Issue #3 2016
The Magazine of the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore
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www.fccsingapore.com
Principles of Productivity
The Key to Success for Tomorrow’s Cities Catalysing Industry Transformation at Every Level Technology, a Catalyst for Productivity And Innovation
French Chamber Singapore
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CONTENTS
Issue #3 2016
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GUEST EDITOR’S NOTE SHORT NEWS
Devialet Launches Acoustic Cabin at TANGS RHT Strategic Advisory and GEREJE Sign Partnership Coface Awarded “Asian Credit Insurer of the Year” Hermès Celebrates the Metamorphosis of its Store at 541 Orchard Road, Liat Towers Unveiling the Brand New Mercure Singapore Bugis ENGIE Chooses Singapore for its SEA Green-Energy R&D Centre of Excellence Safran Opens New Facility in Singapore Dragages to Build Lego-style Nursery Home AXA Singapore First Insurer in Asia to Introduce Live Doctor Consultations First LVMH-SMU Luxury Research Conference and Gala Dinner
SpotlightS
Patron Member Spotlight - Neurones IT
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Catalysing Industry Transformation at Every Level What UC Is What You Get The Key to Success for Tomorrow’s Cities Cloud and Mobile Tech at the Service of Construction Site Productivity How to Achieve an Efficient Digital Transformation Delivering Better Customer Experience More Efficiently Embracing the Rise of Document Process Automation Collaborating and Communicating Anywhere, Anytime Envisioning a Clearer and Leaner Future Technology, a Catalyst for Productivity And Innovation
Business services
Newly Set-Up Companies They Rely on Us... and Testify to Our Services 14th French Pavilion @ CommunicAsia & BroadcastAsia 2016 France Singapore ICT Awards 2016
So French So Creative Gala Dinner 2016
Committees & Events
Asia / Energy/Infrastructure / Sustainability
Digital Innovations and Marketing Energy/Infrastructure Banking & Finance / Health Start-Ups & Entrepreneurs Aeronautics, Space, Defence & Security ICT / Legal & Tax Asia / Legal & Tax French Maritime Cluster / Sustainability Smart Cities / Sustainability Business Women Startups & Entrepreneurs Luxury & Premium Retail / Sourcing & Supply Chain Human Resources French Gourmet Pétanque Tournament 2016 New Members Privilege Card
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French Chamber Patron Members
The French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore would like to thank its Patron Members for their continuous support.
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Issue #3 2016
French Chamber Singapore Focus is published by the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore. The views and opinions expressed in its columns do not necessarily reflect those of the Chamber’s members and management.
director of publication Carine Lespayandel chief editor Nicolas Avril editorial assistant Joe Han Lim design & layout Jonathan Meur advertising Nicolas Avril Jonathan Meur colour separation & printing Toppan Security Printing Pte. Ltd. cover image Jonathan Meur Issue #3 2016 4,000 copies MCI (P) 065/07/2016 French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore 541 Orchard Road #09-01 Liat Towers Singapore 238881 Tel: +65 6933 1350 Fax: +65 6933 1398 www.fccsingapore.com info@fccsingapore.com
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GUEST EDITOR’S NOTE
Issue #3 2016
The Incredible Paradox of Productivity Productivity is certainly not a new mantra. I started my career in 1996 at Andersen Consulting as a junior consultant in Human Performance. Productivity was all about new tools and process re-engineering... the flourishing days of SAP, PeopleSoft, Siebel were starting with promises of endless productivity gains. My first “productivity enforcement” experience with human beings took place in the North of France. Miss Alien (her real name, still very human though) had been working dutifully all of her life as an accountant and wanted to retire happy. After conducting my terrific coaching-style introduction of SAP, it didn’t feel so great to see her starting to cry, asking “Why this? Why now? Why me?”... “Hmm, for the sake of productivity”. Fast forward 20 years. The cadences of Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times have been replaced by the ding-dings of emails in the digital era. We leave our offices drained with 20% of our to-do list done, conf calls planned way past family dinner time, only to wake up to the flashing lights of emails, WhatsApp and WeChat. We have never been able to do so much in so little time, “productivity-assisted” by brilliant tools... yet never felt so desperately underachieving at the end of a normal working day. That is an incredible paradox of our current corporate world. Some productivity tools seem to have swallowed us alive. Why is that? Organisations today have become more global, complex, and desperate for control and efficiency. With multiple managers hidden somewhere in the “matrix”, each with their own and sometimes conflicting agenda, we have trouble to know what really needs to be achieved... and we end up working for someone else’s agenda. I won’t Tim-Ferriss you (although I do highly recommend that you read The 4-Hour Work Week), for today’s Herculean multitasker taking control of your priorities is the first step to productivity.
“What makes me really valuable?” (read: how do I help my company make more profit), and “How do I ensure I am recognised for my efforts” (read: get a salary increase or a promotion) should be paramount to any decision to invest one’s time unit to any activity. Productivity requires a healthy dose of selfishness. When we train in professional efficiency, learning to say “no” is always an awkward moment. The “no muscle” is atrophied in many organisations, especially in Asia where people value harmony. We don’t like to say no to our boss or colleagues. This hinders team productivity. Being productive within this fast-changing, complex and technology-driven environment is a completely new set of skills you need to acquire. They must be learned. Some people have a passion for design, IT or cooking; for me, I have always wanted to help people make the most of their life. Beyond tool- or process-based improvements, most people don’t know that training topics like “Manage remote teams effectively”, “Work in a multicultural environment”, “Mindfulness for better decision-making”, “Influencing” or “Time Management Revisited”... bring unexpected and radical productivity gains. What we learn is surprising. For example, multitasking has been proven to be totally non-productive. Yet we do that all day. Clarity on what really brings about the impactful result we want to get (the “right work”) and making sure we focus on it and do it well (“getting it done”) is the key to individual performance and the validation of our productivity. It may even help us and our bosses feel happier... and, guess what, the latest research shows that happiness at work make people 12% more productive!
Mr Fabien Mailhe CEO of Timeo-Performance & Akteos Asia (Recruitment, Training and HR Consultancy for APAC)
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French Companies in Singapore
Issue #3 2016
Devialet Launches Acoustic Cabin at TANGS In July 2016, Devialet launched an acoustic cabin at TANGS at Tang Plaza, the first of its kind in Singapore and Asia. While Devialet speakers have been present in Singapore for over a year through dealers, this marks the first time the audiophile experience is brought to everyone in a full, immersive manner. “We seek to propose to everyone a real audiophile experience and to bring this experience to as many people as possible,” explains Ghislain Moret from Devialet. In the spotlight, Devialet’s new Gold Phantom is the result of a quest for excellence. With new patented inventions, it pushes to the extreme the power and
restitution of sound performance in wireless speakers. Emitting the lowest frequencies ever and with implosive power, the Gold Phantom is truly a step forward in the audio engineering field.
Founded and based in Paris, Devialet has become the international leader for highend amplifiers and is looking to continue to expand, recently having launched this acoustic cabin in Hong Kong as well. F
RHT Strategic Advisory and GEREJE Sign Partnership RHT Strategic Advisory and GEREJE Corporate Finance have signed a strategic partnership. It will enable GEREJE to
strengthen its presence and execution capacity in Asia from Singapore to better serve its customers as well as its partners
while RHT Strategic Advisory will be able to better expose its clients and prospects to European markets. F
Coface Awarded “Asian Credit Insurer of the Year” other hand, is a smartphone application, a first by a credit insurer, that allows clients to manage their customer and supplier portfolios. Coface also won the Regional Award “Asian Credit Insurer of the Year” title, which is awarded to the best insurance company, voted by an esteemed panel of judges. Coface is present in 13 markets in Asia Pacific and serves the region with professional local services.
Coface won big at the Asian Banking and Finance Insurance Asia Awards 2016, taking home the Country Award “Digital Insurance Initiative of the Year – Singapore” for its Easyliner and CofaMove projects.
With Easyliner, Coface offers SMEs a simple online solution that gives them protection against unpaid invoices. Customers can generate instant quotations and contracts in just a few minutes through the online platform. CofaMove, on the
“Coface successfully proved its excellent services in the industry. We are proud of this great recognition and would like to thank all our employees, partners and customers for their strong support,” said Fabien Conderanne, CEO of Coface Singapore (pictured). F
SHORT NEWS
FOCUS MAGAZINE Issue #3 2016
French Companies in Singapore
On Thursday 19 May 2016, Hermès celebrated the metamorphosis of its Singapore flagship store in the presence of Mr Axel Dumas, CEO and 6th generation Hermès family member. As dusk dissolved into night, 850 guests assembled outside the striking new fourstorey store in anticipation. Following the welcome address of Axel Dumas, the sound of hunting horns directed the
Hermès Celebrates the Metamorphosis of its Store at 541 Orchard Road, Liat Towers gaze of revellers skywards to the Hermès firework-maker on horseback galloping off the corner of the roof. A magical display of fireworks rained stardust around the majestic figure, heralding a new chapter for Hermès in Singapore. Within the store, visitors took a walk on the wild side in the Tyger Tyger photo
booth inspired by the Hermès scarf print by Alice Shirley. The 7th storey carpark was transformed for one enchanted
evening: guests lounged on deck chairs under moving projections and danced to music by Parisian DJs Polo & Pan. F
internet access on a handy smartphone, panoramic views from its rooftop Sky Deck and infinity lap pool, inviting meeting facilities with an outdoor terrace, western restaurant with a local twist at Sauces by Chef Daniel and a chic lobby lounge at BARtistry@One22. The newly built hotel is situated next to Bugis+ shopping centre, within a fiveminute walk to Bugis MRT station. A myriad of arts and cultural sights lie at its doorstep, alongside a wondrous array of hip cafés, trendy shops and diverse eateries, offering travellers an authentic taste of Singapore from its exceptional location in the Bugis-Bras Basah district.
Unveiling the Brand New Mercure Singapore Bugis Nestled in the heart of Singapore’s arts and cultural district, the new 395-
room heritage inspired Mercure Bugis Singapore offers guests unlimited mobile
“The new Mercure Singapore Bugis truly embodies the multicultural soul and dynamic pulse of the Lion City”, said Mr Rhys Challenger, General Manager. “From the specially commissioned heritage artwork in our interiors to the vibrant location of the Bugis area, we aim to create a locally-inspired experience where guests stay connected”. F
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French Companies in Singapore / French Chamber
Issue #3 2016
ENGIE Chooses Singapore for its SEA Green-Energy R&D Centre of Excellence fields: smart energy systems for cities and islands, industrial energy efficiency, and gas technologies.
With support from Singapore’s Economic Development Board, ENGIE launched the ENGIE Lab Singapore in July 2016, pav-
ing the way for further green energy developments in Singapore and the region. ENGIE Lab Singapore focuses on three
“The opening of the ENGIE Lab Singapore is a key milestone of the development strategy of ENGIE in South East Asia to support the transition to low-carbon energy sources,” explains Mrs Isabelle Kocher, CEO of ENGIE. “Singapore’s dynamic innovation ecosystem and regional connectivity provides the right environment for us to set up this leading-edge R&D centre to develop practical solutions to meet the energy challenges in the region, and will help businesses to maintain their technological excellence”. F
Safran Opens New Facility in Singapore Safran Helicopter Engines has opened its new regional headquarters, dedicated to engine support, in Singapore’s Seletar Aerospace Park, in the presence of Guestof-Honour Mr Lim Kok Kiang, Managing Director of Singapore Economic Development Board, and H.E. Benjamin Dubertret, Ambassador of France to Singapore. With the new 3,500m2 facility, Safran Helicopter Engines Asia triples its industrial capacity to support Safran Helicopter engines in the region. It integrates a stateof-the-art maintenance centre qualified for Arrius, Arriel and Makila variants, a training centre for maintenance courses, as well as a 400m2 warehouse.
Franck Saudo, Safran Helicopter Engines Executive Vice President Support & Services explains, “This marks a major milestone in our strategy to improve our
service network. With more than 175 customers in South East Asia, we are committed to offering them world-class services and proximity support.” F
Dragages to Build Lego-style Nursery Home Earlier this year, Singapore’s Ministry of Health awarded Dragages Singapore the Woodlands Crescent Nursing Home construction project.
Legos, with each piece weighing between 10 and 15 tonnes! In all, no less than 300 modules will be prefabricated and mounted on site.
Notably, this project will be nearly entirely constructed from Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC). With an area of 9,000 m2, it will house 243 beds on nine floors. Each ward will consist of three or four modules, put together like
An efficient alternative PPVC system that proves quicker and more cost-effective to carry out, this modular construction method saves up to 20% in construction time and substantially reduces dust and sound pollution on the site F
SHORT NEWS
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French Companies in Singapore
AXA Singapore First Insurer in Asia to Introduce Live Doctor Consultations AXA Singapore has launched MyAXAHealth, a one-stop health app that provides users with easy access to high-quality medical advice from Singapore-based GPs via live chat or secure face-to-face video call anytime and anywhere in the world.
“Trust, expertise and reliability are at the core of Health insurance. This innovative service is a new milestone to deliver a better customer experience, and reinforce our role as a health partner of our customers”, says Andre Czanik, Chief Health Officer of AXA Insurance Singapore.
consultations with a certified GP – all at one’s fingertips. Using video-calling technology available on smartphones, MyAXAHealth allows customers to directly connect with a GP to seek medical advice, obtain a medical prescription or request for a specialist referral.
This is the first time an insurer is offering such a service in Singapore and in Asia.
MyAXAHealth app will provide the region’s first mobile service to conduct live chat
The app will also allow customers to submit and track their health claims online. F
First LVMH-SMU Luxury Research Conference and Gala Dinner
As part of a five-year (2014-2019) strategic research partnership, LVMH and the Singapore Management University (SMU) jointly hosted the inaugural LVMHSMU Luxury Research Conference on 20 and 21 June 2016. A first-of-its-kind in Singapore, the conference received over 50 research papers from scholars worldwide, including UCLA, Tsinghua University, ESSEC, University of Houston and Northwestern University. Over the
1.5 days of the conference, 38 research presentations covered luxury consumers and markets in China, India and South East Asia, digital and docial media in luxury, and the impact of counterfeits on luxury brands, with active participation by LVMH executives and SMU faculty. The conference was attended by 46 presenters and co-authors, and a total of 150 guests attended the conference.
The Gala dinner was held at Capella Hotel Singapore. Three research papers were awarded and guests received the book Secrets from our Houses from LVMH. F LEFT Prof. Mark Ritson, Roula Rozakeas, Dean Gerry George, Jean-Marc Lacave, and Prof. Srinivas K. Reddy (left to right) RIGHT Guests at the Gala dinner
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Patron Member Spotlight
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Neurones IT
Issue #3 2016
Navigating Asia’s Evolving IT Landscape Interview with Alex Carrausse, General Manager, Neurones IT Asia Neurones IT is part of the French group NEURONES, which is one of the largest IT services companies “on a human scale”. This success has been achieved through strong internal growth (averaging two to three times market rate), leading to constant profitability and an undeniable level of financial strength. The group is the sixth largest IT services company in France. The company’s products and services combine consulting, integration of state-of-the-art technological solutions and outsourcing of information systems. It has strong expertise in infrastructure services, including cloud, data centres, security, virtualisation, mobility, networks and its global workforce offers a high, technical level in application services: web, business intelligence, content management, IT training, IT consulting, change management, and transformation. In Singapore, Neurones IT provides assistance in delivery of any type of IT infrastructure, and it aims to deliver top-level, tailor-made, cost-effective IT frameworks that enable firms to obtain enhanced efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Can you tell us about your career and share with us a few words about Neurones IT? I have been in the IT services industry ever since I graduated as an IT and telecom professional in Toulouse in 1998. My career has been very international right from day one, traversing South Korea, Africa, London, Central Asia and then Singapore, where I settled in 2007.
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Had we not set up our operations here, we would have lost this client, who was seeking an international IT services provider.
Neurones IT is part of the larger NEURONES Group in France. The group is listed on the Euronext stock exchange and it made €400m in revenue last year, with 4,500 employees. We are an IT infrastructure service provider and, in
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Singapore, we do have a special focus on cloud, managed services and IT professional services. Could you briefly describe Neurones IT’s strategy in Asia, specifically in Singapore? The story of Neurones IT in Asia is very exciting. We arrived in Singapore in 2012 and initially it was because one of our clients in France needed services in Asia. Had we not set up our operations here, we would have lost this client, who was seeking an international IT services provider. It became clear to the management that the “next step” for Neurones IT was to grow internationally, and that to become a true international player, we would need a presence on all continents. It turns out that our clients too have been expanding internationally, and with our new presence in Singapore, we were not only better able to provide services for our existing clients, but also to attract more clients looking for global services. And so we continued to tap on opportunities in Asia and attracted new clients who were not familiar with Neurones. In Singapore,
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Patron Member Spotlight
Issue #3 2016
Could you share with us some of the projects that you’ve embarked on here in Singapore? We have had the opportunity of developing a trusted relationship with a major hospitality player. It’s actually a project we are working on right now, one that is sizable: revamping the guest WiFi infrastructure across multiple resorts in Asia. We successfully delivered on the first resort and demonstrated our capacity to deliver on time and within budget. Our team is very flexible and was able to quickly adapt to the client and their needs. As such, we have been entrusted with the rest of the resorts in Asia, and are now deploying a cloud-based solution, a very reliable infrastructure. We will also be taking care of the support and maintenance of the infrastructure so it’s a complete turnkey solution that will require minimal involvement on our client’s part.
What are the main challenges and opportunities for Neurones IT in Asia? The initial challenge was breaking into the Singapore market as a company with lit-
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We truly believe that the future of IT is in the handling and analysing of massive amounts of data.
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we found that there are many local companies interested in our services, and we have be very fortunate to bring value to some of them.
Neurones IT
tle brand recognition in Asia. In addition, our initial team was rather small. Nonetheless, we managed to overcome these challenges and convince clients to trust us to support their IT needs. Over the years, we developed the brand through various communication channels. Today we have 20 clients and about 40 employees. We have a presence in three countries in Asia: Singapore, India and Indonesia. We are also able to serve our clients in more countries in Asia through a network of partners that we nurture and develop. This enables us to serve our clients anywhere in Asia. As this issue focuses on transforming the industry, could you share Neurones IT’s vision on how to transform infrastructure to increase its reliability? We truly believe that the future of IT is in the handling and analysing of massive amounts of data (big data, Internet of things). In order to achieve that, we would need greater computing power at a cheaper price. The way to go will be through the cloud. Neurones IT has developed a strong leadership in cloud management
and we are an AWS-certified partner and a Microsoft Azure Gold Partner. We are also able to provide private cloud services from our own infrastructure. As a strong supporter of the French Chamber, how would you describe its role today for French companies in Singapore? Neurones IT is a proud Patron Member of the French Chamber and many of our clients are members as well. The events and gatherings that the French Chamber organises provide a conducive environment for businesses to stay in touch and develop further. I believe that the role of the French Chamber is to create a platform to support both small and large French companies and support their growth in Singapore and in Asia. I also believe that the French Chamber holds the key role of showcasing in an integrated manner the expertise and capabilities of French companies and entrepreneurs, many of which are topnotch and very much exportable. F Alex Carrausse, General Manager at Neurones IT Asia (opposite page) and his team (this page).
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Principles of Productivity
Catalysing Industry Transformation at Every Level By the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry
The world has experienced significant shifts in the economic landscape since the global financial crisis and the external environment remains challenging. Domestically, Singapore is also experiencing slower workforce growth and will need to devise strategies to make better use of its limited resources, in order to allow companies to remain competitive and effectively seize new growth opportunities. Against this backdrop, the Economic Strategies Committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies Tharman Shanmugaratnam identified the need for Singapore’s economy to shift towards productivity-driven growth, and recommended that Singapore aim to sustain productivity growth of 2-3% per year over a decade (i.e. 2009-2019). We are on track to meeting this target. Labour productivity (measured by valueadded per actual hour worked) grew at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate of 2.7% from 2009 to 2015. However, we are now in a new economic paradigm where slower growth worldwide may be the norm. In July, the International Monetary Fund cut its global economic growth forecasts for this year and next. The global economy is projected to expand by 3.1% and 3.4% in 2016 and 2017 respectively, down from the 3.2% and 3.5% forecasts made in April 2016. With an export-driven, trade-dependent and globally connected economy, Singapore will be affected by these challenging conditions and future productivity gains may be more impacted.
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Impetus for ProductivityDriven Growth
It is paramount that our companies continue to invest in productivity and transformation.
Nonetheless, productivity-driven growth remains important as it is the only sustainable way for wages to grow in the longer term. To position ourselves for the future, Singapore must continue to push ahead with its restructuring efforts, and it is paramount that our companies continue to invest in productivity and transformation.
Transforming Enterprises Today, there is a wide range of schemes administered by various government agencies to support companies of various sizes in various sectors. A new Business Grants Portal will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2016 to help companies more easily access government schemes for capability building, training and international expansion. When fully developed, the portal will offer more than 20 grants from IE Singapore, SPRING and Singapore Tourism Board, as well as other agencies. We have also launched the S$400 million Automation Support Package to support companies keen to adopt automation more widely. The extensive use of automation can help companies achieve significant improvements in productivity, but often involves substantial financial outlays that companies may find difficult to commit to. The Automation Support Package would help to defray part of the costs, enabling more companies to become manpower-lean.
Transforming Industries Beyond enterprise-level measures, we have also committed more resources to catalyse transformation at the industrylevel. Different industries have different needs that would be met in different ways. For example, the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) is developing the Food Hub @ Senoko, a dedicated shared facility, to help food manufacturers in Singapore lower operating costs. Besides cost savings, tenants can also tap on a full suite of cold room, warehouse and distribution services that the Food Hub will offer. With their warehousing and logistics functions taken care of by a third party operator, the Food Hub’s tenants will be able to focus on their core functions and undertake activities to enhance competitiveness, such as research and development, branding and improving production processes, and expansion to new markets. The JTC Food Hub was developed in close collaboration with the Singapore Food Manufacturers’ Association and the Singapore Manufacturing Federation. It is a good example of how Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) can contribute to our overall economic restructuring efforts. TACs are well-placed to reach out to many companies, and have intimate knowledge of the needs and potential of their specific sectors.
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firms to establish and deepen strategic activities in Singapore. Singapore’s strategic location, regional connectivity and insights on markets will enable us to continue to play a valuable role for companies keen on tapping the region’s growth. There are also many opportunities for business collaboration in areas of mutual interest.
Driving Sector-Focussed Skills Development As companies embark on the journey to build new capabilities and raise their productivity, we must strengthen our workforce by helping Singaporeans to upgrade their skills, so that they can undertake better and higher qualified jobs in the future. Several key SkillsFuture initiatives have been implemented since the second half of 2015, such as the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme, SkillsFuture Study Awards and SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy.
To help TACs strengthen their in-house capabilities and enhance outreach efforts, we introduced the Local Enterprise and Association Development-Plus (LEADPlus) programme. This will provide wider funding support for TACs to attract talent, develop their capabilities, and strengthen their processes and services. The government will also second up to 20 public officers over the next five years to TACs under this programme. Apart from strengthening TACs’ capabilities, we will also partner them to drive 30 Collaborative Industry Projects (TACCIP) over the next three years. Leveraging their deep understanding of specific sectors, TACs can support firms to build capabilities and lead the development of industry-wide solutions for common challenges. This programme is expected to benefit over 3,000 SMEs. The government will also adopt a more integrated and sector-focussed approach towards industry transformation. A tripartite Council for Skills, Innovation and Productivity (CSIP) was established
in May 2016. Chaired by DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the Council comprises members from government, industry, unions, and educational and training institutions. Collectively, they represent different sectors and bring together a broad range of expertise. One of the CSIP’s key objectives is to achieve synergies between skills, innovation and productivity efforts for each sector. In this regard, it will oversee the development of Industry Transformation Maps (ITM) for more than 20 sectors in the economy. Each ITM will comprise a growth and competitiveness plan, and will integrate existing sector-specific initiatives and schemes. These include programmes to upgrade productivity, develop skills, promote technology adoption and innovation, and help companies expand overseas. They will be developed and implemented in partnership with companies, industry associations, business chambers, and unions. To support our industry transformation efforts, we also encourage more foreign
The CSIP will continue to drive the national SkillsFuture movement to develop an integrated system of education, training and career progression based on skills mastery. As a next step under the CSIP, SkillsFuture will see the implementation of sector-focussed skills development to support productivity- and innovation-led economic growth. This is important as transformation at the industry and enterprise levels will only be successful if our companies have access to a highly trained and qualified workforce with deep skills and expertise in their respective fields.
Taking Singapore’s economic development to the next level Moving forward, Singapore must seek continuous growth and adapt to new technologies to remain competitive and relevant. The Committee on the Future Economy has been hard at work this year, canvassing for views and ideas from both public and private sector representatives to chart the direction for Singapore’s future economy. ITMs will also be rolled out progressively to strengthen enterprises and industries, while also focusing on lifelong learning and skills upgrading. Together, we can take Singapore’s economic development to the next level and create good jobs for Singaporeans. F
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Principles of Productivity
What UC Is What You Get
By Wu Soong Woon, Director of UCC and Business Consulting, Orange Business Services Asia Pacific Orange Business Services is a global telecommunications operator and IT services company. Our 20,000 employees support companies, local government bodies and public sector organisations in every aspect of their digital transformation. We help companies collaborate more effectively, operate more efficiently and engage better with their customers – connecting their people, sites and machines securely and reliably.
When smartphones and tablets came along, consumers embraced mobile devices together with the desire to communicate from anywhere, and the business world followed suit. Corporate environments were soon replete with smartphones and tablets in addition to traditional laptops. CIOs soon had to plan for Bring Your Own Device and formulate policies that embraced the productivity advantages of mobile communicating and collaborating without leaving the back door open to security risks.
© Pierre Z. Collet-2016
If UC cannot deliver what is immediately needed, it will come together with another application to provide users with what they want. This is where the consumerisation of UC is a key driver of change for enterprise UC. Individual users have different demands for their communications and collaboration tools in their home and personal lives. They have expectations and it is up to companies to meet these and help workers be more productive.
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UC&C apps have become business-critical tools, bringing us greater convenience and productivity.
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Faster decisions, less travel, harmonised workflows: UC&C (Unified Communications & Collaboration) tools are fundamental to the way people now work, and are undoubtedly here to stay.
So where is UC today? Today, UC is ever present. Cloud computing arrived and became a great enabler for UC, giving employees unprecedented flexibility and reliability for their UC. Companies have come to expect to be equipped with tools like Webex, audio conferencing and telepresence. We are using landline phones less – half of US homes have gone entirely wireless – and that trend has inevitably transferred to the coporate world. UC also brings a change in space and time to the workplace. In practice, the digitisation of communication tools means that we are able to make decisions more quickly, to gain input from colleagues around the world instantly, and engage with customers on their terms, creating an enhanced experience for all. As digital transformation has impacted the workplace, unified communications
and collaboration (UC&C) apps have become business-critical tools, bringing us greater convenience and productivity.
Embracing on-demand models UC&C tools are perfectly designed for today’s on-demand way of living. They deliver collaboration on demand, a fast and convenient way of forming teams, carrying out discussions, coming to decisions in a timely fashion and then dismantling the teams when no longer needed, all with minimum fuss. From the business perspective, it helps organisations save money by cutting down on travel expenses, general expenditure on resources and more.
Vital now, indispensable in the future Recent research revealed that 68% of companies already have UC&C tools, and UC&C adoption will continue to become more pervasive throughout 2016, as more smart devices support UC&C applications – saving organisations time, improving their decision-making, reducing costs, and increasing flexibility. Enterprises now need to manage how they provide UC&C solutions, not if. Your employees, leveraging their consumer habits, are already using UC&C to be more productive, so you must think about how your deployment model works and how to drive adoption within your organisation – and you can begin by thinking from the perspective of the individual. F
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The Key to Success for Tomorrow’s Cities
By Alexandre Parilusyan, Vice President of Business Transformations, AP South, Dassault Systèmes Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE company provides businesses and people with virtual universes to imagine sustainable innovations. Its world-leading solutions transform the way products are designed, produced, and supported. Dassault Systèmes’ collaborative solutions foster social innovation, expanding possibilities for the virtual world to improve the real world. The group brings value to over 210,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 140 countries.
The facts are well known: by 2050, three billion additional people, or two-thirds of the world’s population, are expected to be living in cities, which today produce 80% of global GDP, consume 75% of the world’s natural resources and produce approximately 75% of global greenhouse gases. Globalisation, urbanisation, and climate change present significant challenges to cities worldwide. With the majority of the world’s cities located on coastal waterways, extreme weather and rising sea levels are a pertinent threat. In addition, with the increasing deployment of connected sensor technology, cities are rapidly growing beyond the capability of planners and city managers to administrate effectively. In parallel, urban residents and visitors, accustomed to the personalised experience of the web enabled by their smart devices, have everhigher expectations on how technology will facilitate more engaging life, work and play experiences in the urban context. This dynamic urban evolution presents a unique opportunity and challenge for city administrators, faced with the task of coordinating an ever proliferating field of specialised domains, each of them constantly growing in depth and complexity. While cities cannot predict the disruptions they will face, they can become sufficiently resilient to adapt to potential disturbances, by learning from past events to better plan for the future. Resilient systems flourish during good times, and they withstand, respond and adapt more readily to
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The potential of smart city solutions to drive innovation, optimisation and automation of services and infrastructure is skyrocketing.
shocks and stresses to emerge stronger after tough times. However, simply improving the individual systems that constitute a city is not enough to significantly increase the resilience of a city. Instead, a system-of-systems approach is needed’ one that simultaneously strengthens individual systems as well as the overall system of systems in a city.
LOOKING TO INDUSTRY FOR ANSWERS In the face of today’s complex urban challenges, traditional methods and techniques of urban planning and design appear outdated. New approaches are needed to ensure the future success of cities. Lessons can be learned from Industry whose resourcefulness and innovation has blazed trails that could lead toward truly smart cities.
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ments and objects, such as buildings, utility networks, mobility systems and other infrastructure.
3DEXPERIENCE CITY: ENDING SILOS TO MAKE CITIES SMART The multi-dimensional modelling, visualisation, analytics and simulation in projects such as Virtual Singapore, a collaboration announced by the National Research Foundation Singapore and Dassault Systèmes in June 2015, are revolutionising the way cities address their challenges and democratise the urban renewal process. 3DEXPERIENCE City powers Virtual Singapore and provides the platform where Singapore city officials, residents and businesses will meet to co-create a better Singapore: a healthier, more sustainable and more resilient city.
For decades, designers and engineers have used collaborative 3D modelling, visualisation and simulation to imagine, anticipate and test the behaviour of complex systems in the virtual world before prototypes reach production.
While Virtual Singapore is groundbreaking in its scope – it seeks to provide a comprehensive virtual environment for modelling, simulating, visualising and experiencing the city of Singapore – it is more significant as the harbinger of holistic city models to come.
Cities are clearly not ships or airplanes; however, today, the same software tools developed to address product complexity are providing the foundation for the virtual technology used to create urban environ-
At present, traditional smart city approaches use virtual technologies primarily to capture, analyse and manage data of discrete city systems: public transportation, water management, waste collec-
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3DEXPERIENCE City federates those disparate elements through its integrated platform. It links the stakeholders from all city domains in a collaborative working environment and enables access to a single data referential, which constantly updates as new data becomes accessible, and is linked to the 3DEXPERIENCE City marketplace offering, which includes content as well as applications, services and business opportunities.
A COLLABORATIVE PLATFORM FOR INNOVATION
tion, energy services and more. Much of the effort remains focused on single expert domains or silos. 3DEXPERIENCE City provides a horizontal approach powered by the 3DEXPERIENCE platform that links all players in a collaborative working environment and enables access to a single data referential, which dynamically updates as new data becomes available. Consequently, data is exchanged and turned into information, in the literal sense of the word – it takes form. 3DEXPERIENCE City’s horizontal architecture is an integrative environment directly linked to the dynamic data referential that powers the modelling, analytics, simulation and visualisation of the city in its past, present and future states. A marketplace presents the vast offer of content, applications and services to cities, businesses and citizens.
3DEXPERIENCE CITY: CONFLATING THE VIRTUAL AND REAL While traditional urban digital models are static, 3Dgeometrical models that are at best enriched with geographical information system (GIS) and building information model (BIM) data, 3DEXPERIENCE City’s dynamic data model presents a 3D geometry model as just one of many possible data visualisations. A diverse set of different data sources are captured in a single referential—that increasingly becomes the virtual equivalent to the real city. With 3DEXPERIENCE City, the virtual model is further enhanced with the flow
of real-time, real-world data from Internet of Things (IoT) and Internet of Experiences (IoE) technologies. In addition, as IoT/IoE increasingly permeates industry and urban environments, the real-world data generated increases the accuracy and reliability of the virtual models, rendering them even more powerful. The potential of such smart city solutions to drive innovation, optimisation and automation of services and infrastructure is in fact skyrocketing: analysts such as Frost & Sullivan are forecasting the market for smart city technology to reach US$1.6 trillion by 2020.
URBAN CHALLENGE: MANAGING SYSTEMS OF SYSTEMS Cities are not orderly, predictable entities that can be readily planned and controlled. Instead, cities are complex, living systems. With the rise of IoT/IoE, the city’s systems, which constitute a system of systems, are becoming even more complex and organic, with an interplay of dependencies and interactions that are challenging to anticipate, identify, understand and manage. In the IoT/IoE world, for example, objects in one system are increasingly required to talk to objects in another. Autonomous vehicles must talk to roadways, to signal systems, to bicycles and buildings, and, of course, to passengers, drivers and pedestrians. Silos of systems are thus giving way to a complicated, continuously evolving exchange between intimately connected people, places and things.
The ability to model, analyse, simulate, visualise and experience complete cities in a virtual environment is at hand and, as in the world of manufacturing, the use of 3D visualisation offers a critical additional benefit: it greatly enhances collaboration and communication across disciplines and communities. If a picture is worth a thousand words, digital technologies like 3D modelling, augmented reality and virtual reality are worth more than a million words, they bring urban planning and management to life in a very real and remarkably intuitive way, enabling people to connect and interact across social, economic, political, disciplinary and linguistic boundaries, and are enabling everyone to understand – to experience – the choices and possibilities before them in a very human way. This type of compelling virtual environment is even more effective when it is made available via a cloud-based collaborative platform, the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, which is accessible to everyone, everywhere, 24/7, and provides the critical knowledge capture and sharing needed to strengthen collaborative innovation. Faced with serious urban challenges, city officials, business people and citizens can now, like industry leaders before them, leverage the power of working on a collaborative platform with virtual technologies to co-create innovative and integrated urban solutions for more liveable, resilient cities and a more sustainable future. F
This Page The 3DEXPERIENCity project ‘Virtual Singapore’
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Cloud and Mobile Tech at the Service of Construction Site Productivity By Sanjay Kewlani, Product Director, Novade Group
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There is increasing adoption of new methodologies and IT capabilities to make building processes more efficient.
service providers manage field operations with easy-to-use and process-driven mobile applications. Applications automate and simplify tasks conducted on site such as quality inspections, safety checklists, and site equipment management and maintenance. What are the main challenges in the building and construction industry in Singapore? The building and construction industry in Singapore has major potential for productivity improvement. Precise metrics are difficult to capture – do you measure the output per worker, or should you focus on site operations productivity? – but the general consensus is that productivity in the construction industry in Singapore is 30% lower than in Japan and 50% lower than in Europe. The Singapore government has ambitions to close the gap with developed nations in the coming decade. Measures have been put in place to reduce the reliance on foreign workers. In parallel, agencies are promoting the adoption of new methodologies such as design-build and prefabrication, as well as the adoption of IT capabilities, from mobile applications to cloud storage, to make building processes synchronised, standardised, efficient. Can you give us a brief overview of Novade Group? We are a Singapore-based technology start-up and, in very short period of time, we have become the market leader for digital solutions that improve productivity on building and construction sites in Singapore. Novade helps real estate developers, general contractors and engineering
Novade was founded in 2013 by Denis Branthonne, a French native and the former Vice President of APAC Autodesk, and Eugene Low, a Singaporean entrepreneur with an impressive track record of providing software and services to the building and construction industry. At its inception, the founders decided to focus first on quality management on building sites, which generates tonnes of paper work during inspections. Traditionally, teams spend a lot of time collecting information on paper forms and checklists, and then inputting this data into Excel spreadsheets to generate the reports that management needs. There is very little visibility on the overall progress of a project due to this manual paper process and, as a result, there are plenty of opportunities for things to go wrong on site and there is virtually no way to quantify and learn from mistakes. Could you share with us how Novade’s applications help improve productivity in building and construction? Novade Quality was designed to digitise the process of recording issues on site, and to make report generation painless and fast. Teams have real-time access to information from the field, and data can be analysed to improve performance on future projects. Since launching the application, the results have been impressive: a million quality observations
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have been conducted with mobile phones on construction sites in Singapore. Many large residential projects in Singapore now use Novade Quality. The services are now even extended to property owners. We’ve since developed more applications that extend the digitisation of processes to areas like safety, logistics and facility maintenance. Is Novade currently working on new projects? Novade has leveraged the ubiquity of internet-connected mobile devices and cloud storage to bring affordable and focused applications to the field. With an eye on the future, the Internet of things is another area where Novade sees an opportunity. Smart sensors pushing data to the cloud can be used in a number of ways to provide a continuous flow of relevant data and make the maintenance of buildings and equipment more efficient and cost-effective. The business is expanding rapidly to other markets and Novade is now used in six countries across the globe, namely Singapore, France, UK, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Thailand. F
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How to Achieve an Efficient Digital Transformation By Rémy Lacombe, New Business Director, Novedia (VISEO’s digital agency)
VISEO is a global IT consulting firm specialised in assisting clients in their IT and digital transformation. Its mission is to either optimise their existing business and information systems processes or to initiate new business improvements. With strong expertise in the digital space, new technologies, business processes and data, VISEO brings forward new ideas, new offers, and new ways of collaborating, and helps its clients identify better producing and selling strategies. VISEO has experienced a continued growth since its inception in 1999, with €120 million in revenue in 2015 and 1,200 team members working on five continents.
Last May, McKinsey revealed that companies can increase gross operational results by up to 40% with a successful digital transition. But how might one go about addressing and operating this digital transformation?
What exactly is digital transformation? Many companies hope to turn digital by launching projects like eCommerce platforms, mobile apps, omni-channel services, CRM, etc. But a digital project (even if successful) or myriad digital projects do not result in a digital shift. Such initiatives are necessary, but not sufficient. Why? Because meaningful and sustainable digital transformation requires two deep changes, in: • the way your company creates value, i.e. your business model; and • the way you deliver this value, i.e. your operations.
All about renewing your business model A business model can be split into nine key components on a canvas, starting by first asking who you target (“customers”), how you get in touch with them (“points of contact”), what you provide them with (“value proposition”), and so on. Each of these components generate costs and revenues. More pertinently, they create value, either directly (P&L, stock price, market cap), or indirectly (brand value, employer brand). The digital medium
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The digital medium holds a powerful key that can unlock and amplify value.
holds a powerful key that can unlock and amplify this value and it does so when it renews each component. Let’s take the revenues component. Amazon is a pioneer in digital-driven revenue diversification. Started as an online bookseller in 1994, they have been consistently growing by not only expanding their core retail business (to include new product categories and country markets), but also by entering new businesses (Technology with Amazon Web Services, Shipping with Fulfillment by Amazon). This has been made possible by their strong and complete adoption of the digital space. At VISEO, we estimate that they have created eight new revenue streams on top of their core retail stream. That accounts for 33% of the top line, but with a key difference: a vastly improved operating margin, which is remarkable especially once we consider the relatively low profitability in eCommerce (even for a worldwide leader, due to low pricing, fierce competition, etc). Direct value is proven by Amazon’s remarkable market cap (around US$350 billion), despite late profitability (in 2009). But equally important is the indirect value that Amazon has generated — in its Employer brand for instance. Indeed, Amazon
has become one of the preferred companies digital talents want to work for. And if you recruit only the best, you will be better positioned to continuously renew your business cycle. It’s a virtuous cycle.
Two paths on this road to digital transformation A company can choose two paths: • Digital catching, i.e. optimisation of the current model to catch-up with consumers, competitors or employees who have already gone digital; or • Digital leapfrog, i.e. proactive renewal of your business model by implementing multiple innovations and a system of continuous “test and learn.” Digital leapfrog is not just for the GAFAs (Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon) or pure players. Let’s take the example of SoLocal (a European player that provides services similar to SingPost’s). Five years ago, they were stuck in traditional publishing and paper directories. Today, they have managed to transform their digital revenues from 20% to 80%, on a sum of total revenues that has been growing, and they have done so by leapfrogging to a web agency model, specialising in digital services in particular for local businesses and traders.
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Going Digital: Not only for the IT departments and CDOs Moving to new businesses requires new skills and jobs You may consider “data scientist” and “growth hacker” buzzwords but 15 years ago, “app developer” was a buzzword whereas, today, it is evident that this role is a relatively important one. 65% of children in kindergarten today will occupy positions that do not yet exist! New jobs require renewed organisations Less hierarchical, with simplified decision-making processes. Such organisations are often called “agile”, and for three reasons: firstly, they consist of autonomous multidisciplinary teams (marketing, IT, commercial roles are mixed); secondly, they use new approaches (design thinking, lean start-up) to solve problems; thirdly, they test new methods to collaborate (innovation games) or to deliver projects (agility).
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Renewed organisations require new roles Here we have the new notable Chief Digital Officer (CDO) or Chief Experience Officer. They also call for renewed roles: if you believe in the importance of eReputation, do you not think it should be part of a renewed HR assignment? Finally, all these changes ask for renewed governance. At VISEO, we identify at least four such models, from the shared service centre available to business units to our dedicated digital business unit.
How to organise digital shift There is no single right answer to such a strategic question. But we tailor solutions around your specific needs and try to find an answer that fits your organisation. VISEO has developed solutions to support the digital transformation of companies and has accrued 15 years of experience
through collaborations with international groups mainly in the retail sector and Small and Medium Enterprises. The digital strategy to implement will depend on the level of digital maturity you occupy and the path you seek: Vision Defining your target and a concrete plan to reach it (strategic vision, clear roadmap, renewed skills and governance, etc); Operations: Ensuring the success of your key projects (marketplace, digital points of sale, CRM, etc); Innovation: Ideating and prototyping new products and services (IoT, Conversational bots, etc); Acculturation: Transforming the mindset and working methods of your organisation, through personalised training programmes (individualised coaching, digital days, innovation week, etc). F
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Issue #3 2016
Delivering Better Customer Experience More Efficiently By Jonathan Mondon, Regional Director, Activeo Singapore
Activeo is a recognised leader in customer contact technologies helping clients to deliver a superior customer experience through their contact centres, web channels and an overall integrated customer strategy.
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In the era of analytical optimisation, intelligent use of direct customer interaction or customer data is an integral component that businesses need to master. By identifying upstream sources and finely analysing the content of customer exchanges (such as causes for dissatisfaction, criticisms, emotional feelings, etc), a business can uncover important insights that it can use to improve its performance, be it by reconsidering an operation, redesigning a product or taking corrective action. To record, process and evaluate the content of interaction and, equally important, customers’ emotions, there is a host of innovative tools that companies can use, from text and speech analytics solutions to satisfaction surveys (Enterprise Feedback Management). Collected via chats,
Ultimately, it is the voice of the customer that will enable a business to better understand their customers and anticipate their needs, particularly in terms of supplies and connections.
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Listening to the voice of the customers to make the right decisions
e-mails and telephone conversations, the analysis of verbatim utterances allows a brand to evaluate whether or not it is living up to the promises made in its marketing plan and customer relationship programmes. By linking the customer process to the customer experience, the business can link the reason for making contact to the emotion it generates. This relationship intelligence is achieved through the optimisation of procedures promoting the best possible congruence between the demands of the customer and the capacities of the business.
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The implementation of a customercentric vision brings with it an increase in customer and employee engagement. This means that an organisation needs to become more nimble in its processes and continually improve its productivity and refine its performance to effectively engage customers. Duly transformed, the organisation can develop relational agility, which is vital to winning over customers and reinforcing customer loyalty. As a customer relations specialist, Activeo owns both technical and practical expertise in analysing and executing a proven strategy that guarantees measurable results.
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Intelligent use of direct customer interaction is an integral component that businesses need to master.
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Creating a positive consumer experience takes a good deal of listening. There are many strategies to optimise your interactions to reap the rewards of feedback.
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ent services within the business, with the goal of improving customer service and strengthening its competitive position. Forecasting and planning HR solutions bring increased productivity in terms of cost management and human resources efficiency. Putting in place an automated planning solution streamlines personnel management and increases its suitability for the requirements of customer service. Reducing costs by configuring resources according to the actual workload makes it easier for the activity to be successfully mastered, improves efficiency and ensures employee retention.
Coaching and training can help your team provide a great service New customer behaviour and expectations represent a great challenge for companies: more than ever, they must find the right balance between quality of services, customer satisfaction and cost of products and services. In business, the coexistence of generations, profiles and skills makes it necessary to revisit digital and agile working methods, and models for management and team support.
Engaged Workforce
Optimising human resources management and the quality of interactions Technologies like recording, quality monitoring and workstation optimisation allow the business to capitalise on customer interactions (telephone, email, web, chat, etc) by making them available to differ-
Activeo offers a pragmatic and interactive approach along with a process to create, enhance, manage and develop profiles to allow the creation of emotional ties through the management of an appropriate give-and-take combination. Guiding teams towards greater ownership of the customer culture increases team performance and gives value to each member’s contribution. F
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Issue #3 2016
Embracing the Rise of Document Process Automation By Albert Leong, Managing Director, Esker–Asia Pacific
Esker is a worldwide leader in cloud-based document process automation software, headquartered in Lyon, France. Organisations use Esker’s solutions to improve the efficiency, accuracy and visibility associated with document processing. Operating in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, Esker is one of the most international French software vendors with 64% of its scale generated outside of France. This large geographical coverage enables the company to support companies in international projects with one single solution.
With just 50 years under its belt, Singapore is only in the beginning stages of its economic maturity. Today, increasing productivity is a top priority for Singaporean businesses eager to engage in more value-added, entrepreneurial initiatives. Undeniably, it’s a time of big change and daunting challenges, yet it’s also a time of great possibility, as there are ample opportunities to explore new avenues of innovation. Document process automation is a prime example of an avenue an increasing number of enterprises are pursuing. Claiming the fifth highest GDP in South East Asia, Singapore appears to be on the cusp of reaching new levels of growth. Doing so, however, requires finding new ways to generate revenue, improve operational efficiency and increase business agility — all things that document process automation solutions can deliver.
UNDERSTANDING AUTOMATION Automation can mean a lot of things depending on who’s using it, for what purpose and in which industry. While it’s often thought of as a technological stand-in for people, automation’s function in the world of document processing is typically more harmonious. Instead of replacing existing people and processes, automation acts as a complementary tool that eliminates the manual, low-value tasks common in traditional document processes, while equipping users with new capabilities that make their jobs more strategic.
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Esker is one of the only global providers to offer a single-platform solution that can automate multiple document processes.
Esker’s solutions seamlessly integrate with a wide range of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) applications and it is one of the only global providers to offer a single-platform solution that can automate multiple document processes including order management, accounts receivable, accounts payable and purchasing.
TRANSFORMING WORKFLOW The biggest value of document process automation is its ability to simplify how organisational transactions are handled from both business and IT perspectives. Previously, if a business wanted end-toend electronic workflow, a myriad infra-
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structure investments was needed – from scanning and fax solutions to archiving and integration tools. Not only do these represent added costs and complexities for IT, they limit a company’s ability to adapt during periods of growth. What Esker does is provide everything in a single solution, delivered on-premises or as a cloud-based service. Documentation that used to be handled manually (such as sales orders, vendor invoices, etc) is automatically transformed into an electronic format, processed through an automated workflow, and posted into the ERP system – providing full visibility for multiple users at every stage of the process. F
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Issue #3 2016
Collaborating and Communicating Anywhere, Anytime By Serge Genetet, EVP Managing Director Asia Pacific, Arkadin
What are some of the most significant trends in business communications today? We are particularly excited about trends taking place in the digital landscape. The need for digital workplace transformation is becoming more and more important across industries worldwide. There is a key trend of moving towards the cloud, as the workforce becomes increasingly mobile and social, seeking the ability to communicate anytime, anywhere, on any device, and this will only continue to grow in significance as hyper-connected millennials enter the workplace. The challenge for business is figuring out how to harness digital technologies in light of these trends, to drive greater efficiency, agility and productivity.
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We have a network of 56 operation centres in 33 countries, with service teams that speak our clients’ language and share their culture.
rative technologies to drive productivity, improve employee well-being and retain top talent. As globalisation increases, it becomes important to be able to work across time zones and borders, to ensure competitiveness. The automotive supplier Continental AG first deployed Arkadin’s collaboration solutions in 2009. As a result, conferences and team meetings have become more productive. Most conferences include desktop and document sharing, so teams can collaborate on plans, documents and other projects in real time. This reduces the number of business trips required and speeds up decision-making processes. “It is so much easier to talk about a topic and look at the relevant documents at the same time than sending an endless number of emails. And at the end of a meeting, every participant already has access to all notes and updated documents,” comments Mr Reiner Birn, Head of Strategy & Operations, Telecommunications. According to Mr Birn, “Almost all departments use the services from Arkadin. The services make the lives of our staff much easier: less traveling, faster processes and convenient communications”. Can you tell us about Arkadin Collaboration Services?
What are the top reasons enterprises are deploying UC&C? The savings in costs and time associated with business travel and meetings have traditionally been a strong factor in deploying Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC&C) solutions, but companies are now also looking to leverage the additional benefits of collabo-
Arkadin is one of the largest and fastest growing UC&C service providers in the world. Through partnerships with leading technology companies, we deliver market-leading cloud-based audio/web/ video conferencing and UC solutions for enjoyable collaboration experiences that are essential to succeeding in a digitally connected global workplace.
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We have been service-minded and customer-driven from our inception in 2001. Our business model is based on deploying UC&C services through a local yet global approach to customer service, which sets us apart in the marketplace and ensures our clients have an excellent customer experience through service teams that speak their language and share their culture through our network of 56 operation centres in 33 countries. As an NTT Communications company, we offer sophisticated infrastructure, networking and telecommunications capabilities for an all-in-one service package that offers tremendous efficiencies and economies of scale for our clients. Arkadin was recently recognised as the Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Collaboration Service Provider of the Year for the fourth consecutive year (photo). The award is a testament to the success of Arkadin’s strategy of delivering the highest quality UC&C services backed by a strong customer service culture. What is the target market for Arkadin’s UC&C services? Our range of UC&C solutions work for both Server Message Blocks and large corporations, including companies such as Orange Business Services, Michelin, and Nestle Japan. We first discuss with our potential clients what their business drivers are and then work together on implementing the right tools for them. Arkadin has UC&C technologies for different categories of users, which ensure that our clients’ employees have the best user experience for driving greater productivity in their everyday work. F
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Issue #3 2016
Envisioning a Clearer and Leaner Future By Chen Weiwen, Director, Base Of Pyramid Innovation Lab, Essilor and Pierre-Yves Léonard, SimplifEye Project Manager, Essilor Poor vision is the most common disability in the world, and with over 1 billion of the world’s 1.7 billion myopes living in Asia, Singapore has for 30 years served as the strategic location for Essilor in capturing opportunities in emerging markets. Since establishing Singapore as its regional hub in 2013, the world’s leading ophthalmic optics company has stepped up initiatives that are successfully paving new ways to doing business.
Bringing vision care to the 2.5 billion “uncorrected” population Good eyesight is essential for full participation in educational and economic opportunities, as well as for personal wellbeing, self-sufficiency and productivity. Yet with 2.5 billion people living with uncorrected poor vision – the majority of whom are in Asia – the potential socioeconomic impact of improving access to eyeglasses for the underserved is tremendous. And the business potential is equally important. Essilor’s Base of Pyramid (BoP) Innovation Lab was set up within the Group’s Mission Department three years ago to drive game-changing innovation to bring vision care to the underserved globally. Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board, the BoP Lab focuses on five areas: • Developing a pipeline of inclusive business models to generate new spectacle wearers at the BoP; • Managing a €30 million strategic giving fund; • Forging strategic partnerships across the public, private and non-profit sectors; • Leading research initiatives; and • Offering strategic support such as documenting know-how, best practices and defining entry strategy for new markets. Given that scaling our impact depends on an ecosystem of stakeholders beyond the optical industry, the BoP Lab is engaging companies in the technology, telecommunications, healthcare, insurance and e-commerce sectors to leverage their distribution networks and customer base to bring vision care to the BoP population.
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We speed up the delivery of vision care in underserved regions by enabling more people to be trained as eye care workers.
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In June this year, together with Essilor’s R&D department, the BoP Lab launched an open innovation challenge called the See Change Challenge to seek low-cost solutions to accurately measure eye refractive errors. These solutions would speed up the delivery of vision care in underserved regions by enabling more people to be easily trained to become primary eye care workers.
LEAN METHODOLOGY TO IMPPROVE SERVICE In parallel to Essilor’s initiative to create new eyeglass wearers and in doing so help improve global productivity through good vision, the group recently launched an internal productivity programme to improve the efficiency of its processes through the use of lean systems that bridge different functions across the organisation. Singapore was chosen to pilot the programme with a focus on improving customer satisfaction, from the way we process orders to how we handle special requests or respond to questions. Denis Chng, General Manager of Essilor Singapore explains the method: “We took one person from each department and together we reviewed the order process, from the moment our customer sends an order to the moment they receive the ophthalmic lenses. This helped us identify the main areas for improvements (or “kaizens”) and how to address them. For example, we realised that many of
our customers’ calls related to enquiries concerning their order status, so we developed a dedicated website and a mobile app that now allows them to independently track their orders. Thanks to this and to the automation of repetitive manual tasks in customer service, we were able to gain two full-time equivalents so our agents are now more productive when it comes to responding to clients’ requests on the telephone”. This lean initiative in Singapore has served as a reference for other Essilor entities across the world as they roll out their own lean programmes. F
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Issue #3 2016
Technology, a Catalyst for Productivity And Innovation
By Dennis Quek, Director, Centre of Innovation for Supply Chain Management, Republic Polytechnic The first educational institution in Singapore to leverage problem-based learning for all its diploma programmes, Republic Polytechnic (RP) has seven schools and one academic centre that offer forty-one diplomas in Applied Science, Engineering, Management and Communication, Events and Hospitality, Infocomm, Sports, Health & Leisure, and Technology for the Arts.
Republic Polytechnic’s (RP) new Supply Chain Innovation Lab is taking the lead to use innovation as the catalyst to push productivity for companies in Singapore. The purpose-built facility is located at RP’s Industry Centre in Woodlands, north of Singapore, and provides integrated solutions for supply chain and logistics management. Equipped with the latest logistics technologies, the lab benefits RP students and adult learners by providing a realistic distribution centre environment for hands-on learning and skills training. More importantly, the lab also presents SMEs with new opportunities to partner RP’s Centre of Innovation for Supply Chain Management (COI-SCM) to develop and testbed new logistics solutions and technologies to improve cost
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Operational excellence and productivity improvements are increasingly important for operational and service companies.
competitiveness, productivity and create new value for customers. Jointly set up by SPRING Singapore, the Economic Development Board (EDB) and RP in 2012, COI-SCM is a one-stop centre that assists local companies and SMEs in enhancing productivity and efficiency at enterprise and industry levels through the refinement of supply chain processes and the adoption of technology. Since it commenced operations in 2012, the Centre has initiated more than 250 projects with Singapore-based companies across various industries.
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“RP’s Supply Chain Innovation Lab provides new opportunities for applied learning and research. RP is well-placed to support the supply chain growth of the industry with the expertise of our Centre of Innovation for Supply Chain Management. The lab is a testament to our commitment to partner industries in training workready logistics professionals and enabling companies to strengthen their supply chain capabilities and raise productivity,” said Mr Yeo Li Pheow, Principal/CEO, RP. For the first time in South East Asia, an automated logistics setup featuring a
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COVER STORY
Issue #3 2016
driverless forklift working in tandem with an automatic picking system and robotic arm was unveiled in October 2015, at a live demonstration at the lab. A region’s first for an applied learning facility, the fully automatic forklift operates independently to lift and move palletised goods from one point to another within the facility. Coupled with the automatic picking system and robotic arm, it integrates the latest automated logistics solutions, simulating an integrated distribution centre for applied learning and research. “Republic Polytechnic’s COI-SCM continues to be an important partner in the Singapore government’s efforts to develop and enhance supply chain management capabilities to meet the future needs of the logistics industry. By combining process optimisation methodologies with technology solutions such as robotics, automation and augmented reality, the new Supply Chain Innovation Lab will encourage more companies and logistics practitioners to adopt cost-effective and innovative business processes and solu-
Principles of Productivity
tions,” said Mr Lee Eng Keat, Director for Logistics and Natural Resources, Singapore Economic Development Board, at the Lab’s official launch on 12 October 2015.
Joint Republic PolytechnicMcKinsey Productivity Lab for Lean Production and Services In August 2016, The RP-McKinsey Lean Production and Services Laboratory was set up within the new Supply Chain Innovation Lab in collaboration with global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. The lab was conceived in recognition that operational excellence and productivity improvements are increasingly important for operational and service companies. The importance and knowledge of appropriate methods and optimisation levers can be effectively taught within this lab environment, allowing participants to learn in a realistic, stable and risk-free environment, leveraging Lean method-
ologies for the systematic elimination of waste, and improving productivity. “We are pleased to form a partnership with Republic Polytechnic to create a real-life factory setting for students and business leaders. In order to maintain economic growth, Singapore must increase its output per worker 2.6 times faster than its historic pace. To act on this productivity imperative, organisations need to rethink how they operate and derive value through lean management. Similar to our capability centres in Munich and Atlanta, the Productivity Lab will provide handson learning in lean management to help participants transform their operations to be more efficient. The lab underscores McKinsey’s commitment to bring the best of the Firm’s global expertise to Singapore,” said Mr Javier Vara, Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company. F
Opposite Page Inauguration of Republic Polytechnic’s new Supply Chain Innovation Lab
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French Chamber Singapore
Ateliers de Formation pour Jobseekers 2016 Kickstart your Career Change 28 septembre 90 SGD
RESUME
CV 04 octobre 100 SGD
Networking (2 sessions)
11 octobre + 08 novembre 140 SGD LinkedIn 13 octobre 125 SGD Entretien 19 octobre 125 SGD
Durée : entre 3h et 4h pour chaque atelier
Offre packagée Engagez-vous sur l’ensemble des sessions (hors “Kickstart your Career Change”) pour un tarif préférentiel de 420 SGD. Où Meeting Room, Chambre de Commerce 541 Orchard Road, #09-01 Liat Towers, S238881 Inscription en ligne fccsingapore.com/hr/workshops-jobseekers
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HR & TRAINING SERVICES
Issue #3 2016
Training Sessions
Upcoming HR Workshops 2016
Workshop Building efficiency: the path to entrepreneur’s success Tuesday 27 September 2016, 14:00
Workshop The art and science of reading and interpreting body language Wednesday 05 October 2016, 14:00 Trainer Catherine Claudepierre, MD, Lead and Succeed
Trainer Marie Lenail-Chouteau, Founder, Coachieve Coaching
Hello
Hola
Bonjour
你好
こんにちは
Workshop Working successfully in a multicultural environment Wednesday 12 October 2016, 14:00
Workshop Convince and make impactful presentations! Module 2: Presenting with impact in English Thursday 20 October 2016, 14:00 Trainer Don Rapley, MD, Issential Training & Coaching
Trainer Alex Lanjri, Head of Training & Development Services, APAC and General Manager, Malaysia, Akteos Asia - Intercultural Training
Workshop Finance for non-finance professionals Wednesda 23 November 2016, 14:00 Trainer Michel Noel, Founder and MD, B P Solutions Pte Ltd (BPS)
Workshop Getting the right work done: learn how to work better and accomplish more in business and in life Tuesday 29 November 2016, 14:00 Trainer Alex Lanjri, Head of Training & Development Services, APAC and GM, Malaysia, Timeo Performance
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BUSINESS SERVICES
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Newly Set-Up Companies
Issue #3 2016
Newly Set-Up Companies Over the last few months, various French companies have benefited from the French Chamber’s Business Support services for their setup process in Singapore. Let’s welcome, among others:
ASI Engineering is a practical and handson consultancy that provides expert support on large construction projects in four main sectors: • Civil engineering; • Offshore; • Mining; • Industry. As projects continue to evolve, grow larger and more complex, construction industry professionals are looking for more and more specialised competencies. Thus, ASI Engineering puts its team of permanent engineers and technicians at clients’ disposal. With experienced staff beside them every step of the way, construction professionals can then better focus on their core competencies.
ASI Engineering offers these following services: • Concrete consultancy services; • QHSE; • Drafting and planning support. As a trusted partner in the construction industry, ASI Engineering already has significant references throughout the world, such as Escondida Water Supply Project in Chile and ITER Tokamak Building in France (the world’s largest nuclear fusion experiment). F Contact: Camille MARTIN, Business Development Manager Email: camille.martin@asi-sg.com Website: www.asi-sg.com
Astek has been providing IT and engineering solutions for nearly 30 years to some of the world’s largest industrial and services groups in the aerospace, defence, energy, transportation, finance, healthcare, travel and telecoms sectors. Their community of 2,500 passionate experts empowers their clients in 14 countries throughout Europe, APAC, the Middle East and North America. Their services focus on four main areas of expertise: • Information technology and systems; • Digital, web and mobile solutions; • Internet of Things; • Technical engineering and product development. Their in-depth expertise gives them the flexibility to shape innovative technological solutions that match the business objectives of their clients. Covering every stage of project development from strategic planning through to manufacturing, they offer advice, create a complete vision, and work with or for their clients. The Astek team is made up of out-of-thebox thinkers, precursors who are keen to create, innovate and collaborate in an environment where they can enjoy being themselves and valued for their ideas. The company always looks for smart, talented, driven, down-to-earth and fun-towork-with people who value trust, ethics and respect. F Contact: Alexis Galon, Managing Director Email: alexis.galon@asteksingapore.com Website: www.asteksingapore.com
IJENKO is the reference platform that combines the value of the Internet of Energy and the Internet of Everything for energy service providers to deliver augmented consumer experiences in the smart home, and develop new B2B ecosystems and distribution models. IJENKO was recently recognised by the Smart Energy UK & Europe 2016 event as the Smart Home Technology of the Year 2016. The Cleantech Group VC and Corporate panel also announced at the recent Global CleanTech Forum of San Francisco that, of 6,900 nominations, it had selected IJENKO as one of the top companies to watch out for in cleantech innovation.
IJENKO announced a partnership agreement with Singapore Power Centre of Excellence (SP CoE) under the centre’s flagship SPEAR (Singapore Power Energy Advanced Research and Development) programme. The partnership will see IJENKO’s IoE2 platform utilised for Singapore Power smart home energy management initiative to create innovative consumer engagement services. F Contact: Serge Subiron, CEO Email: ssubiron@ijenko.com Website: www.ijenko.com
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BUSINESS SERVICES
Issue #3 2016
They Rely on Us
They Rely on Us... and Testify to Our Services and expertise and the values of creativity and innovation.
When Augustin Peigné set up this company in 1922, he did not expect that his savoir faire would be transferred so thoroughly through three generations. Today, we remain deeply committed to this savoir faire and it is truly in our blood. Our designs are 100% French – we have our own designers – and all our prototypes are made in France. We design our shoes with a Parisian look in mind, but it is certainly wearable by women worldwide (we have an export turnover of 40%!). Our brand Un Tour en Ville is defined by customised matching accessories, genuine lines, and renewed materials. Our design team holds in high regard the virtues of passion
Why did Peigné Chaussures decide to approach the South East Asian market? I made a pit stop in Singapore in 2012 en route to Australia and I did a brief study of the Singaporean market. There was indeed potential and so, in 2016, I returned to Singapore and studied more extensively the possibilities of expanding in the region, to Malaysia and Indonesia in particular.
ourselves, and they were very efficient in providing us with information that we needed. During our second prospection mission (in 2016), we found their assistance highly advantageous, especially since they are a French locally based point-of-contact. They were very active in getting us appointments with our prospects and guiding us with our approach. It was highly professional work that we would recommend. Was the mission fruitful?
How was the preparation of the prospection mission?
It always takes time to break into new markets but we are pleased to say that we are now very close to finalising a trial order and entering the market here. F
There was a good amount of back and forth between the French Chamber and
Website: www.un-tour-en-ville.fr
The French Chamber Welcomes a Delegation from the Systematic Cluster The Systematic Cluster boasts a unique concentration of technology players in Europe and an outstanding international reputation focused on booming markets. It is already a breeding ground for breakthroughs. With Systematic, France has a world leader at the heart of the digital revolution. In partnership with the Paris Île-deFrance Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore welcomed a delegation from the Systematic Cluster consisting of four innovative companies that offer smart solutions: IJENKO, EVOLU-
TION ENERGIE, MOPeasy and LUCEOR. For three days, the Chamber organised meetings and presentations with relevant Singaporean authorities and key contacts. On top of these meetings, the Business Support team arranged over 40 B2B meetings with potential partners and future customers. This three-day business trip provided a clear overview on the ambitions and orienta-
The French Chamber Welcomes a Delegation from Brest
tions Singapore is taking on regarding smart city solutions. Ultimately, the four companies from the Systematic Cluster gained many business opportunities. F
A delegation comprising representatives from Brest Métropole, Brest’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, companies from the region, and members of the scientific and university communities, made its way to Singapore in April to meet with key French institutions in Singapore. Presentations included the activities and services of the French Chamber as well as an overview of the French maritime cluster in Singapore and the region by Gilles Bonavita. F
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Trade Shows
BroadcastAsia + CommunicAsia 2016
14th French Pavilion @ CommunicAsia & BroadcastAsia 2016 Once again, the French Chamber had the privilege of organising the 14th edition of the two French pavilions at BroadcastAsia and CommunicAsia 2016. The active involvement of the 16 French companies under our pavilions this year demonstrates the innovating abilities of French technology companies as well as the importance and influence of these two international tradeshows in the region. The tradeshow has delivered incredible value to the French exhibitors and they have benefited fully from their presence on the French Pavilions. F
Participating Exhibitors
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Issue #3 2016
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BUSINESS SERVICES
Issue #3 2016
BroadcastAsia + CommunicAsia 2016
France Singapore ICT Awards 2016 Co-organised by the French Chamber Singapore and Business France, the 8th edition of the ICT Awards was a great success. This exceptional event, held at Raffles Hotel, aimed at developing the economic relations between France and Singapore, and giving extra visibility to the French companies exhibiting within the French Pavilion. A total of 13 candidates took part in the ICT Awards. French and Singaporean companies competed in front of a jury comprising prominent chief executives from A*Star, Emerge Venture, Google, Microsoft, Singtel, Starhub, Beta Movement, Mediacorp, SITF and IE Singapore. F The France Singapore ICT Awards were kindly sponsored by:
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsors
FRANCE SINGAPORE ICT AWARDS 2016 winners Most Innovative Solution
Best Potential in Asia
Best Business Model
Best Team in Asia
Cedexis
Criteo
gridComm
Snapask
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French Chamber Events COMMITTEES
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| Gala Dinner
Organised to celebrate the strong friendship and business relations between France and Singapore, the 2016 Edition of the French Chamber of Commerce Gala Dinner brought together more than 500 eminent Singaporean and French guests. This year, we celebrated the multiple facets of French creativity. Held at the Shangri-La Hotel on 27 May 2016, the Singaporean and French business communities enjoyed an evening together, under the patronage of our guests of honour: Dr Koh Poh Koon, Minister of State, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Trade & Industry; H.E. Benjamin Dubertret, the Ambassador of France to Singapore; and France’s legendary adman, Mr Jacques Séguéla.
Issue #3 2016
So French So Creative
Gala Dinner 2016
The evening was a fabulous “So French, So Creative” night where we showcased the expression of creativity through a unique culinary experience, various art performances and a glamorous Parisian fashion show.
Platinum Sponsor
Thanks to the very talented Chef Edouard Loubet, two-Michelin-star Chef in Provence, our guests experienced some of the finest French cuisine in Singapore, accompanied by delicate French wines from Wine Connection and Champagne from Perrier-Jouet. Our guests enjoyed contemporary dance with “Heart Beat” by the Soul Signature Dance initiative and a mesmerising magical and poetic video mapping performance by artist Romain Lalire. As a grand finale, we were very proud to present Emita Churlaud’s fashion show with looks she created in her Parisian atelier specifically for our Gala dinner. The eponymous brand will soon be launched at Manifesto’s Singapore outlet. We would like to express our special thanks to Mr Jacques Séguéla, Chef Edouard Loubet, Emmanuelle Churlaud and Romain Lalire for flying all the way to Singapore for the occasion. Thank you to all our guests for joining the French Chamber Gala Dinner celebration! This event would not have been possible without the strong support of the Planitswiss agency and of all the sponsors highlighted here. To see more pictures and the video, head to gala.fccsingapore.com. F
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Official Airline
Official Champagne
Official Logistics
Fashion Partners
emita churlaud made in paris
Official Wine
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Dr Koh Poh Koon, Minister of State, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Trade and Industry
Guests from Safran
French French Chamber Chamber COMMITTEES Events
Gala Dinner|
H.E. Benjamin Dubertret, Ambassador of France to Singapore
Guests from BNP Paribas
Doina Palici-Chehab, President of the Legendary adman Jacques Séguéla
Guests from Air France
French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore
Guests from Société Générale
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French Chamber Events COMMITTEES
| Gala Dinner
Guests from Arkadin
Guests from Crédit Agricole CIB
Guests from Capgemini
Guests from CIC
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Issue #3 2016
Guests from AXA
Guests from Hermès
Guests from Havas
Guests from COFACE
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Two-Michelin-star Chef Edouard Loubet
“Heart Beat” by the Soul Signature Dance
Video mapping performance by Romain Lalire
French French Chamber Chamber COMMITTEES Events
Gala Dinner|
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French Chamber Events COMMITTEES
| Gala Dinner
Fashion show with creations by Emita Churlaud
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Guests from Schneider Electric
Guests from Timeo–Performance
Live “Just Dance“ demonstration
Photos by Terran Tang (www.exxposures.com) and Cedric Vrolant (www.cedricvrolant.com)
French French Chamber Chamber COMMITTEES Events
Gala Dinner|
Guests from Orange Business Services
Guests from IndoSuez
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French Chamber COMMITTEES
| Asia / Energy/Infrastructure / Sustainability
FOCUS MAGAZINE
Issue #3 2016
2016 French Chamber Annual General Meeting The French Chamber’s Annual General Meeting took place on Friday 3 June 2016 at the AXA University with Mrs Doina Palici-Chehab, President of the French Chamber, presiding over the meeting with the help of Mrs Carine Lespayandel, its Executive Director. Mrs Palici-Chehab addressed the assembly for approval of the 2015-2016 Annual Report to introduce the meeting. 20152016 has been an excellent year for the Chamber with more members, more activities and services thanks to the work and active contribution of the team, the board members and the member companies. The President and the Executive Director gave an overview of the Chamber’s activities in 2015 and 2016, presenting the results achieved of each department. They also highlighted the new projects launched in the past year, such as Urban Innovations – the portfolio showcasing over 150 French smart cities solutions – and the new initiatives launched for startups and entrepreneurs such as the mentoring programme, Business Advisors Group and French Entrepreneur Award. F
Acting for More Future: Sustainable Development at Solvay Sustainable development is becoming more and more of a driver for business strategy and growth rather than just a constraint for industry. Solvay CEO Mr Jean-Pierre Clamadieu shared his analysis on how Solvay’s approach to sustainability has developed over the years and what future challenges the group is set to take on. This presentation was followed by a roundtable with H.E. Benjamin Dubertret, Ambassador of France to Singapore, which was moderated by Mrs Doina Palici-Chehab, President of the French Chamber. F
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French Chamber COMMITTEES
| Digital Innovations & Marketing
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Issue #3 2016
“Life is Too Short to Be Unhappy at Work” Breakfast Talk with Mr Jacques Séguéla Coffee, tea and inspiration: legendary French adman Jacques Séguéla visited Singapore for this exceptional breakfast talk celebrating the creativity of France’s arts and industries. He shared with the audience tales and anecdotes from his 60year career, as well as insights into communication strategies that don’t just sell products, but change the perceptions and behaviours of people the world over. Jacques Séguéla was interviewed by Tara Hirebet, Specialist in Asian Human Factors, Consumer & Cultural Intelligence & Urban Innovation. F
The Future of Digital Marketing The field of digital marketing is constantly evolving. Technologies get more powerful, formats transform, data becomes increasingly complex, and markets gain new actors. Through this breakfat talk, marketing professionals found out about the latest trends they need to embrace to keep their business current. Ambba Kuthiala, Managing Director – APAC for eYeka explained how creative crowdsourcing has matured as an integral tool for marketers. Alban Villani, Commercial Director for Criteo Southeast Asia, HK, India and Taiwan, discussed personalised marketing through which companies reach out to individuals with relevant knowledge. To conclude, Adrien Barthel, Chief Marketing Officer at Sephora Digital SEA, joined our speakers for a panel discussion moderated by Martin Pasquier, Managing Director of Agence Tesla. F
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French Chamber COMMITTEES
Events|
Issue #3 2016
Business Luncheon with Dr Beh, Chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board The French Chamber brought together its board members for an exclusive business luncheon with Dr Beh, Chairman of
the Singapore Economic Development Board to exchange on the current economic climate in Singapore and the lat-
est initiatives and happenings within the French business communities. F
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French Chamber COMMITTEES
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| Energy/Infrastructure
Issue #3 2016
InterChamber Networking - Energy/Utilities/Infrastructure/Sustainability The French Chamber, along with the American, Australian, British, German and New Zealand Chambers of Commerce invited their members to a networking event organised by their energy, utilities, infrastructure and sustainability committees. Our members enjoyed some evening drinks and canapés in the industrial-chic vibe of Ô Comptoir. F
Interactive Session with Mr Seah Moon Ming, Group CEO of Pavilion Energy and Pavilion Gas Pavilion Energy is a Temasek portfolio company incorporated to provide clean and reliable energy to support economic growth and contribute to a sustainable future in Singapore and in the region with a vision to become a regional LNG player in Asia. It has incorporated Pavilion Gas as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pavilion Energy, to manage gas operations in Singapore. The Energy-Infrastructure Committee organised an interactive session with Mr Seah Moon Ming, Group CEO of Pavilion Energy and Pavilion Gas, and his team, who welcomed us in their offices. After a presentation of the Pavilion Energy com-
pany profile and of the Singapore LNG Index Group, our members enjoyed an open discussion with Mr Seah and his team
about gas-to-gas pricing in Asia for spot trading, small-scale LNG solutions and other gas business development topics. F
of reaching the external innovators across the industry borders.
Open Innovation as a Tool for Industrial Renewal Open Inovasi is a joint effort by four French companies (Thales, PSA Group, Bouygues Construction/Dragages Singapore and Veolia) operating in Singapore to find innovative solutions for industrial renewal
and to keep up with the rapidly changing business environments. Open Inovasi is an online platform and common working model with the objective
The objective is to find new solutions for sustainable cities and to develop these solutions into new businesses in collaboration with innovators. For the purpose of this presentation, the following main partners shared their insights: • Eugene De Rozario, Head, Maintenance, Business Development, Dragages Singapore; • Antoine Fagette, Director, Center of Excellence for Smart/Safe Cities & Maritime Security, Thales; • Gregory Blokkeel, Head of Innovation Cell @Singapore, PSA Group; • Nicolas Marechal-Abram, Scientific Director, Veolia City Modeling Center; and • Emmi Kaipio, Open Innovation Officer, Veolia City Modelling Center. F
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French Chamber COMMITTEES
Banking & Finance / Health|
Improving Productivity through Next-Generation Budgeting and Planning Mr Raghu Raghunathan, Partner, and Mr Etienne Cosnefroy, Senior Manager, PwC, discussed concrete steps for companies to make their budgeting and planning process lean and effective. This session also showcased modern-day technologies that can help drive productivity and efficiency in the budgeting and planning process. The presentation was completed with “beyond budget approach” experience sharing by Mr François-Eric Mezin, CFO and Global function Finance VP, AsiaPacific, Schneider Electric, and Mr Paul Chifflet, Financial Planning Director, Danone Asia Pacific. F
CFO Club – Business Lunch During this intimate and casual CFO business lunch, CFOs had the opportunity to discuss with their peers their challenges/issues, experiences and best practices in the region. F
The Future of Digital Health Insurance For this next Healthcare committee meeting, we welcomed Mr Grégoire Rastoul, UEX, Mr Sébastien Roger, AXA Insurance Singapore, and Mr Nick Macey, Leo Tech, who shared the story behind the UEXPAT app. They addressed the following points: • Why health and insurance are two markets where disruption is happening; • Why choose the expatriates community as a first target; • MVP process: from ideation to productisation; • Digital strategy as a means not an end; • Empowering corporate innovation through a lean start-up approach. F
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French Chamber COMMITTEES
| Start-Ups & Entrepreneurs
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Issue #3 2016
French Chamber Tech Entrepreneurs Club Mr Eric Barbier, CEO TransferTo, and Mr Denis Branthonne, CEO, Novade, together with the French Chamber Start-Ups & Entrepreneurs Committee, launched the French Tech Entrepreneurs Club in March 2016. The goal of this initiative is to bring together French tech start-ups to enable peer-to-peer discussion. Three meetings have taken place since its launch: • a first networking lunch meeting in March to define together the objectives and topics of interest; • a first experience sharing session conducted in May by Mr Jean-Claude Donato, Managing Director, Nikaia, to tackle the question of fundraising, a crucial topic for start-ups; • and the most recent session in June, where Mr Jacques Pickering, Managing Director, Pickering Pacific, was invited to elaborate on the intricacies of the Merger & Aquisition process. F
Emerging Innovation: an Exploratory Journey into Design Thinking and Innovation Games The growing success of agile methods, which put a strong emphasis on people interactions, fun and creativity-friendly environments, has made design thinking and innovation games even more popular. Design thinking can be used to design products, new customer experience or corporate strategy and large scale systems... Mr Cédric Mainguy, Head of Digital Innovation at PALO-IT, ran this handson session. F
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French Chamber COMMITTEES
Start-Ups & Entrepreneurs|
Entrepreneurs’ Drink French start-ups and entrepreneurs represent 25% of our business community. This gathering in July was the opportunity for start-ups to mingle with other founders. They exchanged about their businesses around a glass of wine, and shared best practices and contacts. F
Business Advisors Group The advisors have welcomed seven start-ups since January, who presented their businesses and challenges. The entrepreneurs received recommendations and contacts from advisors with a range of professional expertise. This free initiative is a unique opportunity for French start-ups in Singapore to get support. F
Workshop: Finance for Non-Financial Professionals The training session was designed to help non-financial professionals (entrepreneurs specifically) raise their level of financial and accounting awareness and allow them to better understand their business’ financial issues. This workshop enabled them to use financial information to make short-term or long-term decisions in managing their business. A very usefull booklet with a lexicon with the different terms and terminology used in international accounting translated in French was handed over to the participants. F
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French Chamber COMMITTEES
| Aeronautics, Space, Defence & Security
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Inter-Association Networking Night 2016 Welcome to ATR’s Singapore Training Centre The Chamber’s Aeronautics, Space, Defense and Security committee invited members to visit the ATR Training Centre, ATR being the world leader in the market for regional aircraft of up to 90 seats. The presentation was given by Mr Xayadeth Litnhouvongs, Quality, Operations and Compliance Monitoring Deputy Manager, Mr Luigi Celmi, President, ATR Eastern Support, and Capt. Albert Drijgers, Deputy Head of Training. F
Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism in SEA The rise of the radical Sunni Islamist militant group Islamic State has gradually changed the landscape of the terrorist threat in South East Asia. In response, governments in the region have strengthened their counter-terrorism arsenals through the adoption of new legislation and a strong emphasis placed on the role of police and military forces. The implications of this changing security context were presented by Mr Romain Quivooij, Associate Research Fellow with the Centre of Excellence for National Security, a constituent unit of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU). F
The Association of Small and Medium Enterprises celebrated its 30th anniversary and hosted the 6th annual networking evening with other trade associations and chambers of commerce. On this occasion, more than 40 French SMEs and entrepreneurs experienced a relaxing networking evening at Zouk and met many Singaporean SMEs. F
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French Chamber COMMITTEES
ICT / Legal & Tax|
Optimising your Business in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Mr Harvey Koenig, Partner, Mr Eugene Jang, Senior Manager, and Mr Er Say Hun, Director, KPMG, discussed some of the tax considerations of investing in the ASEAN region, as well as tax incentives available in the region. The discussion also explored how groups use Singapore as a holding company jurisdiction for their expansion into ASEAN. One of the key enablers in the AEC is the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, which allows companies that manufacture goods in ASEAN for ASEAN countries to enjoy lower import duty. In this session, the speakers focused on how companies with operations in ASEAN countries can optimise them with the establishment of the AEC. The session also included sharing of the AEC 2025 blueprint and what is to be expected of it. F
Cyber-Security: The Good, the Bad and the Myth The ICT committee invited Ms Magda Lilia Chelly, Business Development Director APAC for Eva Group, to share with us ten ways to develop cyber-security, through building a secure eco-system, becoming cyber-mature, etc. Through several examples, Magda shared tips on investigating and building a plan and the common best practices in order to reduce risks. F
CIO Lunch The CIO lunches are a new series of events dedicated specifically to CIOs. Held every quarter, these intimate and casual lunches allow participants to exchange with their counterparts in Singapore. F
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| Asia / Legal & Tax
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Whether You Are Big or Small: What You Need to Know on Competition Laws in ASEAN As of 31 December 2015, almost all ASEAN countries have introduced competition laws. This means that the rules of the game for doing business in the region have changed and that businesses have no choice but be acutely tuned in to these developments in ASEAN. Mrs Dominique Lombardi, Foreign Lawyer at Rajah & Tann Competition & Antitrust Practice, provided an overview of competition laws and then shared practical, on-the-ground experiences on the main issues faced by businesses active in this region. F
Global FATCA: What the OECD Common Reporting Standard Means for Financial Institutions Singapore has committed to the OECD’s Common Reporting Standard (CRS), which is designed to combat tax evasion. During this session, Mrs Suzanne Gibson, Special Counsel at King & Wood Mallesons, discussed things to know about CRS, the key differences between CRS and the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, additional impact for certain Asian financial institutions, and how to prepare for CRS. F
Tax Implications in International Agreements: What Business Developers Should Know about Tax Business development and/or sales personnel are constantly travelling in the region, talking to and negotiating with existing and potential new clients and customers. This session by Mrs Loïse Jacquette, Consultant, and Mrs Barbara Voskamp, Partner, EY, was meant to explain the basic tax principles when involved in negotiations of cross-border contracts as well as to provide our members with tools on how to identify red flags. F
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French Chamber COMMITTEES
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French Maritime Cluster / Sustainability|
Singapore as International Maritime Centre This event saw Mr Tay Yeow Min, Ms Ina Foo, and Ms Bernice Yeoh from the International Maritime Centre department of MPA discuss different topics, namely the Maritime Port Authority and its scope of actions, as well as the maritime sector in Singapore, its importance and growth over the years. The talk ended with a presentation of MPA schemes and initiatives available to the maritime industry (namely Maritime Sector Incentive schemes and the Maritime Cluster Fund). F
MPA Sustainability Initiatives for a Future-Ready Maritime Singapore Both public and private partners need to work in close collaboration, in a collective
manner, to achieve a sustainable future for our next and following generations.
While regulators are entrusted to protect the public’s interest in this respect, companies are being increasingly held accountable and they need to find ways to build sustainable business performance. We are in many ways, all in the same boat. We are in need of a comprehensive plan to ensure a sustainable future. Mr Tan Suan Jow, Director (Shipping Division / Sustainability Office) at the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), provided MPA’s perspectives on building a future-ready maritime Singapore. F
CMA CGM a Key Player in the Container Maritime Industry Consolidation Container maritime transportation is one of the key sectors in the globalisation process. After several years of record growth, the industry has entered a more mature phase following the 2009 crisis. The market has become more volatile and more competitive, which has forced major and mid-sized ship-owners to join forces or merge. To discuss this topic, the French Chamber welcomed Mr Patrice Mittard, Vice President of Operations at CMA CGM, whose company recently acquired APL /NOL, Singapore’s national shipping icon. F
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| Smart Cities / Sustainability
Issue #3 2016
Ecologically Smart Cities: The Power of Urban Ecosystem Services In this presentation, Mr Sylvain Remy, Director of the Institute of Sustainable Development and Smart Cities at Essec Asia Pacific, talked about ecologically smart cities. Cities are multidimensional, comprising population, transportation, built environment... An urban dimension that is often neglected is the ecosystem. Yet, human life has a profound connection with ecosystems. Ecosystem services are socio-economic services provided by natural assets, such as trees, parks, rivers, which improve human health, social welfare, infrastructure... Such services are consistently overlooked, although they are very valuable. Hence, cities aspiring to smartness should harness the power of urban ecosystem services. F
Sustainability Business Strategies: AccorHotels & Corporate Citizenship On the occasion of his visit to Singapore, the French Chamber Sustainability Committee was pleased to welcome Mr Arnaud Herrmann, Vice President Sustainable
Development, AccorHotels, who shared with participants the group’s sustainability programme, Planet 21. Participants also had the opportunity to hear from Mr
Thomas Milburn, Senior Consultant at Corporate Citizenship, who discussed “the challenge of change: the role of businesses in sustainable development”. F
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A Mindful Entrepreneurial Journey with Penny Low Our Business Women and Startups & Entrepreneurs committees welcomed Ms Penny Low, a serial entrepreneur and
French Chamber COMMITTEES
Business Women / Startups & Entrepreneurs|
Founder & President, Social Innovation Park, for an inspiring sharing session. Penny talked about her success in various fields from wealth management to social enterprises to global movements, her challenges and the lessons she has
learnt. She discussed her ventures, from the development of the award-winning first eco-town in the tropics as a Member of Parliament to the founding of the Social Innovation Park, all while leading an active lifestyle as an avid hitch hiker-explorer. F
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French Chamber COMMITTEES
FOCUS MAGAZINE
| Business Women
Issue #3 2016
Inspiring Women Networking Event with a Top French Athlete in Collaboration with ERES about the highs and lows of her athletic career, sacrifices and worthwhile efforts, and discussed how the process and work matter as much as the reward. Ending her career as an athlete after being injured, Amandine moved to Singapore five years ago and started a new career from scratch: she built her own successful coaching company.
Last May, Mrs Amandine Fetaud, Managing Director of A4 Sports, shared her inspiring experience with other business
women. Amandine is a top athlete, once “championne de France” and among the 50 fastest runners in Europe. She talked
The networking evening was hosted by ERES boutique, the newly opened luxury French swimwear brand, at Four Seasons hotel. Participants had the opportunity to win three luxurious prizes, offered by Mrs Natasha Eichaker, Co-founder & Director, ERES boutique. F
Site Visit: Les Dessous de la National Gallery A group of business women had the pleasure to be guided by Mrs Ariane Nabarro, Founder & Director, Singapour sur Seine, through the iconic National Gallery Singapore. A French-speaking Singapore Tourism Board-licensed tour guide, Ariane explained how French architectural firm Studio Milou re-designed and elegantly integrated the historical former Supreme Court and City Hall buildings to form the National Gallery. The tour ended on the roof of the museum, for a drink facing the amazing view on Singapore. F
Women Entrepreneurs Round Table & Mastermind A dozen of women founders have already joined these sessions to brainstorm together. Each entrepreneur got the opportunity to present her business and current challenges, and get feedback and insights from her peers. This accountability structure helps participants keep focused and on track. Regular mastermind group sessions are already planned until December. F
FOCUS MAGAZINE Issue #3 2016
French Chamber COMMITTEES
Luxury & Premium Retail / Sourcing & Supply Chain|
IP and Compliance Developments Impacting the Luxury and Fashion Industry The global luxury market has been expanding steadily, reaching an impressive US$254 billion in 2014. Fashion and intellectual property (IP) have always been inextricably linked. Mr Lim Ren Jun, Local Principal at law firm Baker & McKenzie Wong & Leow, presented to the Luxury & Premium Retail committee the IP and compliance developments in the luxury Industry as well as strategies on how to address issues such as: protection of store layouts/concepts, protection of well-known marks, copycats, online counterfeiting, reporting obligations under anti-corruption and anti-money laundering regulations, compliance with data privacy obligations. F
Valeo’s Supply Chain Model through the New Batam Factory Set-up Journey Mr Jérôme Jumel, Site General Manager at Valeo Wipers, detailed the Valeo supply chain model through the Batam factory setup, and gave participants some key success factors for an efficient supply chain. F
Integrating S.E. Asia: A major manufacturing and logistics hub for the future With a combined GDP of $2.4 trillion and an average annual economic growth rate of 5%, South East Asia is the new region on the rise. The creation of the ASEAN Economic Community will allow free trade, investment and worker movement between the 10 nations involved. Mr Olivier Storch, Regional Director, Sales & Marketing, Asia Pacific, Geodis Wilson Singapore, gave participants an overview of how the transition will take place, and what changes can be expected in their day to day business. F
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French Chamber COMMITTEES
FOCUS MAGAZINE
| Human Resources
Issue #3 2016
Business Partner HR: What Are the Expectations of your CEO? This talk was presented by Mrs Doina Palici-Chehab, CEO, AXA Singapore General Insurance, and Capt. Yann Lardet, General Manager, Airbus Asia Training Center. It was moderated by Mrs Annabelle Thebaud, HR Director, Scor Reinsurance Asia-Pacific. F
How to Boost your SelfConfidence to Perform Better at Work In a world where foundations are shaken and stability is fleeting, how can self-esteem impact one’s ability to develop fruitful interpersonal relationships? What courageous steps can one take to build trust in my teams? How can trust give organisations a competitive advantage? This workshop was conducted by Mrs Veronique Girma, Executive Coach & Partner at Turningpoint Asia and Mrs Ikhlas Bidau, Executive Coach & Director at Turningpoint Asia, who showed how building self-esteem helps develop the self-confidence necessary to create conditions for trust in your ecosystem. F
HR Club: Downsizing in Multinational Context Over the last decades, downsizing in multinational companies has become a persistent solution to address economic challenges and organisational changes in the current global economic climate. Although frequent, it remains one of the most disruptive changes for organisations and elicits a wide range of emotions in
those involved. Nowadays in Singapore, the downsizing process has also become a trend as the economic situation has recently been changing.
with a focus on the emotional experience of the “downsizing agents” and a closer look at the potential impact of cross cultural interactions.
Mrs Aude Beneton, Executive Coach and Partner at Harmony Mobility Consulting, brought new perspectives on the topic
This talk was based on the research and findings of Aude, detailed in her Executive Thesis. F
FOCUS MAGAZINE Issue #3 2016
French Chamber COMMITTEES
Human Resources / French Gourmet|
Circular Economy in the Pharmaceutical/Cosmetics Industry Taking care of resources with a circular economy mindset is a journey that started in 2002 with NEWater by Singapore (the water sustainability strategy of the citystate that uses high-grade reclaimed water installations). In combination with its development strategy, Singapore has become a hot spot for one of the most high-end industry, pharmaceutical and biotech, with around 50 manufacturing plants and 30 regional HQs for research in the country. The Sustainability committee welcomed Mr Johann Bonnet, Vice President Business Development - Pharma & Cosmetics at Veolia, who explained how to preserve resources such as water, raw materials (plastics, solvents, glass) and energy by developing Circular Economy. F
Business + Gastronomy = French Chamber Monthly Luncheons On every first Friday of each month, the French Chamber organises a business luncheon at a different French restaurant. The constant change in venue and menu creates a refreshing ambience for conversations to flow between our members. These informal networking sessions are always excellent opportunities to develop new contacts and exchange opinions on business issues while enjoying some great French food. Our last luncheons took place at Napoleon Food & Wine Bar (top), Maison Eric Kayser Singapore (centre) and Xperience Restaurant, SO Sofitel Singapore (bottom). These events are open to everyone; feel free to invite your friends or colleagues to join us. Visit our website www.fccsingapore.com to see our next business luncheons and broaden your network! F
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French Chamber Events
FOCUS MAGAZINE
Pétanque Tournament 2016
Issue #3 2016
A Rainy but Fun Edition for the French Chamber Pétanque Tournament 2016 The French Chamber’s 2016 Pétanque Tournament took place on Saturday 14 May at East Coast Park. Despite the challenges of the game and the weather, players still found the time to enjoy a few glasses of Ricard and Tiger beers, get some snacks and drinks throughout the day to keep going till the late afternoon. The BBQ, along with some glasses of rosé wines sponsored by FDH made up a well-deserved lunch break for our players. We take this opportunity to thank once again our main sponsors for their support: AGS Four Winds and Bolloré Logistics. We would also like to thank our drinks sponsors Pernod Ricard, FDH and Tiger and all our in-kind sponsors for making this annual event a big success! F yan Tree Ang Ban san the ah t a
el ot
Sta y
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Winners
for
th e
r s! grand winne
Winners of the Main Tournament Last chance Ricard rocket French quiches DoAsia
Main Sponsors
Winners of the Plate Tournament Team Ricard 2 Bachy Boys
Official Drinks
Gift Sponsors
FOCUS MAGAZINE
MEMBERSHIP
Issue #3 2016
New Members|
New Members Corporate MEMBERS ANOTECH ENERGY SINGAPORE
Contact: Mr Julien CARDONA, Anotech Energy Singapore Representative Website: www.anotech-energy.com Sector: Energy Industries Services
ASI ENGINEERING
Contact: Mr Jean-Marc DEVERGNE, CEO Website: www.techniconcrete.com Sector: Engineering Consultancy
AT INTERNET SINGAPORE
Contact: Mr Fai-Keung NG, Regional Director Website: www.atinternet.com/en Sector: Software / Information Services
CENTRE INTERNATIONAL DE DEVELOPPEMENT PHARMACEUTIQUE
Contact: Mr Jean Louis ROULE, CEO Website: www.cidp-cro.com Sector: Contract Research
CORNEY & BARROW LIMITED (SINGAPORE BRANCH)
Contact: Mr Wilfried BOURCEAU, Senior Private & Trade Account Manager - Asia Website: www.corneyandbarrow.com.sg Sector: Wine
DIEHL METERING
Contact: Mr Benoît SCHLAEFLI, Export Director Website: www.diehl.com/metering Sector: Industrial Products
EIGHTSTONE PTE LTD
Contact: Mr Cyril MALAPERT, Managing Partner Website: www.eightstone.com Sector: Bank / Finance / Investment
FITCH DESIGN PTE LTD
Contact: Mr Andrew CROMBIE, CEO, Southeast & North Asia Website: www.fitch.com Sector: Retail and Brand Consultancy
GROUPE SEB SINGAPORE PTE LTD
Contact: Mr Kelvin MOW, Managing Director Website: www.tefal.com Sector: Consumer Goods
LVMH FASHION GROUP
Contact: Mr Damien VERNET, President of LVMH Fashion Group Asia Sector: Luxury goods
MG HEARING
Contact: Mrs Stéphanie MARIVIN, Chief Representative Asia Pacific Website: www.mg-dev.fr Sector: Medical Technology and Equipment
NOVABAY PTE LTD
Contact: Mr Charles-Elie LEFAUCHEUR, Business Development Projects Leader Website: www.novacap.eu Sector: Diversified Chemicals
RHTLAW TAYLOR WESSING
Contact: Mr Erwan BARRE, Registered Foreign Lawyer (Paris And New York Bars) Website: www.rhtlawtaylorwessing.com Sector: Law
SAGE SOFTWARE ASIA PTE LTD
Contact: Mr Yajnish MALIK, Managing Director Website: www.sageasiapac.com Sector: Software / Information Services
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS Ms Sandra BAUSER, Deputy Gallery Manager, BRUNO
GALLERY Sector: Art
Mr Jérôme RORET, Senior Consultant, KORN FERRY Sector: Human Resources
Mr Tom BLACHERE, General Manager & Company Director,
Mr Khakhon SOM, Senior Director Software Engineering and
BAWAH INVESTMENT PTE LTD Sector: Developer / Hotels
eBusiness Development, ELSEVIER
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MEMBERSHIP
FOCUS MAGAZINE
New Members
Issue #3 2016
Entrepreneur MEMBERS 8S2BUSINESS
Contact: Dr Stéphane-Laure CAUBET, Founder Website: www.8s2business.com Sector: Consulting
AUTHENTIC CHOICES
Contact: Mr Laurent VUIBERT, Executive Coach Website: www.authenticchoices.co Sector: Human Resources
BUSINESS AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING
Contact: Mrs Isabelle CLAUS TEIXEIRA, CoFounder Sector: Human Resources
EAST STREAMS ADVISORY
Contact: Mr Wladimir PALLU DE BEAUPUY, Managing Director Website: www.eaststreams.com Sector: Maritime
GYPTIS GLOBAL CONSULTING
Contact: Mr Laurent BIALE, Director Website: www.gyptis.com.sg Sector: Recruitment
HUFF N PUFF (BAR-A-THYM RESTAURANT)
Contact: Mr Francois MERMILLIOD, Director Website: www.bar-a-thym.sg Sector: F&B
KVI
MERIEM HALL DESIGNS
Contact: Ms Meriem HALL, Founder & Design Director Website: www.meriemhalldesigns.com Sector: Consulting, Interior Design
NOVADE
Contact: Mr Denis BRANTHONNE, Founder & CEO Website: www.novadegroup.com Sector: Enterprise Applications for Building and Construction Operations
ORIX INSURANCE AGENCY
Contact: Mr Damien FERTE, Director Website: www.orixinsurance.com Sector: Insurance
PATELUM
Contact: Mr Nicolas RENAUD, Founder Sector: Consulting / Wealth Management
PRIVACHEF
Contact: Mr Eric LARUE, Chef & Founder Website: www.chefericlarue.com Sector: F&B / Catering / Hospitality
SGITECH
Contact: Mr Guillaume COMBES, General Manager Sector: Medical Technology and Equipment
SINGEXPERIENCE
Contact: Prof. Rachid YAZAMI, President & Founding Director Website: www.kvi-battery.com Sector: Batteries
Contact: Mr Bertrand BIDAUD, Founder Website: www.singexperience.sg Sector: Gift & Experience Specialist
LE FRENCHIE
Contact: Mr Arnaud PIERRE, Director Website: www.stage-heroes.com Sector: Stage Production
LIONSTRAT
Contact: Mr Alexis LHOYER, CEO Website: www.wine-family.com Sector: Wine
Contact: Mr Julien LAMBELIN, Owner Website: www.lefrenchie.net Sector: Wine & wine bar
Contact: Mr Loic TARDY, Founder and CEO Sector: Consultants
STAGE HEROES
WINE FAMILY
FOCUS MAGAZINE
MEMBERSHIP
Issue #3 2016
New Members|
Associate MEMBERS AB CHOCOLAT SAS
Contact: Mr David ANGELI, Founder Website: www.belloangeli.fr Sector: F&B
ANGELINE SUPARTO LAW CORPORATION
Contact: Ms Angeline SUPARTO, MD Website: www.angelinesuparto.com Sector: Legal / Audit / Consulting
ASHINGTON ADVISORY
MSG GLOBAL SOLUTIONS ASIA
Contact: Mr Rudolf-Alexander WINKLHOFER, Managing Director Website: www.msg-global.com Sector: Software / Information Services
ODETTE RESTAURANT
Contact: Mr Julien ROYER, Chef-Owner Website: odetterestaurant.com Sector: F&B
SAMUEL SEOW LAW CORPORATION
Contact: Mr Anand Jude ANTHONY, MD Website: www.a-ashington.com Sector: Legal / Audit / Consulting
Contact: Mr Samuel SEOW, MD Website: www.sslawcorp.com Sector: Legal / Audit / Consulting
AV INTELLIGENCE
SATGURU TRAVEL & TOURS AND SHIVAM GENERAL TRADING
Contact: Mr Andy KENNARD, CEO Website: www.av-intelligence.com Sector: Entertainment Systems
BANK JULIUS BAER & CO.
Contact: Mr Wen Han CHOY, Executive Director Contact: www.juliusbaer.com Sector: Banking / Finance / Investment
CA TRUST PAC
Contact: Mr Lye Heng, Paul TAN, MD Website: www.casingapore.org Sector: Legal / Audit / Consulting
DBS TREASURE PRIVATE CLIENT
Contact: Mr Philippe ZANETTI, Relationship Manager Website: www.dbs.com.sg Sector: Bank / Finance / Investment
IRU
Contact: Mrs Natasha EICHAKER, CoFounder / Director Sector: Retail / Consumer Goods
KIDS 21
Contact: Ms Jasmine FOO, Assistant Marketing Manager Website: www.kids21.com Sector: Retail / Consumer Goods
Contact: Mr Jaikishan (Jackie) SONI, Senior Branch Manager Website: www.satguruun.com Sector: Tourism / Travel
SHISEIDO ASIA PACIFIC
Contact: Mr Jean-Philippe CHARRIER, President Website: www.shiseido.com Sector: Cosmetics / Perfume
SAINT PIERRE
Contact: Mr Julien BROCKERS, GM Website: www.saintpierre.com.sg Sector: F&B
VOLT SERVICE CORPORATION
Contact: Mr Ben BATTEN, Country General Manager Website: www.voltasia.com.sg Sector: Human Resources
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MEMBERSHIP
Privilege Card
SERVICES
FOCUS MAGAZINE
Issue #3 2016
Privilege Card
RETAIL & LEISURE
About the Card The Privilege Card is personal and is exclusively reserved to members of the network of the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore. It gives access to many benefits in Singapore and in France, with more than 50 participating member brands.
WINE & DINE
At your Fingertips
TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY
Download the French Chamber app on your iPhone or Android phone and gain access to up-to-date information on all your member privileges, including new deals added along the year.
Education Terms & Conditions apply. Visit www.fccsingapore.com for more details.
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