Enterprise Singapore and IMDA rollout digitalisation program.
About 1,000 enterprises and 75,000 employees will be able to take advantage of the marine and offshore engineering (M&OE) industry digital plan (IDP) to overcome current industry challenges through digitalisation. This would allow M&OE enterprises to mitigate some of the impact brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jointly developed by Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)1, the IDP was launched by Ms Low Yen Ling, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, at a virtual engagement session today. The IDP helps Marine & Offshore Engineering (M&OE) enterprises assess their digital readiness and identify ways to go digital.
The IDP was developed based on consultations and feedback from industry players in 2020 which showed that SMEs were keen to streamline operations and maximise productivity through digital tools. In line with the needs of the industry, the IDP comprises two roadmaps – the Digital Roadmap charts out different digital solutions SMEs can adopt at each stage of their business growth and digital maturity; while the Digital Training Roadmap offers a corresponding training roadmap for employees, to equip them with the right skill sets.
The IDP includes specially curated solutions such as Workforce Optimiser, Project and Scheduling Management, and Asset Monitoring and Management System. Companies who have adopted such solutions have seen productivity improvements and better time management by employees. For example,
Local SME Masterscan Engineering Pte Ltd recently adopted a Workforce Management solution. Together with their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, this has enabled them to reduce the time needed for invoicing and payroll by about 50 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.
Another SME Completion Products, implemented an ERP solution to streamline their corporate functions. In addition, the company adopted new software and machinery such as Quality Management System (QMS) and semi-automated Screen Wrapping Machine to reduce material waste and project lead time. This helped lower their operating expenditure by 10 .
A step-by-step guide on digital adoption for M&OE SMEs
As part of the SMEs Go Digital Program, the IDP also provides a step-by-step guide on the digital solutions that SMEs can adopt at three stages of growth:
- Stage 1 gets SMEs ready for the digital economy and lists the basic digital solutions that can help them streamline operations to optimise the use of their existing resources. Solutions such as ERP for Sales and Accounting and Project and Scheduling Management, will help automate manual data entry and tracking. These solutions will reduce human errors, and enable employees to focus on higher-value work whilst allowing enterprises to monitor and plan their resources more efficiently.
- Stage 2 provides digital solutions for SMEs that are ready to scale up. These solutions enable SMEs to integrate their current workflow, machinery and key processes to enhance their front-end sales processes and back-end production capabilities. These include solutions such as a centralised digital platform with data analytics that allows businesses to better monitor and control multiple software applications to optimise processes and make more informed decisions. Others include condition-monitoring tools that anticipate equipment failures by tracking overall equipment performance. Coupled with data analytics and artificial intelligence, better data-driven decisions can be made for process and product improvements.
- Stage 3 identifies advanced technologies that SMEs can adopt to strengthen their competitive edge. These include autonomous robots and drones to perform tasks such as work site monitoring or inspections. These solutions free up employees from repetitive, manual work, and provides them the opportunity to take on higher-value jobs such as drone operations or robotics programming. High-risk tasks will also be reduced, making the work environment safer for the employees.
Low Yen Ling, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, said, this will help marine and offshore engineering industry during challenging times and allow organisations within it to pivot to new adjacent growth areas and scale up through digital transformation.
To embark on their digitalisation journeys, SMEs can make use of an online self-assessment checklist to help them better understand their digital maturity and readiness, as well as identify gaps in their digital capabilities. The checklist takes into consideration factors such as the SME’s current business operations, level of digitalisation and business expansion plans. This is accessible at.
Continuous workforce upskilling is vital to ensure employees remain relevant and support the company’s digitalisation journey.
Under the Digital Training Roadmap, SMEs can tailor their training programs according to the different needs of workers in various job roles and at each stage of their digital growth. These training programs are also aligned to the Skills Framework for Marine and Offshore.
Key digital solutions in the IDP, such as Workforce Optimiser, Project and Scheduling Management, and Asset Monitoring and Management System, are included as pre-approved solutions supported by the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG). Apart from digital solutions, companies can also tap PSG to adopt pre-scoped equipment such as semi-mechanised gas cutting machines, welding machines and production tools, to enhance efficiency and optimise their manpower resources.
Tags: digital transformationengineeringEnterprise SingaporeIMDAmarine
