PMC NNECT S B ACC ’s N e ws l e t t e r
Issue 2015 June - July | www.sbacc.org.sg
Staying Competitive in a Global Environment
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ISABELLA LOH
helps shape young creative minds at NTU
Human Resources Domain LAUNCH
Applications Now Open
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MANAGEMENT MESSAGE
Jun - Jul
CONTENTS 03
Staying Competitive in a Global Environment Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Key To Remain Knowledgeable And Competitive
05
HIGHLIGHT Isabella Loh’s Appointment at NTU
06
Human Resources Domain ApplicationS Now OPEN
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PMC SAYS Solutions @ Work An Ageing Workforce
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SME STORY Rejuvenating a heritage brand – Mount Alvernia Hospital
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PAST EVENT: Singapore Management Consultanting Awards briefing and Networking Session UPCOMING EVENT: Apply basic knowledge of IP Law to Support an Organisation NEW PMCS COLUMN
ISO/IEC 17024 Cert No. PC-2015-01
Lifelong Learning Equal to Continual Employability Sk i llsFuture i s on e of the hot tes t topics in manpower development. Even after the Ministry of Manpower has unveiled the concept of SkillsFuture to the nation, it is still working with many parties to develop the details of this masterplan that will help the people of Singapore discover their passions and their aptitudes as well as develop the appropriate skillsets to equip themselves for their respective places in Singapore’s economy now and into the future. Two of the biggest game changers are technology and global competition. While technology can create new jobs, it can also eradicate current jobs. The world is also becoming smaller with each passing day as the workforce becomes more mobile. We are therefore all becoming global citizens, in a highly dynamic and fast evolving environment. To stay relevant, we need to be aware of these changes and continuously keep ourselves abreast of developments and ensure that our skills are current and relevant. All PMCs need to maintain a high level of knowledge, skills and abilities to carry out their work competently and professionally in the face of continuous technological and economic changes in the business environment. It is critical that our PMCs remain relevant by continually practising and upgrading themselves to offer their best to their clients. SBACC’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme provides a holistic development framework that encourages and recognizes individual learning opportunities catering to each PMC’s needs and circumstance. Do read the article on Continuing Professional Development to find out more.
Sin g apore Bus i ness Advi s o rs a n d Con sultants Co u nc i l 2 Bukit Merah Central #18-03 , Singapore 159835 Tel: +65 6272 3238 Fax: +65 6273 3023 www.sbacc.org.sg | secretariat@sbacc.org.sg | marketing@sbacc.org.sg | www.facebook.com/sbaccsg editorial SBACC MARKETING DEPARTMENT design UNIT ONE STUDIO
Lau Chuen Wei (Ms) Executive Director
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F E AT U R E
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD) - KEY TO REMAIN KNOWLEDGEABLE AND COMPETITIVE
Staying Competitive in a Global Environment
I
n the current globally competitive environment, increasing focus and attention is on professionals, executives and skilled workers to make a lifelong commitment to continuous upgrading and training in their respective careers. The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Programme is designed to recognise a variety of activities at different competency levels catering to the unique requirements of different PMCs. Apart from enhancing one’s career, embracing developmental opportunities gives the consultants an edge to provide better service and give value-added counsel
to their clients. This assures the public and the business world at large that the competencies of PMCs are being maintained, kept current and developed. All PMCs are expected to maintain a high level of knowledge, skills and abilities to carry out their work competently and professionally in the face of continuous technological and economic change and a constantly evolving business climate. PMCs are therefore required to show evidence of meeting the minimum number of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours in both Core and Elective categories.
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F E AT U R E
PMC Re-Certification Criteria In order to maintain an active certification status, PMCs are required to: • Submit 3 recent client testimonials to support their applications for re-certification; • Provide supporting documents of accumulated consulting hours in the last 2 years; • Fulfill the required CPD and consulting hours for re-certification.
Current
F ro m 1 J uly 2 01 5
CP D H o u rs
80
100
Co ns u lt i ng Hou rs
NA
700
Co ns u lt i ng Hou rs
NA
2 0 0 per D omain A rea as part of the 7 0 0 Consulting hours
Cli ent Tes t i mo ni als
3
3
PMCs due for re-certification after 30 June 2015 will be affected by these new requirements.
Breakdown of the CPD Hours S t ru c t u r ed Le ar ni ng
Un s truc ture d L e a rn i n g
Tota l
Co r e Sub jec ts
60 H ours ( 20 Hours per D omain A rea )
2 0 Hours
8 0 Hours
N on- Co r e Sub jec ts
10 H ours
1 0 Hours
2 0 Hours
Tota l
7 0 H ours
3 0 Hours
10 0 Hours
Note: Shortfall in CPD or Consulting Hours can be carried over to the next period, but will be capped at 20% of the requirements and PMCs will need to ensure that these hours are met within 6 months of their recertification date. A 10% administration fee will apply in such cases. In this constantly evolving business climate, keeping abreast of current issues and staying relevant is what makes a business management consultant valuable and distinct. SBACC strongly advocates this and encourages all practising management consultants to give themselves the added advantage in the consulting world by taking these steps to continue to grow professionally. For more information, please contact the PMC Certification Board Secretariat at 6272 3238 or email secretariat@sbacc.org.sg.
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HIGHLIGHT
Ms Isabella Loh, Member, Board of Directors and Chairman, Practising Management Consultants Certification Board.
Isabella Loh
helps shape young creative minds at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
C
hairman of the Practising Management Consultants - Certification Board (Chairman, PMC-CB) Ms Isabella Loh has just added another feather to her cap! It is with great pleasure that SBACC congratulates Isabella Loh, on her latest accolade as the newly appointed Adjunct Professor for the School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering in the Nanyang University, Singapore (NTU Singapore). Isabella is extremely excited with the appointment and says, “I am greatly honoured that my peers and fellow colleagues at NTU Singapore have accorded me with this role”. She enthused, “I am very much looking forward to spearheading initiatives that will continue to shape and enhance NTU’s position as a leading University of choice both locally and globally.” Isabella comes from an impressive educational background. She holds a MSc degree in Management Science from MIT Sloan Fellows School of Management, USA and a BSc (Honours) degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Imperial College of Science & Technology, UK. She was also appointed as a Fellow of the prestigious Academy of
Engineering of Singapore and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute of UK. Isabella is recognised for her contributions and ideas in the educational field and has been appointed Chairman of the Advisory Committee, School of Applied Science (SAS) and Member of the Board of Governors of Republic Polytechnic (RP) with effect from 1 August 2014. She is also a Member of the College Advisory Board of Nanyang Technological University’s College of Engineering. In her capacity as Chairman, PMC-CB, Isabella is hugely passionate about creating awareness in the world of business management consulting and in urging professional consultants to be duly certified as credible management consultants in their craft! Being the strong advocate of education that she is, she also believes very strongly that no one stands still or they will be overtaken. It is therefore extremely important that Practising Management Consultants continue to upskill themselves to not only keep abreast of the dynamic world in which we operate, but to be not one, not two, but several steps ahead of their clients so that they can lead their clients on their transformation journeys.
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F E AT U R E
Human Resources Domain Applications Now Open
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here has been a strong call to all working Singaporeans to upgrade and strengthen their skillsets to stay relevant and productive. SBACC sees the opportunity to help PMCs to stay on course by introducing special domain areas. The newest domain to come onto the scene is the Human Resources Domain. Excitingly, Financial Management, Productivity and Workplace Age Management are the other new domain areas soon to be launched in the coming months. Applications are invited from interested PMCs. The application process includes: i) sitting a multiple-choice question assessment, ii) examining a case study and
iii) interviewing with the Review Panel (made up of industry specialists) The Human Resources Domain is designed for those keen in providing HR consultancy to their clients. Applicants may be required to take additional courses to narrow any competency gaps that may be identified by the Review Panel. Why Should You Take Up Certification in This Domain? 1 Be a specialist, not a generalist. Further develop your skillsets in Human Resources 2 Acquire professional certification. 3 Stay relevant and productive in today’s economy.
From now till 30 October, SBACC is offering a Domain Discount of $700 for those who sign up. For enquiries, please email secretariat@sbacc.org.sg, or call Nikki or the Marketing Department at tel: 6272 3238 to find out more.
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P M C S AYS
PMC Says
Leonard Ling
Senior Practising Management Consultant (SPMC)
An Ageing Workforce
A
ccording to the Singapore Department of Statistics, the median age of Singapore’s resident population rose from 29.8 years in 1990 to 40.4 years in 2014. It is expected that 900,000 workers will retire from the workforce from now till 2030. While this may sound alarming, having a more matured workforce does have its advantages. For one, a mature workforce tends to be more stable and less prone to ‘job hopping’ in search of new experiences. Further, a mature workforce is no longer ‘learning on the job’ and typically forms the ‘backbone’ of the organization. In addition, a mature workforce would have built up a wealth of experience and know-how that cannot be easily replicated, giving employers a real and sustainable competitive advantage. Addressing the Issue Key Success Factors While employers have already started to extend retirement age and put in place systems for re-hiring older workers, more need to be done to deal with a workforce that will be smaller, older, and better educated. The following success factors have been identified:
a An enabling workplace provides the
foundation upon which a high-functioning multi-generational workforce can flourish. A well designed workplace takes into account the following: • Infrastructure - what infrastructure is required to enable older workers to work effectively? • Process and technology - how has technology changed the way work is performed? What impact do these process changes have on jobs and what arrangements are in place to help affected staff cope with the changes? • Structure - does the organisation structure appropriately reflect the roles of older workers?
b Jobs need to be properly redesigned to
harness the experience and strengths of the mature worker. Proper job design ensures that jobs are meaningful and add value to the organisation, which in turn result in a lasting and sustainable change. At the same time, remuneration policies and performance management systems need to be reviewed and aligned to fairly reward employees for their contributions.
c Employers need to adopt a progressive
approach in dealing with a changing workforce. Specifically, employers need to appreciate the value that different segments of the workforce bring to the company, and to devise systems to extract value from each segment. Employers need to continue to invest in training and development for the older worker to ensure that the valuable experience and know-how that has been built up continue to be relevant and add value to the organisation. Finally, employers need to explore how work can be performed in a more flexible manner. Such arrangements not only make it easier for older workers (and for that matter any other segment of the workforce that may not want to work full-time or to be restricted to an office environment) to remain in the workforce, but also has the potential to reap savings from the more efficient use of resources.
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P M C S AYS
Case Study 1
Food & Beverage (F&B) Chain A local F&B Chain was experiencing difficulties in attracting and retaining workers. Its quota of foreign workers was almost exhausted, and the company was keen to explore hiring more local workers. When the suggestion to engage mature workers was first mooted, the management was reluctant as they felt that mature workers would not be keen to work the long and tiring hours. Also, the crowd during peak hours could be very daunting, especially during lunch when time was of the essence. Nevertheless, the company was open to exploring the option in greater detail. Redesigning Jobs, Creating and Enabling the Workplace – the company took
a forward-looking approach and performed a review of all of its jobs to identify the jobs that would be most suitable for mature workers. It eventually decided that the role of server / order taker was most appropriate, given that the role required the employee to be matured and have good people skills. It agreed to pilot the system at 2 of its outlets. To help the mature workers perform well in their roles, the company made the following arrangements:
a At their more popular and crowded outlets which attracted large lunch time crowds, the company deployed mixed teams which comprised up to 50% mature workers. The shift supervisors
Case Study 2
Childcare Service Provider A local childcare service provider was keen to expand its workforce, but was having difficulty attracting qualified staff. It was keen to explore the employment of mature workers, since many of the mature workers had the appropriate temperament, experience, and maturity to deal with young children. The company’s initial attempts to hire mature workers were not well received. Many of the candidates explained that the work was difficult, and that the long hours were unsuitable. It became apparent that the reservations of the mature workers stemmed more from the proposed hours of work
rather than the actual work. This prompted the company to explore their options in greater detail. Redesigning Jobs and Creating an Enabling Workplace – to make the jobs more accessible to mature workers, the company redesigned the jobs and created micro jobs – each job lasting 2 hours. Mature workers could opt to perform 1 shift (2 hours) or more, depending on their availability. This arrangement allowed the mature workers to work the shifts they were comfortable with while managing their other commitments. To facilitate this arrangement, the company embarked on the following :
who doubled as the head waiters, were instructed to identify patrons who were demanding or were pressed for time, and to assign the younger servers to those tables whenever possible;
B In their less crowded outlets, where the customers were largely tourists and students, a larger proportion of mature workers was deployed; C Though all new staff were trained to use the new electronic ordering system (comprising an electronic tablet), the company agreed to re-introduce the paper-based ordering system so that mature workers who were not yet comfortable with the electronic gadgets could take orders the traditional way; C A buddy system was introduced where each new mature worker was paired with
a It developed and maintained a pool of mature workers who were trained and “pre-qualified” to work at the centres; B On a weekly basis, an administrative staff telephoned and/or used SMS to contact the pool of workers with the schedule of available shifts (e.g. 2 morning shifts on Monday, 1 morning and 1 afternoon shift on Tuesday etc.) and mature workers could choose and lock-in their preferred shifts. An electronic version of this system has been put on hold as many of the mature workers favoured the system where they received a phone call so that they could “negotiate” shifts and shift exchanges; C To grow the pool of “prequalified” workers, it engaged one of the mature workers to conduct a sharing session once
another mature and younger worker. The mature workers provided mutual support and encouragement, while the younger workers helped when there were issues with technology, or when the pace of work became hectic. Concurrently, mature workers were observed coaching the younger workers about values, attitudes, and other life skills; and
e To ensure that mature workers were given their due respect and were addressed respectfully, the company decided to print “Uncle xxx” or “Aunty xxx” on the name tags, if the employees preferred it. The Company is pleased with the results and is keen to see how the programme can be extended to other outlets.
a quarter with other mature workers, and it also arranged extensive and detailed onboarding programs for new hires; and
C Mature workers were invited to feedback sessions once a quarter to share their experiences, highlight any challenges they faced, and be engaged with the younger staff. This allows the mature workers to identity with the larger organisation, and also to meet with and develop bonds with other co-workers. The system has worked fairly well, and full-time staff now have more time to perform other critical roles. The company is now exploring a better scheduling system to manage and match the mature workers with available “shifts”. JUN- JUL 2015 | 08
SME Stories
Rejuvenating a heritage brand – Mount Alvernia Hospital
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enior Practising Management Consultant (SPMC), Lu-Ann Ong won the pitch and worked on the rebranding project from 2008 till 2011. It was a massive marketing exercise that was implemented in a steady and progressive manner over many phases. MAH had not seen an increase in visitors in recent years. Contributing to this were: i) the lack of a branding strategy; ii) unsatisfactory visitors’ experiences; iii) increased competition from private hospitals and revamped public hospitals.
Mount Alvernia Hospital (MAH) is a deeply trusted heritage brand. It had a change of management in 2008 – a new CEO, Mr Khoo Chow Huat and a new Director of Communications, Ms Han May Ching were appointed. they BOTH decided to breathe excitement back into the brand and its staff. A pitch was called for a branding exercise to discuss and revamp the brand direction of Singapore’s oldest private hospital.
Early Discussions MAH requested for a moderate rebranding approach that would cause minimal disruptions yet allow the brand to refocus and gain equity in the long run. Lu-Ann, the Chief Principal Consultant on the rebranding exercise, proposed a branding solution that would effectively position MAH as a modern and progressive hospital in the long run. The key tasks were to identify the essence of the brand; to ignite its reputation as the oldest trusted private hospital in Singapore through a comprehensive review of all aspects of the brand, from positioning to messaging, and the overall visitor experience. Strategic Marketing Direction After much evaluation and discussion, a brand revamp was thought to be necessary to ensure its long-term viability. Lu-Ann identified the characteristics that made MAH different from others: the core of its existence and the values it upheld. She stressed that this had to be consistently and clearly communicated to both internal and external stakeholders including all current and potential visitors, whether from Singapore or overseas.
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SME Stories
1) Brand Strategy – Raising MAH to a New Level
A new logo was carefully designed to comprise two parts: the symbol and alongside it, the word marker qualifier.
After research and interviews with the nuns from the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM) Congregation that owns the hospital, a new brand positioning was developed to communicate the core purpose and value proposition of MAH. The new brand essence focused on the word “HEART”, linking the past with the present - it was with a compassionate heart that the hospital was founded, and having a compassionate heart continues to be the principle of MAH’s existence”. This essence is about an iconic and heritage brand that resonates with what Mount Alvernia Hospital is about – The Heart - an inclusive, welcoming and professional hospital founded from the heart, and serving all with love that comes from it. The brand essence of “Heart” is then distilled to new behaviour and directive at the hospital to “Serve all with Love” (tagline) and “Provide Quality Healthcare at The Right Price” (policy).
2) Brand Visual Identity – Celebrating A New Phase with a New Face
A new logo was carefully designed to comprise two parts: the symbol and alongside it, the word marker qualifier. The symbol of Mary and Jesus reflect the heart and charitable spirit of the pioneering founders in 1961. At the same time, the symbol
also represents the tradition of compassionate and patient-centric care that has been synonymous with Mount Alvernia Hospital over the decades. The word marker qualifier representing the hospital’s name is presented in a progressive manner that represents the growth, wideranging patient services and professionalism of the hospital. It takes the MAH values to the world, acting both as an invitation for more people to know about the hospital, and an inspiration to those who already knew it. The warm colours of the logo evoke the attributes of care, kindness, empathy and sympathy. A vibrant colour of Fuchsia is added to evoke a strong sense of integrity and respect to complement Mount Alvernia’s role as a hospital with a heart in compassionate and professional patient-centric healthcare.
3) Communication Strategy:
The new direction in Marketing and Communications was implemented across the hospital - branding, advertising, collaterals, social media and on the premises that were being renovated and painted. Over a period of time, MAH was able to regain its standing and increase its visibility and recognition as Singapore’s oldest and trusted private hospital that has progressed with the nation and is ready for the next era.
Call i n g a l l PM C s ! We encourage and welcome PMCs to contribute articles on management consultancy and SME success stories. Each article should be about 800 words and SBACC reserves the right to select and edit the articles. By contributing these articles, free of charge to SBACC, the author agrees to give SBACC the right to use, archive or reproduce them in any way and in any medium. For the time and effort put into these articles, your contribution will be accorded 5 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Hours. E-mail us at marketing@sbacc.org.sg.
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PA S T & U P CO M I N G E V E N TS
Announcement
Singapore Management Consulting Awards Briefing and Networking Session
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ractising Management Consultants (PMCs) were invited to a briefing on the inaugural Singapore Management Consulting (SMC) Awards on 8 May 2015. Despite the heavy rain that afternoon, more than twenty PMCs came to find out more about the SMC Awards. The SMC Awards is a prestigious platform for outstanding management consultants to enhance their portfolios and profile competitiveness. The Awards is designed to promote and elevate the standards for professional consulting services in Singapore by recognising and honouring management consultants and their achievements. The briefing included an introduction to the SMC Awards, the three categories in which the PMCs could participate in, and the submission process. The PMCs were really enthusiastic about the SMC Awards and welcomed the initiative. They looked forward to being a part of this first ever SMC Awards, the presentation of which will take place in October/November this year. PMCs took advantage of the occasion to mingle and network with each other over light refreshments, creating bonds and rekindling business relationships.
SBACC congratulates 17 newly certified APMCs and PMCs (March to May 2015)
EXTENSION OF SUBMISSION DEADLINE TO 16 JULY 2015 FOR SINGAPORE MANAGEMENT CONSULTING AWARDS In light of the several requests from PMCs to extend the submission deadline for the Singapore Management Consulting Awards (SMC Awards), the Organising Committee has agreed to accede to these requests. The new Submission Deadline is 16 July 2015. All the other conditions on the Awards remain unchanged. We also wish to inform that Minister of Manpower, Mr Lim Swee Say, has graciously accepted our invitation to be the GOH for the Awards Presentation on the evening of 28 October 2015. SBACC encourages all the PMCs to participate in this inaugural Singapore Management Consulting Awards, the first ever management consultancy awards in Singapore.
17 new APMCs and PMCs were recently certified by SBACC from March to 19th May 2015. SBACC congratulates: Mr Fong Tat Choy, APMC Mr Koh Boon Hock, APMC Mr Michael Matthew Lee @ Lee Thiam Chye, APMC Mr Ong Kheng Lee, APMC Mr Tan Ying Kiat, APMC Mr Arun Kumar Akula Raghunatha Rao, PMC Mr Chan Kwang Peng, PMC Ms Florence Tan Suk Phern, PMC Mr Giam Wai Ming, PMC
Mr Goh Chai Kiat, PMC Mr Ho Leong Guan, PMC Ms Koh Geok Ling (Xu Yuling),PMC Ms Melissa Lim Swee Foong, PMC Mr Paul Goh Teck Hong, PMC Mr Robert Allen, PMC Mr Tan Choo Kok, PMC Mr Yee Wen Pin, PMC SBACC wishes them a successful and rewarding future in their careers as Practising Management Consultants. JUN- JUL 2015 | 11