third place finishes in the 2018 and 2019 tournaments. The club managed to score a record 61 points during the 2018 Thai League 1, the high-water mark for point scoring over the course of a single season.

MARCH 2020

10,000 STADIUM CAPACITY

£3.80mn SQUAD VALUE

League THAI LEAGUE 1 85

09

Ratchaburi Mitr Phol F.C. RATCHABURI, THAILAND

Nicknamed ‘the dragons’, Ratchaburi Mitr Phol FC was founded in 2004 and has its home ground at the Mitr Phol Stadium in Ratchaburi, Thailand. Earning promotion to Division One in 2011 following victory in the Central-East Division, the team won the 2012 championship and has stayed in the premier league of Thai football ever since. Currently coached by Nuengrutai Srathongvian, RMP FC moved to the Mitr Phol Stadium in 2016 following administrative difficulties at the club’s previous ground Ratchaburi Stadium.

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From Inspiration

to Innovation

T O P 10

15,000 STADIUM CAPACITY

£3.87mn SQUAD VALUE

League THAI LEAGUE 1 87

08

Suphanburi F.C. DON K AMYAN, THAILAND

Based at the Suphan Buri Provincial Stadium in Thailand, Suphanburi FC was founded in 1997 and is coached by Adebayo Gbadebo. Starting strong in the 1999 Thailand Provincial League, the team succeeded in securing the runners-up position.

Nicknamed the ‘war elephant’, the club is currently competing in the Thai League 1, but has yet to claim a national title. Suphanburi FC’s best results include second place in the 2012 Division 1 league and third during the 2015 Thai Premier League.

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T O P 10

15,000 STADIUM CAPACITY

£7.09mn SQUAD VALUE

League THAI LEAGUE 1 88

07

Muangthong United MUANG THONG THANI, THAILAND

Known as ‘The Kirins’ or ‘The Twin Kirins’ - a chimerical creature from Southeast Asian myth - Muangthong United FC was founded in 1989 and is currently managed by Alexandre Gama. With a healthy scoresheet throughout the club’s career, from its 2007 victory in Division 2 to its second place showing in the 2017 Thai League 1, Muangthong United has finished consistently in the top five ever since its ascension to the Premier League in 2009. The team is also renowned for being one of the richest in Thai football – the club’s current squad is estimated to be worth £7.09mn

MARCH 2020

24,931 STADIUM CAPACITY

£4.23mn SQUAD VALUE

League INDONESIA LIGA 1 89

06

Bali United GIANYAR, BALI

Based in Gianyar, Bali at the Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium, Bali United was originally founded under the name Putra Samarinda Football Club in 1989. Changing to its current name in 2015, the club is also nicknamed the ‘Tridatu warriors’. Experiencing mixed fortunes throughout its early history, Bali United won the Premier Division in 2008-09, came second in the 2017 Liga 1 and claimed victory at the 2019 Liga 1, coached by Stefano Cugurra. One of the team’s mascots is Cebol, who is shaped like a Celuluk - a demonic creature from Indonesian folklore.

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T O P 10

27,000

£3.76mn

League

STADIUM CAPACITY

SQUAD VALUE

INDONESIA LIGA 1 91

05

Bangkok United BANGKOK, THIALAND

Founded in 1988 as Bangkok University FC (latterly Bangkok United FC from 2009 onwards), the residents of True Stadium in Pathum Thani have experienced highs and lows throughout the team’s history. Winning the Premier League in 2006, the club was subsequently relegated to Division 1 only four years later. Having recovered the team’s position in the Premier League in 2013 (which then became Thai League 1 in 2017), Bangkok United has managed to finish third overall in 2017 and gained two runner-up positions in 2016 and 2018. The club is currently managed by Alexandré Pölking.

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T O P 10

27,000 STADIUM CAPACITY

£3.76mn SQUAD VALUE

League INDONESIA LIGA 1 92

04

Persib Bandung WEST JAVA, INDONESIA

Perserikatan Sepakbola Indonesia Bandung - more commonly known as Persib Bandung - was founded in 1933 in West Java, Indonesia, with its home ground at the Si Jalak Harupat Stadium.

Presently coached by Robert Alberts and competing in Liga 1, the premiership of Indonesian football, the team has not suffered relegation since the league’s establishment in 1994 and has earned the nickname ‘the tiger of Bandung’. Persib Bandung has won five Perserikatan titles (1937, 1959-61, 1986, 1989-90 and 1993-94), its first Liga Indonesia title in 1995, and a Liga 1 title in 2014.

MARCH 2020

32,600 STADIUM CAPACITY

£5.47mn SQUAD VALUE

League THAI LEAGUE 1 93

03

Buriram United BURIRAM, THIALAND

Founded in 1970 and based at the Chang Arena in Thailand, Buriram United FC are nicknamed the ‘thunder castles’ and managed by Božidar Bandović. Winning the Kor Royal Cup in 1998 and its first Thai League 1 title in 2008, the club has gone on to win a further six times (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018) in the premier division. A trailblazer in the Thai football pantheon, Buriram United earned the distinction of becoming the first Southeast Asian team to beat a Chinese club at home, with a 1-2 victory over Guangzhou Evergrande in 2015.

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T O P 10

02

Johor Darul Ta’zim

GELANG PATAH, MALAYSIA Founded in 1972 as PKENJ FC and then changing its name twice - first as Johor FC in 1996 and finally as Johor Darul Ta’zim FC in 2013 - JDT is currently managed by Luciano Figueroa 94

and plays in the top division of Malaysian Football, the Malaysia Super League.

JDT’s home ground is the Sultan Ibrahim Larkin Stadium. The club first rose to prominence when it won the 2014 national league, followed by wins in the 2015 AFC Cup and Super League. JDT have made Malaysian football history by winning six consecutive Super League titles from 2014 to 2019 - no team had ever won more than twice consecutively in the 40 years since league football was introduced.

MARCH 2020

95

40,000 STADIUM CAPACITY

£5.4mn SQUAD VALUE

League MALAYSIA SUPER LEAGUE

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T O P 10

96

77,193 STADIUM CAPACITY

£2.83mn SQUAD VALUE

League INDONESIA LIGA 1

MARCH 2020

0000 YEAR FOUNDED

$0.0bn REVENUE IN XXXXXXXXX DOLLARS

0,000 NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

01

Persija Jakarta JAK ARTA, INDONESIA A club with a storied past, 2020 will be the team’s 92nd year since being founded. Persija is currently coached

by Brazillian Sergio Farias and has its home ground in central Jakarta, the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.

The most successful football team in Indonesian history, Persija Jakarta has 11 national titles to its name. The club has won the Perserikatan nine times (1931, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1953-54, 1964, 1971-73, 1973-75, 1978-79), twice in Liga 1 (2001 and 2018) and once in the Piala Presiden (2018).

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Putting people at the centre of 98

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION WRITTEN BY

WILL GIRLING PRODUCED BY

KRISTOFER PALMER

MARCH 2020

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NTUC ENTERPRISE

Johnny Wong, Group Chief Digital and Technology Officer at NTUC Enterprise, explains why digital transformation is an essential, although not always easy, path to improving customer experience

I

t is a testament to any company if it can sustain an enduring legacy in its hometown that spreads over decades. Yet

NTUC Enterprise has managed to do more than 100

just maintain an expanding level of popularity and ambition in Singapore for 50 years. Comprised of 10 separate NTUC Social Enterprises (such as FairPrice, Foodfare, Health and Income), the holding company combines the public and private sectors to find solutions to consumer issues. With a corporate reach that serves over two million Singaporeans every day (33% of the population), NTUC Enterprise has attained the rare status of a national institution; its deeply humanitarian mission to harness social enterprises to address social needs is keenly felt by Singapore’s citizens every day.

Drawn to the company’s ethics and particularly the challenges of its digital transformation, Johnny Wong became the Group Chief Digital and Technology Officer (CDTO) of NTUC Enterprise MARCH 2020

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2012

Year founded

20,000 Number of employees

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NTUC ENTERPRISE

“ NTUC Enterprise is a unique organisation; a socially-minded commercial organisation, with strong partnerships with the government and the labor unions, for the benefit of the Singapore society” 102

— Johnny Wong, Group Chief Digital and Technology Officer, NTUC Enterprise

and FairPrice in 2018. Coming from a background which included tenures at Oracle, Google, MercadoLibre and Lazada, Wong gained valuable experience that would serve him well for the future. “I was in charge of managing product development and the engineering to create products for end-users,” he explains. “NTUC Enterprise is a unique organisation; a socially-minded commercial organisation, with a strong partnership with the government and the labour unions, for the benefit of the Singapore society.

It’s a very rare model, and I would say, a truly Singaporean partnership model.”

However, when Wong joined the company, he discovered that NTUC Enterprise’s heritage was, in some regards, both a blessing and an obstacle. After decades of successful operations, the company had, from a technological point-of-view and mindset, not made much advancement. “It was very much a traditional organisation, with strong operations and people values, but technology had taken a backseat,” he says. “My goal was to make it much more forward-looking and change into an organisation that’s

MARCH 2020

Reunited CLICK TO WATCH

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5:13

103 able to shape its own destiny when

and added over 200 new staff to

it comes to digital transformation.”

achieve a new vision, including soft-

This bold ambition required a well-

ware engineers, UX researchers and

thought-out strategy and answers to

product designers, data scientists and

key questions. What does digital trans-

engineers, cybersecurity specialists,

formation mean for a group of social

technologiests, enterprise system

enterprises? What positive effects will

experts, and more.

it have for the customer? Recognising

“We need to see how our customers

that answering these questions would

are evolving and how we can serve

require a new approach, Wong imple-

them better,” says Wong. “Unless

mented a ‘three pillar’ plan focusing

organisations adapt to the future,

on digital strategies, organisational

they will become irrelevant. We lev-

capabilities and a cultural mindset shift.

erage data and new technology to

NTUC Enterprise then defined digital

better compete in a rapidly chang-

strategies for its main businesses

ing world.” This is particularly true a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

NTUC ENTERPRISE

104

in NTUC Enterprise’s case, which

enterprises, they are also contributing

maintains a large network of brick and

to the improvement of Singapore’s

mortar (B&M) stores in addition to its

citizens’ lives and to making a better

online presence. “NTUC Enterprise

society,” he explains.

is about serving working people and

For NTUC’s FairPrice platform,

the broader interests of the Singapore

Wong relaunched its ecommerce,

community across a range of social

enabling Singaporeans to shop for

needs,” he emphasises. Viewing

groceries, household essentials

digital transformation as the route to

and other consumer products. Now

achieving this goal in 2020 and beyond,

providing an easy online shopping

Wong committed wholeheartedly to

experience, available through all

the endeavour. “Part of the allure for

standard devices (smartphones, tab-

new talent to join us is knowing that,

lets, computers, etc), FairPrice has

in improving NTUC’s group of social

grown its market share to become

MARCH 2020

the second-largest online grocery

level of convenience and customer

provider in the country and the fast-

service whether online or offline.

est growing during 2019. Utilising

“With our omnichannel strategy, we’re

its network of B&M stores - which

able to provide same-day delivery

Wong calls the company’s “bread

on groceries, sometimes even within

and butter” - in conjunction with its

two hours. Our rivals might be able

online portal, Wong believes that

to move small items quickly, but they

FairPrice can offer an unparalleled

can’t effectively deliver fresh grocery

Johnny Wong

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Mr Johnny Wong is the Group Chief Digital and Technology Officer of NTUC Enterprise, the holding entity the single largest shareholder of NTUC Social Enterprises. He holds a concurrent role as CEO of the Digital Business at FairPrice Group, driving digital businesses and strategies for the organisation.

Prior to his current engagement, Johnny was the Group Chief Product Officer at Lazada, where he was responsible for all engineering and product development across the tech hubs in Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, and Russia. He also held management positions at technology, ecommerce and consulting companies such as Oracle, Google, MercadoLibre, Boston Consulting Group, and several startups. His diverse work experience spanned countries and regions such as US, China, Australia, Mexico, South America and Southeast Asia.

Johnny has a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley, a master’s degree from Stanford and an MBA from Wharton Business School. a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

105

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“ We need to see how our customers are evolving and how we can serve them better” — Johnny Wong, Group Chief Digital and Technology Officer, NTUC Enterprise

“After all,” he says, “it’s not just about simply hiring engineers or putting together a nice PowerPoint; it’s about changing pre-existing mindset; it’s about fundamentally altering the way that our organisation works and invests, and that’s very different.” However, Wong’s conviction that a digital and data-centric approach won out and proved that intelligent implementation

products to peoples’ doorsteps unless they also have an equivalent physical infrastructure nearby.”

Although Wong’s vision for FairPrice

of new technology can pay dividends.

Data collected by the company comes from across NTUC Enterprise’s various social enterprises, meaning

has achieved some validation from

the information can be varied and volu-

current business growth, he explains

minous. “From groceries to the food

that, in the initial stages, there was

required in food courts and restaurants

strong debate internally. Prior to the

to the health clinics and childcare

transformation, NTUC Fairprice was

centres, we collect individual data sig-

“a traditional retailer that, in regards to

nals,” Wong explains.” Based on that,

technology, operated in essentially the

we develop a fairly good view of the

same way as it had for the last 20 to 30

customer journey and can offer bet-

years and had been very successful,”

ter products and services.” However,

Wong describes. There were many dis-

with so much information to process,

cussions among executives and board

new methods to effectively analyse it

members on whether business should

became necessary. Data science and

carry on as normal “with some minor

particularly machine learning became

optimisations”, or if NTUC Fairprice

a focus for the company. “We need to

should act upon trends spearheaded

make use of and understand data. We

by ecommerce leaders like Amazon.

have about 40 different data scientists a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

107

NTUC ENTERPRISE

108

“ We are the only ones that don’t have to dream; we already have the capabilities” — Johnny Wong, Group Chief Digital and Technology Officer, NTUC Enterprise

and machine learning engineers working on forecasting, marketing and search engine optimisation,” he says.

However, despite the company’s dedication to thoroughly modernising its operations, NTUC Enterprise is always careful to ensure its central concern remains the same: people. In 2019, the company held an initiative to help Singaporeans manage daily struggles such as the cost of living.

Wong maintains that if an aspect of digitalisation doesn’t help ordinary

MARCH 2020

109

working people, there is little use for

company within Singapore and beyond.

it. “At FairPrice, our social mission is to

“Whereas some of the big ecommerce

help moderate the cost of living from

players are wanting to go offline, and

groceries products. We help keep the

many of the offline players are dream-

prices down through both traditional

ing of going online, we are the only

optimisations, and also by making use

ones that don’t have to dream; we have

of technology through better demand

the omnichannel capabilities.”

forecasting and reducing waste - other grocery retailers actually benchmark their prices against ours.” It is both the company’s assiduousness and strong online/offline infrastructure that Wong believes will expand the a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

Developing success WRITTEN BY

HARRY MENEAR 110

PRODUCED BY

KRISTOPHER PALMER

MARCH 2020

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ARCHROMA

Ravi Bhogaraju of Archroma discusses the role of the company’s Academy and culture initiatives in aligning employees’ purpose and developing skills and growth mindsets to enable sustainable development.

112

D

igital transformation is having a profound effect upon every industry and market across the business landscape.

Processes are becoming increasingly automated, decisioning is becoming more intelligent and informed by data analytics, and customers are becoming increasingly expectant of an on-demand, fully customised experience that feels brand new.

The digital revolution has even left its mark on industries that have been defined by unceasing change for centuries, further accelerating the pace and need for agility. “You used to have four fashion cycles. Now there are 52,” says Ravi Bhogaraju, Global Head Talent and Organisation Development at Archroma. “High street brands are turning out a new generation of fashion every single week, which puts a great deal of pressure on upstream suppliers to meet that fast-paced demand.”

MARCH 2020

113

2013

Year founded

$1.4bn Revenue in US dollars

3,000 Number of employees

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ARCHROMA

“ We have taken an ecosystem approach to developing capability – not just sending people to training”

114

— Ravi Bhogaraju, Global Head Talent and Organisation Development, Archroma

MARCH 2020

With roots that go back over 150 years, Archroma is a global producer and manufacturer of dyes and chemicals which operates in 35 countries and delivers around $1.4bn worth of sales every year. In addition to textile manufacturing, the company also sells its products to the paper, paints and emulsions industries. Ravi joined the company in 2013 and has been instrumental in setting up and leading talent and capability initiatives. In order to survive and thrive, companies need to embrace the possibilities, not

Archroma: Corporate video CLICK TO WATCH

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2:22

115 just of new digital solutions, but of

like HR, procurement and finance;

a dynamic and engaged workforce.

transformation skills; and leadership

“That’s my role - I help to enable the

skills development. “There are three

development of talent and capabilities

levels of talent development that

within Archroma” Ravi explains. “As

the Academy deals with,” says Ravi.

part of my Global Head of Talent and

“There’s skill development, capability

Organizational Development role, I

development and leadership.

lead the Archroma Academy, which

“We have taken an ecosystem

has a goal of developing distinct capa-

approach to developing capability –

bility sets within the organisation that

not just sending people to training. We

will make us successful in the market.”

blend skill development, capability and

These skills include commercial

leadership, enabled through mindset

capability; operational excellence

and delivered through online and

across production and manufacturing

face to face experiences. It is holistic,

plants; functional excellence in fields

focused and available on demand.” a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

ARCHROMA

116

SKILL DEVELOPMENT

through which employees can round

The broadest layer of the Archroma

out their abilities in order to grow and

Academy development pyramid, the

advance within the company. “It’s

skills section is an expression of a

driven by people’s desire to fill gaps in

strategy that lets the company’s

their own portfolio of skills. One of the

employees build their own capabilities

elements of performance manage-

by giving them access to a huge selec-

ment that we’re focusing on is to get

tion of educational content. This need

our employees to talk to their manag-

for education is identified through the

ers about the skill gaps they may have,”

performance management process,

says Ravi. “If you want to be better at

while having access to this content at

time management, for example, you

any time and place is a powerful ena-

can take a short course in it, or maybe

bler of personal development. Through

something for focus techniques.”

its content providers and partners,

Archroma Academy’s courses run

the Archroma Academy has created

in a large range of languages and

an online digital library of content

allow people to progress at their own

MARCH 2020

pace – creating a flexible integration

is an expression of the fact we sell

between work and education.

value, not products.” Archroma has developed the value-based selling

CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT

course alongside external partners

“These are skills that are seen as

as a blended program that includes

valuable for the company to develop

face-to-face sessions reinforced by

on a much wider scale in order to

a highly-customised digital reinforce-

deliver on our strategy,” explains Ravi,

ment and refresher program. “We’ve

describing the middle layer of the

developed what we call knowledge

development pyramid. “For example:

nuggets, which could be five to seven

one of our commercial strategy

minutes of refresher concepts that

pillars is value-based selling, which

people can take on in the system,” 117

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Ravi Bhogaraju Ravi is based in Singapore and has worked in Human Resources, Business Transformation and Information technology for 20 years by living and working in Asia Europe and US across a number of challenging and interesting industries. He is currently the Global Head HR, Talent and Organization Development for Archroma. In this role he partners with the group executives and business leaders across Asia, Europe and Americas to orchestrate the transformation of the business. His work spans Talent strategies, Capability building and Performance Coaching.

Areas of active interest outside work are Mentoring / coaching students, professionals and business startups.

Ravi completed his General Management Program from the Harvard Business School and has an MBA as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resources. He is a Nuero Leadership trained coach, SCRUM master and has Certifications in a number of assessment tools.

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

“

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Ravi Bhogaraju, Global Head - Talent & OD | Archroma

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“ It’s part of our sustainability program that we invest very regularly into our employees” — Ravi Bhogaraju, Global Head Talent and Organisation Development, Archroma

more effective and profitable,” Ravi emphasises. “Based on that, the site selects a set of trainers from within, designated as ambassadors, that help train the rest of the team using content they have created. At the end of the session each trainee takes a test and then, in three months time, the line management evaluates their application of that knowledge in their work on a day to day basis. This combination of classroom and practical behavior

says Ravi. “These are fully customised

change is really helping us to change

programs that we developed with con-

the capability. As a learning meth-

tent providers and digital enablement

odology it is quite powerful. It acts

partners based in India and Europe,

as a mechanism of recognising the

who take the content that was deliv-

expertise of ambassadors, fostering

ered in the program and convert it into

creativity and a stronger connec-

three or four nuggets, which we then

tion to the overall purpose of the

release to the sales teams on a regular

site. Ambassadors generate content,

basis in the lead up to a quiz.” These

which is culturally attuned, in the local

capability programmes help support

language and creatively presented,

Archroma’s commercial strategy, such

all of which helps their class to learn

as the necessity of a digital mindset

faster. It really helps the entire site to

and a focus on customer journeys and

learn from each other and ultimately

adaptable behaviour.

become stronger, together. Our

For manufacturing sites, Archroma

intention is to ultimately translate this

has taken a different approach. “For

superb, user generated content into a

each site, we identify a set of capabili-

digital format that can be used across

ties that would help to make the site

the organisation.” a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

119

ARCHROMA

120

MARCH 2020

LEADERSHIP At the top of the pyramid is the leadership and mindset development program. “We have a combination of a 360 degree digital tool and a dedicated coach that is assigned to the top 100 leaders who are nominated for this program,” says Ravi. “In many companies they would create a single program and expect everyone to go through that in batches. We have taken a different approach - one that is based on personalised development specific to an individual’s need.”

JOURNEYS AND CHALLENGES The Academy has been evolving to add more programs over the last four years, and has seen strong returns from its attempts to drive engagement and investment in Archroma’s employees.

“It’s not just about the company; it’s about improving the quality and capabilities of our workforce, which is important because it’s part of our sustainability program that we invest very regularly into our employees,” Ravi explains.

Looking to the future, there is much to look forward to, as Archroma embarks on a sweeping digital transformation a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

121

ARCHROMA

122

“ The Archroma Academy [...] has a goal of developing distinct capability sets within the organisation” — Ravi Bhogaraju, Global Head Talent & Organisation Development, Archroma

MARCH 2020

that will require the Academy to prepare the company’s employees for a future well attuned to all changes in the industry. “I think 2020 and 2021 are going to continue to be very exciting for us at Archroma and the Academy.

What I would really like for the Academy to be able to deliver is more market or context sensitive material at scale and pace,” says Ravi. “One of the challenges we have encountered in creating these programs is that they

123

take a fair bit of time, because you have

focus for the next two years is looking

to ensure that every piece of design

at agile development and deployment

aligns or integrates with our cultural

in order to be able to put content

context, our diversity and leadership,

out there much faster and meet the

as well as being able to deliver the

requirements of our teams.”

words that we use in our culture – and that takes investment.” Time management and continuing to find a method of application for the Academy that integrates with the day to day operations of Archroma will be an essential goal for Ravi and his team. “The big a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

Jimit Dattani: the future of education WRITTEN BY

GEORGIA WILSON

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PRODUCED BY

STUART IRVING

MARCH 2020

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X S E E D E D U C AT I O N

Jimit Dattani, former Chief Information Officer at XSEED Education, discusses how innovative technology is changing the future of education

S

tarting his career from humble beginnings, Jimit Dattani, former Chief Information Officer (CIO) at XSEED Education, has

held many roles throughout his 17-year spell in IT. To name a few, he has held titles such as Project 126

Manager, Business Analyst, Portfolio Manager and Chief Technology Officer at GTS Interactive and CIO (XSEED Education). “My career started in 2002 and has spanned across many avenues. After graduating in India, I moved to Australia to complete my masters working with a company called Stellar before moving to GTS Interactive. In 2016, I was approached by XSEED to help them in their digital transformation journey, becoming their CIO.” As an active professional in the technology industry, Dattani has witnessed tech’s significant evolution first-hand throughout his career.

“Whether it’s a change of environment, new skill, or even the attitudes people have towards technology, the tech industry is constantly evolving. When it comes to the education sector specifically, it has drastically transformed from a basic four-walled MARCH 2020

127

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X S E E D E D U C AT I O N

“ Whether it’s a change of environment, new skill, or even the attitudes people have towards technology, the tech industry is constantly evolving”

128

— Jimit Dattani, former Chief Information Officer, XSEED

MARCH 2020

classroom to one that is booming with technological tools,” says Dattani.

“Being in the education space for the last three years, I personally feel that analytics, adaptive learning and artificial intelligence (AI) are very hot topics right now. There are a lot of conversations happening around the world relating to the adoption of AI to develop learning, improve access to education and reduce costs.” To stay ahead of these trends, Dattani explains that “there are many hurdles, with so

Artificial intelligence & the future of education systems | Bernhard Schindlholzer | TEDxFHKufstein CLICK TO WATCH

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14:51

129 many things going on it’s impossible

studies, there are huge benefits to

to read everything. However, I typically

digitalisation, including increased

subscribe to lots of tech sites and

availability and faster consumption of

brands as well as attending networking

information.” Dattani also sees modular

events to stay ahead of the latest buzz

learning benefiting from digitalisation,

regarding technology and how to best

“because institutes have to cater to dif-

apply solutions to business challenges

ferent competencies. Digitalisation can

or to upskill a business.”

help to measure effective adaptation, as well as upgrade teaching abilities

THE BENEFITS OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN EDUCATION

tive learning via virtual classrooms

“In my opinion, digital transformation

and mobile learning apps. Digital

should be a priority for all education

transformation has brought about

institutions,” says Dattani, “whether

unprecedented changes in the modern

it’s educational learning or research

education system.”

with the assistance of collabora-

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X S E E D E D U C AT I O N

130

“ Digital transformation has brought about unprecedented changes in the modern education system” — Jimit Dattani, former Chief Information Officer, XSEED

However, despite the promise of high rewards, in Dattani’s experience “the environment is faced with barriers”. In particular, Dattani has experienced the reluctance in India to adopt new technologies, along with challenges around talent gaps and a lack of data driven business culture.

“Half the time, people in schools do not have the right talent to operate basic technology, with most large schools not knowing where to begin.”

Further reflecting on his experience in the industry, Dattani explains some

MARCH 2020

of his own digital strategies he has

organisation that ran its sales team on

implemented during his career. “When

legacy financial systems and Excel. “In

I develop my strategies, 99.9% of the

order to digitally transform XSEED

time they are based on four concepts:

Education, I took a holistic view of the

customer engagement, empowering

business strategy to build an integrated

employees, optimising operations, main-

strategy that connected its customers,

taining alignment with company goals

consumers and internal functions.” With

and increasing productivity,” he says.

XSEED Education rapidly expanding

With this in mind, he goes on to explain

globally, the strategy incorporated a

that, when he joined XSEED Education,

move from legacy systems to 100%

the company was a pre-digitised

paperless and cloud-based ERP system

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE 131

Jimit Dattani Jimit is recognised as an intrapreneurial technology leader with extensive experience in designing and implementing business transformation strategies that increase shareholder value. Jimit has worked with companies across the globe, developing trusted partnerships on account of his powerful blend of technology vision and business acumen coupled with experience in the travel, FMCG, education, logistics, ecommerce and hospitality sectors. Over his 17-year career, Jimit has successfully progressed up the ranks in leading roles from Analyst, Project Manager, CTO and CIO, including an advisory role on large-scale critical projects for MNCs and government agencies. PMP certified, his experience encompasses using design thinking concepts to drive innovation, modernisation and automation, business transformation and start-ups, among others

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

XSEED automated their entire sales process.

SO CAN YOU Get started for free at vtiger.com

with the help of vTiger, NetSuite and

to make sense of Big Data, empirical

DocuSign. The strategy also incorpo-

evidence is required for any theoretical

rated a restructuring of its internal IT

framework. The process of deconstruc-

functions, and implementation of data

tion is critical, rather than just consuming

analytics and security.

what is served, otherwise we have failed our children and all we have achieved is

THE BENEFITS OF BIG DATA AND ANALYTICS IN EDUCATION

digitising ‘glorifying’ rote learning.”

“Data is like liquid gold,” says Dattani.

provide to education, Dattani sees “the

“It is of utmost importance. Whether it’s

adoption of Big Data analytics leading

institutions or universities, they need to

to enhanced learning and helping to

realise that data accuracy is far more

make critical decisions for predictive

valuable than simply possessing data

teaching, assessment strategies and

that is uncleansed, cluttered and can-

improved market analytics - something

not be interpreted effectively. In order

which XSEED has been aggressively

MARCH 2020

When it comes to the benefits it can

solutions - Dattani used Big Data and “ Data accuracy is far analytics extensively for a project known more valuable than as Amadeus OneClick. “There are more simply possessing of data that is uncleansed, than two million bookings that Amadeus facilitates on a daily basis. The idea was cluttered and cannot to structure that data and process it, be interpreted so that at any point organisations can effectively” know where their employees are, where

— Jimit Dattani, former Chief Information Officer, XSEED

they are travelling to and if they need any assistance. With Amadeus’s new cloud portal, the company can analyse its data based on a number of variables

implementing.” However, alongside the

to predict potential travel risks, spend

power Big Data provides there are also

and booking demand.” With XSEED,

ethical considerations, particularly in terms of privacy. “This is a very big challenge that poses many questions. Do we have consent? Have we got enough protection? What data should be combined and analysed and the purposes to which this should be put.? All of these challenges result in the stunted growth of Big Data usage.”

Reflecting on his career, Dattani explains that he has been utilising Big Data from very early on. “The biggest implementations of Big Data that I have done, have been with Amadeus and XSEED.” When working with Amadeus - a global provider of travel a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

133

X S E E D E D U C AT I O N

Dattani’s previously mentioned strategy

the biggest barrier is a lack of talent

incorporated Big Data in two ways. “We

and daytime leadership commitment

had vast amounts of student data at

to move from aspiration to adoption.

XSEED. With analytics we could better

However, I have seen some success

understand product insights such as:

stories. Some I’ve been part of myself

which products are doing well and why?

with XSEED, such as gamification for

In addition to product insights, XSEED

engaging digital classrooms while

also used Big Data and analytics to ana-

recording and assessing engagement.

lyse and optimise the content curriculum

I have also seen the use of robotics to

and improve the delivery of learning to

help with shortages of native English

be more effective for students.”

teachers in South Korea, as well as the use of 3D learning - especially in sci-

THE FUTURE OF INNOVATIVE 134 TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

ence. I have seen this in Dubai where the classroom and labs are connected

When it comes to the use of innovative

with super high speed fiber connections

technology within education, Dattani

to deliver lessons via TV platforms.”

would love to see a greater adoption

Another innovation Dattani has

of AI. “The challenge that I see with AI

seen is the use of Amazon Alexa to

is a lack of clear strategy. Currently

drive interactive teaching inside and

“The process of deconstruction is critical, rather than just consuming what is served, otherwise we have failed our children and all we have achieved is digitising ‘glorifying’ rote learning.”

— Jimit Dattani, former Chief Information Officer, XSEED MARCH 2020

135

outside the classroom. “I have seen

training on various tools in order for

Amazon Alexa provide interactive

users to gain the most benefit from

education in the classroom, as well

the solutions.”

as providing education to those in

Reflecting on his career and experi-

remote areas of India who cannot

ence within the technology industry,

access a school,” says Dattani. “Over

Dattani is humbled by his opportunities

the years, Amazon has been a key

“I’ve been very fortunate that every

partner for implementing digital

interaction I’ve had with my customers,

transformation strategies. They

I’ve been able to deliver on their expec-

have provided much more than just

tations and beyond. I am very proud to

a buyer/seller relationship. They

provide a duty of care that can deliver

have been vital consultants within

this,” he concludes.

the implementation processes too.

Amazon has provided workshops and a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

136

Mercer Marsh Benefits: Developing data and talent WRITTEN BY

AMBER DONOVAN-STEVENS PRODUCED BY

NATHAN HOLMES

MARCH 2020

137

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MERCER MARSH BENEFITS

Richard Roper, Health & Benefits Leader Hong Kong, Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB) Asia, discusses building an excellent workforce and optimising data in order to drive the insurance company forward

R

Richard Roper, Health & Benefits Leader Hong Kong, Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB) Asia, became a part of MMB,

a collaboration between Mercer and Marsh, when Marsh & McLennan acquired Jardine Lloyd 138

Thompson (JLT) in April 2019. Roper had been with JLT for over 20 years, starting out as a consultant before moving to lead the corporate financial services business, private clients, sales and marketing in the UK. In 2014, he moved to Asia in order to lead the JLT Employee Benefits business in Asia. Though the merger marked a significant shift across the organisation, Roper takes personal pride in the success of the integration of the two companies. “During this time, we surpassed all targets. This was against a backdrop of difficult times in Hong Kong,” he adds. “The resilience of the team to get the job done was remarkable.”

Roper’s role divides into two sets of priorities: internal and external. “From an internal perspective I want to build a great working environment which gives everyone an opportunity to shine,” he explains.

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MERCER MARSH BENEFITS

“ I want to build a great working environment which gives everyone an opportunity to shine” 140

— Richard Roper, Health & Benefits Leader Hong Kong, Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB) Asia

MARCH 2020

Given the amount of uncertainty in Hong Kong at present, he emphasises the need for stability, transparency, good communications and an element of fun when completing tasks. In terms of external priorities, Roper refers to Mercer’s new tagline, ‘Welcome to Brighter’, which he feels summarises both his and the company’s outward priorities. “We need to always bring a point of view to our clients and execute well. We need to ensure that our clients get to see the whole of what Mercer can offer and boldly shape the

Mercer: Welcome to Brighter CLICK TO WATCH

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1:38

141 future.” He goes on, saying: “This is

improve the employee experience,”

particularly exciting in Hong Kong and

he says. “Our role is to work out how

in the health and benefits space as it is

we can best help companies achieve

such a fast moving environment with

those goals by understanding what

many new companies trying to impact

the factors are that affect those

on the medical insurance ecosystem.”

goals.” To achieve this, data needs to

Executing a successful digital

be acquired and assimilated in a man-

strategy is invaluable in the industry

ner that enables effective insights for

and region currently, but for MMB it

Marsh & McLennan’s clients, and this

is particularly important to harness

has been taking place alongside the

technology in order to bring improved

changes undertaken by the workforce.

insights to its clients while matching

“For example, last year our Hong Kong

the needs of its changing workforce.

office went 100% agile. No allocated

“Our clients are looking to attract and

desks, no offices, just different types

retain employees, manage costs and

of mobile workstations. All employees a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

MERCER MARSH BENEFITS

142

have laptops and access to confer-

then use the outputs to formulate

encing technology that allows fully

targeted actions to help organisations

mobile virtual meetings.” He adds that

achieve their people-related goals.”

this has been particularly valuable with

Corporations moving to harness large

the recent disruptions in Hong Kong,

amounts of data is often easier said

as employees have been able to work

than done, but MMB has met this

from home or remotely.

challenge with confidence through its

Within this strategy, Roper believes

partnership with AIA. “We worked very

that the key technology underpinning

closely with AIA on data driven well-

MMB’s competitive edge is its use of

ness, utilising claims data, biometric

data. “MMB goes a step further with

screening data and health risk

the use of data. Data without insights

assessment data to formulate a plan

is useless. We go the extra mile to

to provide targeted interventions

gather different data sources and

to improve the underlying health

MARCH 2020

“ We utilise our own talent and retention strategies and work on organisational structures in order to ensure that MMB is an exciting, challenging and vibrant place to work” — Richard Roper, Health & Benefits Leader Hong Kong, Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB) Asia

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Richard Roper Richard Roper is the Health And Benefits Leader Hong Kong. Having worked for JLT for 14 years in the UK EB team, Roper came to Asia in 2014 to lead the JLT Asia EB business which now spans 14 territories in the region. Situated in Hong Kong, he sits on the JLT Asia Executive Committee and the Global EB Leaders Forum. Roper previously held roles at JLT as Head of Private Clients, Sales and Marketing Director and Managing Director of the JLT benefit Solutions business in the UK. Prior to JLT he worked at Capita for nine years leading the UK financial services team.

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LEADING A

HEALTHIER CENTURY At AIA we make a promise. We are going to help people live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives. This is our purpose and sits at the heart of everything we're about and everything we do.

LEARN MORE

aia.com

MERCER MARSH BENEFITS

PA RT N E R S

Richard Roper on Mercer Marsh Benefits’ partnership with AIA Group

146

“AIA are a key insurer partner. We work closely with them, particularly around health and wellbeing and ‘data driven wellness’. Their Healthiest Workplace Survey is a key tool in benchmarking corporate health. For our larger clients we utilise AIA’s data tool which provides a great visualisation of data for clients. In addition, the ‘Vitality’ exercise incentivisation programme, delivered by utilising wearable devices or simply mobile phones, is very successful in getting people moving more.”

MARCH 2020

and wellbeing of employees.” Roper credits the ability to have provided companies with a benchmark from which they can assess the success of these goals to MMB’s completion of AIA’s Healthiest Workplace Survey.

MMB has real expertise on ‘The Workforce of The Future,’ according to Roper. He asserts the need to be attuned to the fact that MMB’s workforce is changing, as employees’ needs differ depending on where they may live. “We utilise our own talent and retention strategies and work on organisational structures in order to ensure that MMB is an exciting, challenging and vibrant place to work.”

To give his workforce the tools needed to provide excellent service, Roper elaborates on MMB’s new healthcare data dashboard, which enables companies to understand how ongoing claims information could be used to predict costs at renewal.

“Rather than wait until close to renewal and possibly get a shock in terms of costs, we can provide a dashboard providing a consolidated view of all aspects driving future insurance costs,” he says. This includes top diagnoses a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

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MERCER MARSH BENEFITS

and conditions, predictive cost modelling and hypotheticals. Clients can then benefit from both early warnings to any future cost increases, as well as a view of all of the underlying drivers of those costs.

Looking forward, Roper can see that the claims process is moving to become wholly digital in the wider industry. As an athlete with a particular love for triathlons, Roper uses various apps such as Strava and Relive in order to track his performance. Wearable 148

technology, he believes, will become an integral part of the medical insurance industry in the future. “In addition to simply providing fun data postexercise, wearable technology will undoubtedly impact medical insurance as well. The more data that insurers have on individuals, the more accurate the pricing and therefore the more incentive to improve health.� Wearable technology will be amongst many other types of disruptive technology that will enter the region. “Telemedicine has to come to Hong Kong, despite regulatory challenges. There are also many advanced chatbots or virtual assistants that can serve as a triage service MARCH 2020

“ We go the extra mile to gather different data sources and then use the outputs to formulate targeted actions to help organisations achieve their people-related goals” — Richard Roper, Health & Benefits Leader Hong Kong, Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB) Asia 149 before a doctor is seen. That will become commonplace over the next decade. The culmination of all of these factors will create an improved experience for both clients and employees alike.” As MMB gathers pace in this new decade, it is ready to embrace new challenges and technologies head-on in order to remain a leader in the region and industry.

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d a e l s e l i t ex y a w he W R IT TE N BY

W IL L I A M S MI P R O D U C E D BY

M A N U E L N AV

MONTH 2020

ding

151

ITH

VA R R O

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A D I T YA B I R L A

How Aditya Birla’s textile business got it off the ground and continues to power growth

I

ndian multinational conglomerate Aditya Birla group has its fingers in many different pies. Founded in 1857, it predates

even the British Raj, instead dating from the end of the British East India Company’s control over the subcontinent. As befits such an antique company, 152

its labyrinthine structure incorporates interests in a wide range of industrial products including viscose staple fibre, palm oil, carbon black (a byproduct of petroleum combustion often used as a pigment), viscose filament yarn, cement and rayon grade pulp.

Aditya Birla’s current success, however, really stems from the work of Aditya Vikram Birla, a scion of the family. Taking on his father’s business group, Birla oversaw the expansion of the company outside of India to locations including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Egypt - a strategy which paid off considering that over 50% of the group’s revenues are derived from overseas businesses, now spread across 36 countries in North and South America, Africa and Asia. He is quoted on the group’s website as MARCH 2020

153

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A D I T YA B I R L A

saying: “My vocation is to strive continu-

“ Our energy derives from the sun, termed Aditya in our mythology, and so closely linked with the name of our legendary leader, Aditya Vikram Birla”

ously, to reach excellence in all spheres of management, by weaving the threads of enterprise, knowledge, experience, ideas and tasks into a fabric that can be called ‘management’.” By the time of his death in 1995, the Group’s revenues had crossed INR80bn globally, and consisted of 55 plants, 75,000 employees and 600,000 shareholders.

As a “$48.3bn corporation”, Aditya Birla employs over 120,000 employees spread across 42 nationalities. It

154

MARCH 2020

Aditya Birla Group — Big in Your Life CLICK TO WATCH

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1:00

155 calls itself the global leader in aluminium rolling, viscose staple fibre and carbon black, and the Indian leader in branded fashion, grey and white cement and concrete. The company’s Chairman, Kumar Mangalam Birla (the son of Aditya Birla, the man), has said of his approach: “Great businesses are never built on the quicksands of opportunism. I reiterate that, if living by our values means, perhaps growing at a pace slower than we would otherwise have liked, so be it. For us, leadership lies at the heart of knowing what we stand for.” a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

WINNING TOGETHER We commit to your business before we commit to ours We, Asia Pacific Fibers, are a leading integrated global polyester player. Being at the forefront of the polyester industry, we are propelled by vertical integration, professional management, state-of-theart machinery and consistent quality in manufacturing.

As a leading manufacturer and marketer of polyester chips, staple fibers, filament yarns and fleece fabrics along with captive PTA [purified terephthalic acid], we are able to cater to the ever-changing demands in apparel, furnishings and industrial textiles.

Because of the joint commitment of all our customers, partners, employees and various stakeholders towards exploiting new opportunities, we have evolved into Indonesia’s most progressive, flexible and fully integrated polyester producer ranking amongst some of the best in the world. Yet ‌ our journey of collaborative innovation is just accelerating.

Polyester chips

Polyester Staple Fibers

We invite you to delve into more details about us, our promise, our brands, our services etc. and join us in this journey.

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corporate@apf.co.id asiapacificfibers.com

Polyester Filament Yarns

Asia Pacific Fibers (APF) is an integrated polyester manufacturer, active from petrochemicals to polyester yarn and propelled by vertical integration, professional management, state-of-the-art machinery and consistent quality in manufacturing.

We produce polyester chips, staple fibers, filament yarns and fleece fabrics along with purified terephthalic acid (PTA).

Polyester completely dominates the global fiber mix, growing at 5.5% against the growth of 1.3% for all other fibers. Polyester filament consumption is projected to grow 11-fold between 1990-2025, with polyester staple fiber growing by 3.2 times.

Polyester growth is driven by advanced applications in the industrial and home textile space, and by its affordability, durability, and an amazing diversity of applications. Polyester is applicable not only in the apparel industry, but in hosiery, automotive, sportswear, household and various technical textiles. This tremendous growth is because of the many beneficial characteristics of polyester, including being recyclable, easy-care, stable and clean, as well as easily modifiable.

great legacy for our industry. APF and Birla Group share the same focus as product-oriented companies creating customer partnerships and becoming product leaders in the fiber industry.

We both strive to continuously improve product quality, consistency, and the level of service for our customers. APF and Birla Group have a unique customer-supplier relationship wherein we work together intensely to improve product performance and specification through raw material performance improvement within their plant.

APF has always been an integrated, productoriented manufacturer. We are therefore looking to further strengthen our relationship with forward looking, vertically integrated and product oriented companies such as Birla Group. We value our relationship and the opportunity we have been provided to share our vision. Today’s business ecosystem requires synergy. That’s why we embedded the spirit of togetherness in our slogan: “winning together.”

Our vision is to always be a product-oriented company. We cater to the ever-changing demands of various products for textile’s downstream industry, as well as providing services to our valued customers in terms of product solutions and development. APF develops its own production processes, manufacturing and technology which are continually evolving to create future demand through collaborative customer partnerships.

We partner with our customers on mutually beneficial and long-term relationships. We are eager to learn and collaborate with our customers as the industry becomes more competitive, the product cycle is shortened and demand rises for small batches. Due to the retail revolution and the wave of digitalisation, the market is now redefined.

In our strategic view, we want to reaffirm and accelerate our journey towards being a highly agile and innovative polyester player. Aside from meeting customers’ demands, together we, as a solution provider, are also willing to find out what a customer needs to grow their business and the industry.

Aditya Birla Group is an esteemed business group with a decades-long track record. A truly professional conglomerate with a global presence, Birla Group’s philosophy towards business is a

LEARN MORE

A D I T YA B I R L A

Aditya Birla further prides itself on its approach to corporate social responsibility, with community work focusing on healthcare, education, girls, sustainability, the empowerment of women and the promotion of social reform. To that end, its Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development, led by Rajashree Birla, Chairperson, reaches nine million people a year. The company at large runs 56 schools providing education to over 46,000 children, of whom 158

18,000 are “underprivileged”, as well as 20 hospitals covering a million villagers. Rajashree Birla has said the mission is: “To actively contribute to the social and economic development of the communities in which we operate. In doing so, build a better, sustainable way of life for the weaker sections of society and raise the country’s human development index.”

The group’s textile business is no less diverse than the rest of the business, although it is the field in which the company first gained success. Spread across a number of geographies and incorporated in different subsidiaries including MARCH 2020

“ Great businesses are never built on the quicksands of opportunism”

yarn manufacturer PT Sunrise Bumi

Grasim Industries is described by

Textiles of Indonesia, Thai Acrylic

Aditya Birla as its “flagship company”,

Fibre Co. Ltd, and Mumbai’s Grasim

having begun as a textiles manufac-

Industries, the world’s largest pro-

turer in 1947. As part of Grasim, Jaya

ducer of viscose rayon. A recent

Shree Textiles manufactures linen

textile-focused move by the group

and wool, and is active in a number

was the expansion of Birla Cellulose’s

of business units, including linen

Vilayat factory in Gujarat via a

spinning, linen fabric, wool combing

INR40bn investment.

and worsted spinning. Despite being an Indian company, the operation is international, with high-tech spinning systems from Europe, and raw components such as flax from France 159

and Belgium.

Grasim recently released its results for Q3 of the financial year, detailing revenue growth of 5% for the previous nine months. The company’s flagship status is reinforced by an employee-count of over 21,000 people, with net revenue of over $10bn and an EBITDA of $1.8bn in 2019, representing a significant proportion of Aditya Birla’s total.

The company has recently introduced a new logo, which it says represents its newly vibrant persona and will carry the brand into the future while reflecting the changes over the past 20 years, including a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

A D I T YA B I R L A

“ Aditya Birla wants to build a better, sustainable way of life for the weaker sections of society and raise the country’s human development index” 160

MARCH 2020

an increase from 0.4% to 14% women in the “managerial cadre”.

Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla said: “In essence, we are a much more dynamic, vibrant, youthful Group across five continents. In keeping with this change, I felt the need to refresh our earlier logo.

Contemporising it made sense. It has served its time and helped build our Group identity and lent heft to our Group’s business identity.

“Our new corporate mark is a fine blend of continuity and change. So it admirably captures our legacy and moves on with modernity. Our energy derives from the sun, termed Aditya in our mythology, and so closely linked with the name of our legendary leader and my father, Aditya Vikram Birla. His persona evoked all that is positive in business and in life.”

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162

The telecommunications market in Azerbaijan WRITTEN BY

MARCUS LAWRENCE PRODUCED BY

CAROLINE WHITELEY

MARCH 2020

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AZERCONNECT LLC

Azerbaijan presents an interesting, dynamic, and growing telecommunications landscape

A

zerbaijan is a country of rich history and intrigue. Situated south of Russia, east of Georgia and Armenia, and north of Iran

with the Caspian Sea to its east, the former member of the Soviet Union has become a key figure in the 164

global oil trade and a potential focal point for transcontinental communications systems.

Second only to its world-leading oil industry, Azerbaijan’s telecommunications sector is undergoing a period of steady growth and regulatory transformation. The space is shared between three core players: Azercell, Bakcell and Nar, the latter being the commercial brand of Azerfon. Other telcos operating across the Land of Fire include Aztelekom, AzQtel (SAZZ), Catel, BakTelekom, Vimpelcom (Beeline), Eurasiacom, and Fintur. In a study conducted by Research and Markets, Azerbaijan was included in 34 Asian markets assessed against its Telecoms Maturity Index, ranking 13th and indicating strong performance against world-leading markets such as Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore.

MARCH 2020

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AZERCONNECT LLC

“ Situated at the axis between Central Asia and Eastern Europe, Azerbaijan is a key strategic location of the TransEurasian Information Superhighway (TASIM) project” 166

The country enjoys a strong 4G presence, with firms such as Bakcell continuously improving their coverage. In July 2019, the company reported that it had established 700 new base stations since the beginning of the year, pushing its number to over 2,300 at the time and its coverage to 78% of the population and 52% of Azerbaijan’s land area.

Azernews reported in November 2019 that top Bakcell competitor Azercell’s 4G coverage had expanded by a staggering 364% over the course

MARCH 2020

Azercell 5G CLICK TO WATCH

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0:12

167 of the year, with the firm holding 49% of

fastest mobile internet and bringing

the country’s mobile market at the time

our network to the cutting-edge level.

across 99.8% population coverage

The 5G network that was recently

and 99.2% geographical coverage.

introduced by Azercell in a test mode

“Azercell has expanded its 4G

is a logical result of our initiatives

network aiming to make high speed

aimed at digitalization and connected

mobile internet available and con-

society of the future.”

venient for the population in the

Along with holding an enormous

capital city and the regions,” said

chunk of Azerbaijan’s telecoms sector,

Marat Hamidov, Director of Network

it stands as the country’s largest tax-

Technologies Department at Azercell

payer and investor from outside the oil

Telecom, in the Azernews report. “We

industry, Azernews added.

can declare our readiness to step into

Having already partnered for the

the next technological level as we are

delivery of Azercell’s test 5G network

getting our customers used to the

in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

AZERCONNECT LLC

168

Ericsson recently announced that

project in Baku was Azerbaijan’s first

the companies had expanded their

foray into commercial 5G technology,

work together through a 2020-22

with the initial test beginning suc-

Memorandum of Understanding

cessfully in November 2019.

(MoU) to build the 5G pilot zone fur-

“Together with Ericsson, Azercell

ther and introduce internet of things

has launched the first 5G pilot net-

(IoT) technology to Azerbaijan’s min-

work in the country and this fact

ing, agriculture, manufacturing and

puts our company on a par with the

housing industries. The primary 5G

world leaders of the mobile market,”

MARCH 2020

“The primary 5G project in Baku was Azerbaijan’s first foray into commercial 5G technology, with the initial test beginning successfully in November 2019”

said Vahid Mursaliyev, President at

Sebastian Tolstoy, Head of Customer

Azercell, in Ericsson’s press release.

Unit Eastern Europe and Central Asia

“We believe that 5G along with being

at Ericsson, added: “Together with

a major step forward for mobile inter-

our key partner in Azerbaijan, Azercell,

net connectivity, will also open new

we are happy to open doors to wider

possibilities for enterprises

opportunities, innovative solutions, and

and industries to deliver greater effi-

applications that 5G can bring.’’

ciencies, productivity and empower user experiences.”

Situated at the axis between Central Asia and Eastern Europe, Azerbaijan a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

169

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MARCH 2020

is a key strategic location of the Trans-

“ Together with Ericsson, Azercell has launched the first 5G pilot network in the country and this fact puts our company on a par with the world leaders of the mobile market”

Eurasian Information Superhighway (TASIM) project. The initiative seeks to connect Western Europe, Eurasia and Eastern Asia with a transnational fibre optic line from Frankfurt, Germany to Hong Kong, crossing China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey along the way. First put forward by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in 2008, the proposal was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2009 which has 171

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AZERCONNECT LLC

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MARCH 2020

since provided support in the creation of the Eurasian Connectivity Alliance to foster transnational cooperation.

At present, the project is supported

by China Telecom, KazTransCom, Rostelecom, and Turk Telekom.

Serving the development of strong, robust telecoms in Azerbaijan are a plethora of service providers, one such example being ICT solutions and services specialist Azerconnect.

As Azerbaijan’s first B2B ICT company, Azerconnect leads the way as a facilitator of the telecommunications sector’s growth and technological capabilities. Supporting such firms are organisations such as WeDo Technologies, now under the Mobileum umbrella, which provides its analytics platform, RAID, for datadriven risk management housed in a singular platform. Solutions such as this form the basis for compliance, trust and counter-fraud operations in the world’s increasingly data-focused business landscapes, with Azerbaijan being no exception.

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174

EXPERIENCE DESIGN, ENTERPRISE AND CULTURAL AGILITY IN AUCKLAND WATERCARE’S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION WRITTEN BY

RACHAEL DAVIS PRODUCED BY

STUART IRVING

MARCH 2020

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W AT E R C A R E S E R V I C E S

Auckland’s Watercare, New Zealand’s largest water utility company, provides the city’s 1.7 million people with clean water and reliable wastewater disposal. We spoke to Rebecca Chenery, Paul du Quaasteniet, and Peter Johnston about Watercare’s innovative digital transformation

I

n 2010, Watercare consolidated seven water utility companies in Auckland to create a more consistent, better man-

aged system for the city’s residents. Watercare 176

quickly built a solid track record in infrastructure and service delivery, but Raveen Jaduram, Watercare’s Chief Executive Officer, has over the last several years focused on putting customers at the heart of the business. According to Chief Digital Officer Rebecca Chenery, “becoming customer-centric today means more than being reliable and efficient – it means being fast, flexible and responsive to the changing needs of Aucklanders”. This sentiment is the driving force behind the digital transformation and application of technology underway at Watercare.

The multi-year transformation has been led by Raveen Jaduram and his Executive team, knowing that, for real change in mindsets and culture to occur, it needed to be led and modelled from the top.

MARCH 2020

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Digital or die Digital is very simple from the customer’s perspective (let me transact whenever and from wherever I am), but often highly complex in practise – this is where automated and continuous testing becomes vital. Without it, executives do not have visibility or control of the quality of their IT program and suffer poor speed to market and increased risk.

The world won’t wait Many industries use complex, cross-functional systems, which can slow down the launch of new products and services. TTC believes you can get a head start by investing in a continuous testing platform that is easily understood and implemented. This investment provides tangible value and lasting benefits including re-usable test assets for project and postproduction use, security of IP and less reliance on individuals.

The typical outcomes are: Test cycle times reduced from 10 weeks to 3 days Business risk coverage increased from 30% to 90% Improved data and enviroment management Easier engagement and visibility with development suppliers Decreased cost of testing ownership Increased and retained value of testing assets Ongoing operational monitoring Integrated test and business process automation Testing culture for today’s IT program Most organisations must deliver their IT programs via a variety of traditional or modern delivery methods. Recently, common themes include Agile, DevOps and cloud computing as key enablers of going digital. The goal is to enable cross-functional, highly co-ordinated teams to deliver a digital improvement in very short cycle times. An automated and continuous test platform is key in today’s fast-moving, risk adverse world.

Remaining competitive A common goal and outcome is to reduce an organisation’s cost base by at least 10%. Manual testing (and the by-product of incomplete testing) typically consumes 29% of an IT budget. TTC delivers an automated and continuous test platform that will bring significant and repeating return on investment. With specialised testing consultants in offices around the globe, TTC assists all organisations in delivering modern, universal testing programs resulting in higher quality software, faster time to market, reduced costs and lower risk.

Learn More

W AT E R C A R E S E R V I C E S

Watercare: a day in the life of David Luke, a Waikato-based treatment plant operator CLICK TO WATCH

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5:04

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“ THINK OPENLY, SOLVE PROBLEMS DIFFERENTLY, AND COLLABORATE” — Rebecca Chenery, Chief Digital Officer, Watercare

how data is leveraged across the business. To meet the targets set out in the programme, a collaborative attitude has been essential, together with the combination of multiple teams from across the business. For example, Watercare did not want to create an ‘innovation bubble,’ but a cooperative, communal environment where opin-

The company’s Strategic Transformation

ions are valued and voices are heard.

Programme, of which Paul de

“For an organisation like Watercare,

Quaasteniet is the Programme Director

which has had a number of long-tenure

and Peter Johnston is Enterprise

staff and legacy ways of working, the

Change Lead, represents an overhaul

culture shift has been substantial,”

of ways of working, technologies and

affirms Chenery.

MARCH 2020

A key way in which the company’s

are poised for greater success moving

management team drove this change

forward by creating an agile mindset

in working culture was through the crea-

that encourages thinking openly,

tion of a new co-working space, The

solving problems differently, and

Hub, which Chenery says “provides

greater collaboration.

a place for people to meet, eat, work

“We have seen a big shift in how

and host visitors — to use as they see

teams have removed functional barri-

fit.” The notion of a shared, multi-purpose

ers, found a common goal and pooled

space was new for Watercare. It was

efforts in the same direction – these

an initial signal that the culture was

new attitudes and skills in working

changing into more of a creative environ-

inside and across teams has been

ment, led by new ideas and collaborative

fundamental,” says Johnston.

working. Additionally, Watercare placed

“The Strategic Transformation

key leaders through a tailored leader-

Programme gave the foundation for

ship programme, and provided staff

three aspirational outcomes,” says

with Agile Fundamentals and Design

de Quaasteniet. “These are: that the

Thinking training and on-the-job learn-

customer can do everything for them-

ing. This has ensured that employees

selves wherever they are, in a single

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Rebecca Chenery As Watercare’s Chief Digital Officer, Rebecca Chenery is responsible for leading all technology aspects of the business along with Watercare’s business transformation programme. She has many years of experience in leading teams to deliver exceptional business outcomes across the financial services, telecommunications and water industries in New Zealand and overseas.

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W AT E R C A R E S E R V I C E S

182 interaction; that our people have the

financial systems; an automated market-

right tools, best processes and are

ing solution for internal and external

empowered to do their jobs; and that

communications teams; a new enter-

they are able to make insight-informed

prise asset management system for the

and fact-based decisions with confi-

operations side of the business; and a

dence.� Through streamlining processes

planning and insights solution for ana-

and improving staff skills and attitudes

lysing population and growth data to

in working with data, Watercare is now

see where Auckland’s major growth is

able to use its insights to make informed

occurring while assessing how to best

decisions that are more predictive

respond. With the help of specialist part-

than reactive and ultimately improve

ners, robotic process automation (RPA)

customer experience.

technology has been implemented

In terms of technology, the transfor-

across key business processes, helping

mation has involved the successful

Watercare’s people to use and see ben-

replacement of the customer, billing, and

efits from integrated technology.

MARCH 2020

“Our squads have also been working

management introduced by the Strategic

with our business support areas, such

Transformation Programme. For exam-

as Health, Safety and Wellbeing and

ple, the development of its platform

Human Resources. We have automated

strategy, hosted by AWS, will future-

the transactional parts of these func-

proof Watercare’s core technology

tions to free our professionals up to do

needs and allow the organisation to

what they are here to do: support our

respond to and introduce new solutions

leaders and our people to be at their

to long standing problems.

best,” says de Quaasteniet.

One essential innovation is

These new technologies have been

Watercare’s Data Hub. Established

pushed out through the new approaches

on the new, AWS-hosted platform,

towards culture, delivery and change

the Data Hub brings together data that

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

183

Paul du Quaasteniet Paul is a transformation leader focusing on digital strategy, operating model transitions and organisational change implementation. He’s currently leading Watercare’s Strategic Transformation Programme (STP), a two-year design-led digital reinvention programme across people, process, data and technology domains. Paul has worked in the Middle East, Asia and New Zealand in utilities, manufacturing, consumer products, oil & gas, transportation & logistics and health organisations.

Paul believes that transformation success often comes down to being human-centred, which requires strong leadership, nimble, crossfunctional teams and a ‘safe to experiment’ working culture.

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W AT E R C A R E S E R V I C E S

184

“ DESIGNING FOR A GREAT EXPERIENCE — USING NEW DISCIPLINES LIKE HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN, WHICH REQUIRES STRONG TEAMING AND EVEN STRONGER LEADERSHIP — WILL KEEP WATERCARE IMPROVING INTO 2020 AND BEYOND” — Peter Johnston, Enterprise Change Lead for the Strategic Transformation Programme, Watercare

MARCH 2020

185

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“ IT WAS AN END-TO-END REPLACEMENT OF OUR CORE SOLUTIONS, WITH A VIEW TO PULLING OUT THE DATA AND USING IT TO DRIVE BETTER DECISION MAKING ACROSS THE ORGANISATION” — Paul de Quaasteniet, Strategic Transformation Programme Director, Watercare

was previously scattered across the business into one accessible visualisation layer, making it available and digestible for every employee. It also facilitates the exchange of information with external organisations and agencies, such as Auckland Council.

Data Hub supports Watercare’s principles of “data availability, quality, stewardship and governance,” which de Quaasteniet says has resulted in “a shift in how people use data, come together across the Data Hub and drive insights.”

“As an example, we are rolling out IoT across key parts of our network, and

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Peter Johnston Peter is a strategy, business design and transformation specialist who leads the organisational change management component of the transformation programme. Peter’s run business consulting teams across Europe, the UK and Australasia, having recently established and led the IBM iX consulting practice in New Zealand. Peter applies behavioural science and design research to help transform the customer experience, and to help make work more meaningful and rewarding. Establishing strong leadership and teaming to improve creativity and innovation is a big focus of his work.

a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

187

W AT E R C A R E S E R V I C E S

188

streaming data through our Data Hub.

a large and complex programme of

This enables our data science team

work. “Having clear career steps and

to uncover insights that will allow the

implementing badge systems to provide

operational teams to save money, save

an evidence-based route to profes-

water, and increase customer satisfac-

sional progression is important. We

tion,” he adds. “Having the right partners

have needed to give our talented tech-

on the journey was critical. The fresh

nical people pathways to build their

talent from Harmonics has accelerated

skills that don’t necessarily end up in

our shift towards a data-driven culture.

‘people management’. We are compet-

TTC has helped move our test automa-

ing hard in the market for these new

tion from zero to over 80%, seriously

skill sets — Data Science, Behavioural

raising our Quality game”

Science — and we need to give these

Attracting and nurturing top talent has been central to implementing MARCH 2020

people lots of room for growth and development,” says de Quaasteniet.

The change has been significant.

Now, instead of new tech projects taking one to three years to complete, with the new platform and ways of working, Watercare can deliver change in substantially less time — weeks and months rather than years. Another component is the organisation’s automated testing platform, which minimises the spend on testing from 30% of the budget to under 10% while quadrupling the efficiency and speed of testing. Partnering with the right experts who can help augment its capability has been a critical aspect of the success of Watercare’s technol-

1993

Year founded

ogy quality drive.

The next step for the Data Hub is the development of the Nerve Centre — Watercare’s ‘air traffic control tower’ which is both physical and technical.

1.7mn+

Aucklanders provided with lifeline services daily

1,000 Number of employees

Visualisation will be key to its operation, with large screens and interactivity bringing together different aspects of the organisation through the application of data. Ultimately, the Nerve Centre will provide a predictive layer to the maintenance of Auckland’s water supply so Watercare can preempt problems or identify them early, allowing for timely maintenance. a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

189

W AT E R C A R E S E R V I C E S

“ THE CULTURE CHANGE IS THE FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO” — Rebecca Chenery, Chief Digital Officer, Watercare

191 Looking ahead, Watercare will

an improved, more sustainable digital

continue to focus on digital innovation.

experience than before, and implement

“Keeping ahead of technological

change more quickly and effectively.

advances, scanning the market inside

“Everything we have done, whatever

and outside of the water industry,

outcome we needed to deliver, has

and trying to raise digital literacy

been focused on our people and

across staff are core expectations

our customers,” says Chenery.

of the Digital team,” explains Chenery.

“The culture change is the foundation

The digital transformation that Watercare has experienced has ena-

of everything that we have been able to do.”

bled it to remain at the forefront of new technologies which provide the foundations for innovation. Through the implementation of innovative technology, the organisation is able to deliver a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

192

SECURE, EFFICIENT AND INTELLIGENT: DELOITTE AUSTRALIA’S GLOBAL STRATEGY DRIVES DIGITAL

TRANSFORMATION ACROSS SECTORS WRITTEN BY

RACHAEL DAVIS PRODUCED BY

ANDREW STUBBINGS

MARCH 2020

193

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DELOITTE

At Deloitte Australia, digital is the new normal. We spoke to Brad Flanagan, Director of Digital and Cyber Risk about how Deloitte is supporting its clients on their digital transformation

D

eloitte Australia has a global reputation for being innovative, tech-driven and economically sound.

In today’s interconnected, digital world, it is critical to understand which technology can be taken advantage of safely, dependent on the desired 194

outcome. Managing the ever-growing, constantly changing cyber risks is an inherent part of solving complex problems to improve infrastructure and performance and develop new capabilities across sectors. With a unique east-west orientation, Deloitte Australia is well located to help organisations explore the need for genuine digital growth.

For Brad Flanagan, Director of Digital and Cyber Risk at the business, developing a powerful ecosystem with new technologies and existing infrastructure while maintaining cyber security is the essence of digital transformation. In understanding the power of the Internet of Things (IoT), Deloitte Australia has already made headway in integrating smart tech into a range of sectors.

Industrial control systems, operational technology, autonomous vehicles, mobile medical MARCH 2020

“ Digital is the new normal” — Brad Flanagan, Director, Digital & Cyber Risk, Deloitte Australia

195

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DELOITTE

“ Blockchain, robotics, AI, and IoT aren’t new, but how to realise their value operationally is” — Brad Flanagan, Director, Digital & Cyber Risk, Deloitte Australia

Australia. As IoT is being used to drive innovation and optimise operational performance, getting a proper handle on its ecosystem requires asset dis-

devices and smart cities are some

covery, threat detection, and vulnerability

of the areas Deloitte works in.

assessment,” he says.

Working closely with global alliance 196

In the mining sector, which is preva-

partners, Flanagan explains how

lent in Flanagan’s city of Brisbane,

Deloitte is “using the clout of its global

asset management is a key area in

footprint to bring expertise and experi-

which IoT is being used. He exempli-

ence to the changing market in

fies a “mining truck, with its mechanical components that can be monitored and tracked through IoT. The weardown rates of parts can be monitored to predict when vehicles need servicing — in the consulting world we call this ‘digital twinning.’ This means we can help reduce down-time and optimise production on the mining site significantly, saving hundreds of millions of dollars over a few years.”

Keeping pace with this everchanging landscape in a secure, efficient and intelligent way is essential. Robotics, AI, IoT and blockchain

MARCH 2020

Emerging technologies and trends within the energy sector CLICK TO WATCH

|

2:39

197 developments are all driving change,

do so in their best interests, in

but the main hurdle is typically sum-

Australia’s well-regulated business

marised in one question: ‘Where do

environment demands digitisation

we start?’ “Looking at the traditional

and digital transformation. Industries

landscape we have in many sectors,

such as financial services have led

the infrastructure was created at

the way. They have built their AI radars

least 20 years ago, before our

over the last few years, supported

internet-age and today’s data-

by economic growth and pushed by

based economy. The ability to

existing legal regulations, royal com-

connect efficiently, responsibly

missions and a clearer understanding

and effectively is compromised,”

of the importance of getting the internal

Flanagan explains.

focus right.

To manage the lakes of data

Other sectors can now use the

at the pace needed in order to meet

value of this learning to ensure their

customer requirements, and to

organisations’ digital transformations a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

DELOITTE

198

“ Getting technology stacks right and making the best use of AI and data can make the difference between catching up or keeping up. Meeting an ever-expanding and demanding digital future needs a genuine transformation” — Brad Flanagan, Director, Digital & Cyber Risk, Deloitte Australia MARCH 2020

are undertaken in a safe and secure

To be better integrated, understood

way. In Australia, Deloitte has been

and rationalised, and to achieve a

at the forefront of that journey with

solid unified view of the risks, means

them from the very beginning.

that vulnerabilities in OT and IT need

As sectors with more traditional

to be consolidated and assessed as

approaches to operations are begin-

a whole, to avoid the potentially cata-

ning to bring high technology into

strophic consequences of a breach

effective action, a lack of integrated

or crash.

security can be a risk. Operational

Before IoT, a crash in IT might mean

technology (OT) and IT security

an email server drops out for a few

processes are different, and require

seconds and emails take a little

unique risk management strategies.

longer to be delivered. A nuisance,

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

199

Brad Flanagan Brad is currently the National Operational Technology (OT) Lead Cyber Director and bring over 15 years’ professional and industry experience in Cyber and IT risk services. He has a broad range of Cyber experience across power, utilities and mining sectors and brings an innovative, global-minded focus with a proven record of exceeding business goals and delivering impressive operations and financial results. Brad has extensive experience assisting organisations define and develop their cybersecurity strategies, implementation and governance frameworks.

This includes assessing the design and operating effectiveness of IT controls in the Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Controls Systems (ICS) environments against various industry standards such as NIST 800, ES-C2M2, AESCSF and IEC 62443.

a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

THE LEADER IN AGENTLESS DEVICE SECURITY

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armis.com

certainly — but not inherently dan-

risks, both technical and non-techni-

gerous. As industries integrate IT

cal. A culture shift needs to be a top

into operational functions, however,

priority for companies wishing to

a server breach or drop in connection

integrate IoT, robotics, AI, or any high

can have dire consequences. “We

tech into their industry, Flanagan

have some energy clients that can

explains. “The biggest cultural shift

control electricity on certain power

has really been workers in IT and OT

poles,” Flanagan explains. “If there

educating the boards, explaining what

were a delayed reaction of even

OT is, how it is different to IT, and how

a couple of seconds where a person

the organisation can navigate through

physically touched that power line,

the different risks as they combine

and the current stays running, that

the two through IoT,” he says.

delay could cost somebody’s life.”

In most cases, the key performance

It is essential, therefore, that busi-

indicators measured differ between

ness risks get translated into security

OT, which is focused on production

MARCH 2020

“ The biggest cultural shift has really been workers in IT and OT educating their Boards, explaining how the organisation can navigate through the different risks as they combine the two through IoT” — Brad Flanagan, Director, Digital & Cyber Risk, Deloitte Australia

and safety, and IT, which is all about availability. A shift in culture and approach will find “the important common ground to enable in-house relationships and sustainable co-operation,” Flanagan states.

Companies can work with IT and OT engineers to co-develop security architecture blueprints for existing and new production sites which serve both sectors adequately.

As digital becomes the new normal, companies that thrive in the constantly shifting environment are the

Automating your private market finance function CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:47

a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

201

DELOITTE

“ Understanding how to use IoT to drive innovation and optimise operational performance is the difference between just catching up and building a sustainable business future” — Brad Flanagan, Director, Digital & Cyber Risk, Deloitte Australia

202

MARCH 2020

203

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DELOITTE

204

“ To thrive in a constantly shifting environment requires collaboration” — Brad Flanagan, Director, Digital & Cyber Risk, Deloitte Australia

ones collaborating with world-leading technology providers. Quality partnerships are integral to address complex operational and business challenges, meeting new market needs.

“Getting technology stacks right and making the best use of AI and data can make the difference between catching up or keeping up, and genuinely transforming to a meet an ever expanding and demanding digital future,” Flanagan says.

MARCH 2020

790 Partners

$2.3bn Revenue in AUS dollars

10,000+ Number of employees

As it orchestrates complex opera-

business opportunities and solutions

tions involving multiple teams, Deloitte

available to them in this expanding

works with a significant number of

ecosystem to at the top of their game,

global alliances. These include secu-

which they can only do with the best

rity firms that identify blind spots for

vendors, security providers, and tech-

enterprises by bringing visibility and

nical solutions.”

control over all devices and networks, both managed and unmanaged, to help to close critical security gaps.

“Organisations can no longer afford to keep IT and OT separate,” Flanagan concludes. “They must invest in the a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

205

206

ELMO CLOUD HR & PAYROLL: BEYOND THE NUMBERS

MARCH 2020

WRITTEN BY

AMBER DONOVAN-STEVENS

PRODUCED BY

ANDREW STUBBINGS

207

a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

E L M O C L O U D H R & PAY R O L L

James Haslam, Chief Financial Officer, ELMO Cloud HR & Payroll, discusses the evolution of the cloud HR and payroll software provider, and the role that the modern CFO plays in business today

A

s technology evolves at an exponential rate and customers demand more from their products than ever, the role

of C-suite executives is also changing. Few understand this as well as James Haslam, Chief 208

Financial Officer, ELMO Cloud HR & Payroll, who seeks to redefine the traditional associations of his role as he leads the financial strategy of the tech company that enables medium-sized companies (50 to 2,000 employees) within Australia and New Zealand to deliver employee satisfaction through the use of its cutting-edge technology.

Haslam’s experience spans over an 18-year career in accounting and finance. Before becoming a chartered accountant, he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Business from the University of Warwick in the UK. Haslam moved into KPMG’s graduate program in 2001, working largely across audit and corporate restructuring before moving to Australia in 2005 with KPMG’s secondment program where he worked primarily in corporate finance.

MARCH 2020

209

In 2014, he joined Deloitte as a director in the corporate finance team. Yet Haslam’s ambitions were pulling him away from ‘the Big Four’ and in 2017 he founded Financial Agility Consulting. “I saw a gap in the market for providing corporate finance advice to midmarket executive teams, particularly around mergers and acquisitions and IPOs,” he explains. Shortly after founding the company, Deloitte reached out to Haslam, referring him to ELMO in order to assist with developing the a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

E L M O C L O U D H R & PAY R O L L

“ I believe that we have a great work culture and I am only as good as my team”

company’s prospectus as part of the IPO, which was successful in 2017.

Little did he know at that time how the initial engagement would set him on the path to become a CFO at ELMO. As he continued with Financial Agility Consulting, Haslam continued to work on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) projects and IPOs until early 2019, including supporting ELMO on

James Haslam, Chief Financial Officer, ELMO Cloud HR & Payroll 210

five successful acquisitions, before he succeeded ELMO’s then-CFO, Trevor Lonstein. “It’s not your traditional route into the CFO role,” Haslam acknowledges, “but the advantage I’ve gained through both my Big Four and consulting experience is a wide view of the strengths and weaknesses of many CFO’s who I have worked with. I believe this experience has provided me with a more holistic view of businesses which I find now benefits me in my role.”

The skills and networking abilities gained from both KPMG and Deloitte, along with its prestigious alumni, gave Haslam the tools he needed to navigate the industry well, but he reflects that it was in his private consulting work where he learned how to obtain his own opportunities and engagements.

MARCH 2020

ELMO Software — Predictive People Analytics CLICK TO WATCH

|

4:41

211 “That need to be resourceful and go

alongside providing a fantastic user

the extra mile with self motivation has

experience,” he says. As CFO, Haslam’s

really honed my negotiation and emo-

core responsibility is to set the financial

tional IQ skills that are so vital in my

strategy and ensure the accuracy of

role today.” He goes on: “Learning how

financial information and metrics, both

to really listen to the needs of stake-

internal and external to the company,

holders is integral to my work at ELMO

particularly with regard to stakeholders.

every day.”

This is in addition to the traditional role

ELMO is a leading provider of human

of ensuring company controls and pro-

capital management (HCM), payroll,

cesses are both working and effective.

rostering and time and attendance

Yet to truly drive the company forward,

software solutions. “We’ve currently

the role of CFO needs to extend beyond

got 14 modules covering the hire-

day-to-day operations. “The position is

to-retire spectrum, with a focus on

no longer about simply doing the work

increasing automation for companies

and reporting the numbers” explains a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

E L M O C L O U D H R & PAY R O L L

212

Haslam, “but being a leader that looks beyond the numbers; being a progres-

everyone can understand.”

ELMO is growing at a significant pace

sive figure.” He describes this type of

both organically and through acquisi-

CFO as the ‘Modern Finance Leader’.

tion, reporting annual recurring revenue

“A Modern Finance Leader looks

growth of 42.8% over the last 12 months

ahead by two or three years; asks

to A$52million and it is expected the high

themselves ‘how can we invest and

growth will continue in the near term.

lay the foundations to support further

Haslam explains, “It is important to

growth?’ and embraces new technol-

support the growth through the adop-

ogy in an ever-changing landscape.

tion of new technology and partnering

To do that you need to be partnered

with key providers across the business,

across the company and able to com-

particularly as we grow our customer

municate complicated financial data

base, now up to 1,478 and employees

with any department in a way that

up to 368.”

MARCH 2020

“ A modern finance leader looks ahead by two or three years; asks themselves ‘how can we invest and lay the foundations to support further growth?’”

Haslam divides the company into four segments: the financial and administrative function; client services; sales and marketing; and R&D. “All of these departments need great support and so we work closely with them to ensure that their needs are being met.

This also extends to C-suite members of the company.”

To ensure these partnerships are

James Haslam, Chief Financial Officer, ELMO Cloud HR & Payroll

cared for, Haslam notes that there are other companies that ELMO partners with in order to support automation.

213 E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

James Haslam James Haslam joined ELMO as CFO in February 2019. He is a Chartered Accountant with over 18 years of experience in accounting and finance roles. Before joining ELMO, James founded Financial Agility Consulting, a consultancy practice providing senior executive management support through mergers, acquisitions, capital raisings and IPOs. Prior to Financial Agility Consulting, James worked for both KPMG and Deloitte, providing professional services advice, predominantly in the respect of mergers, acquisitions and IPOs. James holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Business from the University of Warwick in the UK and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

93% business traveller satisfaction

Up to 34% savings on accommodation alone

A great traveller experience and cost control in a single business travel platform?

Yes. tripactions.com.au

215

“For example,” he says, “our sales and

provides automated billing services

marketing team and the executives

and metrics reporting, we expect Zuora

undertake a significant amount of

to have a major benefit to our opera-

travel and TripActions provides a sim-

tions going forwards. Automation is

ple and intuitive platform for booking

a key part of my outlook for finance

travel and capturing the data around

which enables my team to spend less

travel.” Nurturing partnerships like

time undertaking routine tasks and

this is a part of the forward thinking,

more time developing themselves, their

technology embracing attitude that the

knowledge and decision making.”

Modern Finance Leader needs in order

Another partnership Haslam is

to assist in navigating the company

enthusiastic about is the ongoing work

through a fast-evolving landscape.

between ELMO and the University of

A company that ELMO is currently engaging with is Zuora. “Zuora,

Technology Sydney (UTS) on developing a new module leveraging data a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

E L M O C L O U D H R & PAY R O L L

216

MARCH 2020

2002

Year founded

$52mn Revenue in AUS dollars

368

Number of employees

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217

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219 analytics and artificial intelligence

is both supported and appreciated by

in a program that will benefit both

the CFO. “My team is the backbone of

institutions mutually. “Through the

our finance operations and I am a big

partnership with UTS, which includes

believer in empowering my team, what-

access to their state-of-the-art data

ever their aspirations may be.” Since

center, we can leverage our large vol-

Haslam has been in the role, he has

umes of anonymised data to develop

expanded the team and set up both a

insights to develop algorithms which

financial planning analysis team, and

are expected to provide customers the

a corporate development team. He

ability to deepen their workforce plan-

identifies being “collaborative” as the

ning processes” he says.

key requirement for teams. “I want the

To ensure a high standard, Haslam

team debating ideas and talking collab-

enthuses that, for him, and for any

oratively. I don’t stress about mistakes,

good Modern Finance Leader, it is

but I want the team feeling confident in

imperative to have a great team that

exploring and finding solutions. I often a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

E L M O C L O U D H R & PAY R O L L

220

“ My team is the backbone of our finance operations and I am a big believer in empowering my team, whatever their aspirations may be”

say, if you can’t fix your issue in less than 30 minutes, share it. I believe that we have a great work culture and I am only as good as my team. I am proud of them and their efforts.”

As ELMO continues its upward growth trajectory, it will continue to drive automation through technology.

As it breaks into the finance and tech-

James Haslam, Chief Financial Officer, ELMO Cloud HR & Payroll MARCH 2020

nology industries, Haslam is confident that younger decision makers will increasingly adopt the ELMO solution

221

with their increased appetite to adopt

across Australia and New Zealand it

technology. “Our automation makes

will be interesting to see how this latest

both employers and employees lives

acquisition with operations in the UK

simpler. We have great brand equity

evolves and if it acts as a launchpad for

in the ANZ region; we attract a lot of

global expansion.

leads and we’re evolving into a market leader in the mid-market.� ELMO also garners a notable amount of international interest, with a number of other countries taking interest in the solution. Although the company is very much focused on maximising growth a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com

222

STAGING THE DRAMATIC RENAISSANCE OF ADELAIDE’S HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE WRITTEN BY

DANIEL BRIGHTMORE PRODUCED BY

TOM VENTURO

MARCH 2020

223

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

HANSEN YUNCKEN

HOW HANSEN YUNCKEN’S REDEVELOPMENT OF ADELAIDE’S HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE HAS BALANCED A HERITAGE DESIGN WITH A 21ST CENTURY TRANSFORMATION

H

ansen Yuncken (HY) was awarded the contract to redevelop Adelaide’s landmark Her Majesty’s Theatre and

revitalise an iconic Tivoli Theatre, which originally opened in 1913. The $66mn redevelopment includes retaining the building’s heritage façade 224

and eastern wall, along with the construction of a reimagined auditorium capable of seating an audience of 1,467, over three levels. Modern foyers, new backstage facilities, and a redesigned front entrance and canopy make up the rest of a project, which has provided a unique opportunity for HY to showcase its unrivalled skill in meeting the challenge of delivering a 21st century transformation while respecting this theatre’s storied past.

HY was able to take the learnings from its redevelopment of the Sydney Coliseum Theatre in NSW, which was completed late 2019. “It’s a D&C contract for the state government,” explains Scott Brumfield, Project Director of Adelaide’s Her Majesty’s Theatre Redevelopment. “We’ve got a fantastic vision from Cox Architecture, and with heritage specialists on board we’ve paid MARCH 2020

1918

Year founded

$1bn+ Revenue in Aus dollars

650

Number of employees

a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

225

HANSEN YUNCKEN

“ WE IMPROVED SAFETY, AVOIDED REWORK AND MINIMISED ON SITE FABRICATION, TRANSFORMING THE WAY WE APPROACHED THIS BUILD” — Scott Brumfield, Project Director, Hansen Yuncken 226 close attention to how we’ve designmanaged that process – it’s not about watering down the outcomes, it’s about maintaining the vision of those architects, but ensuring constructability including time, cost and safety, while keeping that integrity in the design. Our Design Manager, Stuart Warnes, has been key to HY building an iconic landmark building we can all be proud of.”

Working in partnership with consultants Mott MacDonald and Aurecon, the design pays homage to the theatre’s history both inside and out.

MARCH 2020

Hansen Yuncken: Her Majesty’s Theatre Redevelopment Timelapse CLICK TO WATCH

|

2:06

227 Cox aimed to incorporate aspects of

rooms and modern rehearsal rooms.

the original heritage design into the

The purchase of a neighbouring prop-

interiors inspired by the original Tivoli

erty has allowed for further expansion

concepts. “Maintaining the theatre’s

to deliver an improved front-of-house

original façades was a key part of the

experience with heightened flow rates

redevelopment,” explains Brumfield.

for attending audiences to better

“Along the way we’ve uncovered herit-

access all the theatre’s amenities.

age artefacts such as the old friezes

The use of BIM (Building Information

and signage; we’ve also gained an

Modeling) has supported the con-

understanding of original colour

struction deliverables from the offset.

schemes - all of this has been used to

“Cox started with a point survey and

inform the new interiors,” he adds.

completed a scan of the interiors,

The design will deliver a very much

enabling them to create a design that

improved backstage experience for

interfaced properly with the existing

the performers, with new dressing

heritage facades, giving us a design a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

HANSEN YUNCKEN

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MARCH 2020

T HE STAT S

• At peak approx. 150 people on site • Over 80t of waste removed during soft demo, 96% of that was recycled • 80 piles across site, the deepest reaching 14m • 54.6t of steel required for façade retention bracing • Just over 400t concrete required for façade retention bracing • Approx. 950t of steel used to create building’s framework HI ST O RY

• Opened as the Tivoli Theatre in 1913 • Last surviving Tivoli Theatre in the country • During the 1960’s and 70’s the theatre was completely gutted, destroying the original architectural features

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HANSEN YUNCKEN

process that actually worked to

of stability and developing an under-

the fabric that remained,” explains

standing of how all of those pieces

Brumfield.

went together - like a big Meccano set.

The design management process was augmented through BIM with

and minimised on-site fabrication,

the creation of models for all the

transforming the way we approached

steel and prefabricated components

this build.”

ensuring they interfaced smoothly

230

We improved safety, avoided rework

Working in a tight city site such

with the building’s heritage façades.

as Her Majesty’s Theatre in central

“We were able to sequence the build

Adelaide, technology was a major

by grabbing slices of the BIM model

factor in managing the projects

to develop a truly informed process,”

stakeholder management. “We had

Brumfield confirms. “This helped

to consider our neighbours,” says

with our temporary works in terms

Brumfield. “With a car park down the

“ WE’VE GOT A FANTASTIC VISION FROM COX ARCHITECTURE… IT’S ABOUT MAINTAINING THE VISION OF THOSE ARCHITECTS, BUT ENSURING CONSTRUCTABILITY INCLUDING TIME, COST AND SAFETY, WHILE KEEPING THAT INTEGRITY IN THE DESIGN” — Scott Brumfield, Project Director, Hansen Yuncken MARCH 2020

road, a pub on the corner, and an apartment block next door, detailed planning of the schedule of works was vital. We required high-level planning for road closures – which happened almost daily – so had to be mindful of the effect on traffic flow. Being able to arrange the placement of the tower crane within the building so that it misses all of the critical elements of structural steel and services, while minimising local disruption was very important. Optimising the location 231

in this way would have been almost

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Scott Brumfield With over 25 years’ experience in the construction industry working for the likes of Brookfield Multiplex and Built Environs, Scott Brumfield has benefited from working on a vast range of projects, from desalination plants and hospitals, to shopping centres and prisons.

“Working on Her Majesty’s Theatre was all about understanding our client’s vision, and producing an outcome aligned with their needs,” he confirms. Brumfield’s client-centric approach sees him focus on building teams that share his vision and can deliver spectacular outcomes for legacy projects and new builds alike.

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HANSEN YUNCKEN

impossible without a 3D BIM model.”

HY utilised Autodesk’s BIM 360 for quality control, using iPads in the field to record all outcomes. “Our team also used HYway which interfaces with Power BI to track manpower and safety observations along with quality outcomes,” adds Brumfield. “The ability for real-time monitoring to help the site team collaborate and then to allow for monitoring further up the chain to the corporate governance at state and national levels is just incredible.”

WACO KWIKFORM Proud to supply Her Majesty's Theatre Renewal Project

1300 333 113 | wacokwikform.com.au WACO KWIKFORM SCAFFOLDING AND FORMWORK SPECIALISTS Waco Kwikform was proud to provide its expert access scaffolding services - including design, supply and labour - during the recent redevelopment of the iconic Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide.

Working closely with the Hansen Yuncken on-site team, Waco Kwikform designed and installed a bespoke scaffolding solution for this complex project, with particular attention given to the intricate birdcage scaffold in the auditorium. Waco's expert engineering team and skilled, on-site labour force worked collaboratively with the customer's personnel and other trade teams to ensure the scaffold was erected efficiently and quickly, adhering to site specific, as well as our own stringent OHS requirements.

Waco Kwikform has the capacity and proven experience to provide design, product and technical support to projects of all shapes and sizes.

we’re moving into the behavioural space with safety,” he says. “With company campaigns like ‘You See It - You Own it’, we are aiming to reinforce the message that we all get to influence the safety outcome; and it’s about individual ownership. Working with subcontractors who are exposed to different sites routinely, it can be a challenge to get them aligned with our own culture and fully engaged with our strategies. It’s working really well, and we’re seeing our operatives starting to understand that their own HYway (its forward-looking in-house management platform) allows HY to achieve a corporate overview in real-

behaviours are creating the positive outcomes we want.”

The theatre’s end user, the Adelaide

time, delivering insights that inform key

Festival Center, has been “incredibly

decision-making. “I can interrogate the

engaged” with the design process.

project’s progress, at any stage, from

Working alongside the Government

home, the boardroom, or my desk,”

of South Australia’s Building Project’s

adds Brumfield. “I can get access to

management arm, DPTI (Department of

site diaries and look at all of the cost

Planning, Transport and Infrastructure)

reports to ensure we remain on track.”

and Department of Premier and

In such a confined space and with

Cabinet, HY is delivering the first new

a large workforce, safety on the pro-

theatre built in the state for many years.

ject has been paramount. Brumfield

“It might be smaller in scale than some of

believes that HY’s systems have

our projects, but the levels of complex-

matured to provide industry best

ity and the quality of the finishes are on

practice. “To compound that progress

another level,” marvels Brumfield. a si a .busi ne ssc h ief. com

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HANSEN YUNCKEN

P R O J E CT S TAT S

• $66m redevelopment Theatre will re-open mid-2020 • The redevelopment will preserve the Edwardian façade and Eastern wall Auditorium over three levels, increasing the capacity of the theatre 1,467 seats • Restoring the grand circle 234

High specification acoustics and spacious back of house New auditorium and foyer designs inspired by original interiors • Redevelopment extends footprint of theatre west on Grote St to include modern, accessible facilities, bars and lifts • Improved access including better disability access Entrance restored to the centre with a new canopy incorporating modern technology

MARCH 2020

“Her Majesty’s Theatre has been a part of the local community for over a century. We’re proud to be preserving it for future generations,” says Brumfield. “Adjacent to Adelaide’s Central Market, without it the area would be greatly diminished. It offers a beacon for the arts and local commerce – they’re desperate to get it back so we’re pleased to be on track for the theatre’s reopening in mid-2020.”

Across the country, HY has a myriad of impressive projects across leisure and entertainment. From The Hedberg in Tasmania and the Home of the Arts (HOTA) in Queensland, through to the recently completed Sydney Coliseum Theatre in New South Wales, each project brings a unique taste of creativity and initiative, topped with HY’s enduring reputation for quality.

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