Challenge and Selection

A key area of my job scope is to develop step-by-step digitalization guides for the  small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of various industries and sectors. The SMEs  are important to Singapore, collectively employing 70% of Singapore’s workforce and  account for almost half of Singapore’s GDP. Hence, digitalisation of SMEs can have  a profound impact on Singapore’s economy.

However, SMEs generally lack the technical know-how and find it difficult to divert  resources to digital transformation. Hence, it is important to develop a guide to make  going digital simple for the SMEs.

To develop a guide that is most suitable to the needs of the SMEs, I plan to conduct  a series of workshops with various SMEs, and use the Mind Mapping tool to  generate insights, collect information and create design criteria.

Application

In the first workshop that I conduct, I will gather information from the SMEs to  understand their experiences in digitalization. I will get each SME to fill up a form to  provide me with information regarding their digital transformation journey, such as:

-  Current mode business operations (manual vs digital)

-  Areas of improvement for business operations

-  Challenges that SMEs when digitalizing

-  Obstacles that are stopping them from digitalizing

In the second workshop, with the information consolidated, I will set up a room with  walls filled with the common problems faced by the SMEs in the industry and the  SMEs can go around the room to understand the problems and think about how  digitalization can come in to help solve the problems.

In the third workshop, SMEs will be put together in groups to share their experiences  and problems, and most importantly, how digitalization can help. The SMEs will then  work together, to discuss on how they want to digitally transform their businesses in  step-by-step manner.

Insight and Approach

We have vast amount of information and data regarding the SMEs, and we thought  we knew what SMEs need. So, we developed the guides for the SMEs without  gathering and consolidating in a structured manner. However, we noticed that SMEs  did not find the guides useful.

With the mind mapping tool, I believe that we can better organize the information  provided by the SMEs, draw insights from their businesses and scope the design

criteria to help generate better suited ideas to be included in the guides. Bringing the  SMEs together and getting them to map their needs and requirements together, will  provide SMEs with best-suited guidance in their digital journey.

It is important to view from the consumer perspective. In my case, SMEs are my  consumer. To provide them with a product, the step-by-step guide, that can benefit  them and help them digitalize, it is vital to hear from them on what they need and  want.

Written by: Md Hamid


Challenge and Selection A key area of my job scope is to develop step - by - step digitalization guides for the small and medium enterprises ( SMEs ) of various industries and sectors . The SMEs are important to Singapore , collectively employing 70 % of Singapore ’s workforce and account for almost half of Singapore ’s GDP . Hence , digitalisation of SMEs can have a profound impact on Singapore ’s economy . However , SMEs generally lack the technical know - how and find it difficult to divert resources to digital transformation . Hence , it is important to develop a guide to make going digital simple for the SMEs . To develop a guide that is most suitable to the needs of the SMEs , I plan to conduct a series of workshops with various SMEs , and use the Mind Mapping tool to generate insights , collect information and create design criteria . Application In the first workshop that I conduct , I will gather information from the SMEs to understand their experiences in digitalization . I will get each SME to fill up a form to provide me with information regarding their digital transformation journey , such as : - Current mode business operations ( manual vs digital ) - Areas of improvement for business operations - Challenges that SMEs when digitalizing - Obstacles that are stopping them from digitalizing In the second workshop , with the information consolidated , I will set up a room with walls filled with the common problems faced by the SMEs in the industry and the SMEs can go around the room to understand the problems and think about how digitalization can come in to help solve the problems . In the third workshop , SMEs will be put together in groups to share their experiences and problems , and most importantly , how digitalization can help . The SMEs will then work together , to discuss on how they want to digitally transform their businesses in step - by - step manner . Insight and Approach We have vast amount of information and data regarding the SMEs , and we thought we knew what SMEs need . So , we developed the guides for the SMEs without gathering and consolidating in a structured manner . However , we noticed that SMEs did not find the guides useful . With the mind mapping tool , I believe that we can better organize the information provided by the SMEs , draw insights from their businesses and scope the design criteria to help generate better suited ideas to be included in the guides . Bringing the SMEs together and getting them to map their needs and requirements together , will provide SMEs with best - suited guidance in their digital journey . It is important to view from the consumer perspective . In my case , SMEs are my consumer . To provide them with a product , the step - by - step guide , that can benefit them and help them digitalize , it is vital to hear from them on what they need and want . Written by : Md Hamid