Celebrating its thirtieth anniversary in Singapore on April 18, P&G announced launch of its E-centre to promote digital innovation technologies, and develop digital solutions in supply chain management, analytics and e-commerce for the company’s Asia Pacific operations.
The company plans to invest more than US$100-million in its E-Centre over the next five years to help strengthen the country’s ecosystem and equip its people with digital capabilities.
Speaking at the launch of the new E-center, Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry), Minister S Iswaran said, “The adoption of digital technologies (digitalisation) is transforming industries and catalysing their growth, and the consumer business is no exception. For example, consumer business companies can optimise their operations by leveraging advanced analytics for predicative maintenance, as well as machine learning to aid decision-making in supply chain operations. E-commerce platforms have also enabled companies to provide more customised offerings to suit the different needs of consumers.”
Through this new E-centre, P&G will expand its partnerships with local SMEs and start-ups, and support upgrading their capability by co-developing new digital solutions.
“Digitalisation will also have a profound impact on the nature and content of jobs, and the way we work. Hence, we will continue to partner with the industry and education institutions to equip our people with the skillsets that are needed to succeed in the digital economy,” S Isawaran further stated.
“For example, P&G will be training 40 employees to take on new digital roles at the E-Center. The company will also work closely with Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to co-develop industry-relevant curriculum in digital skillsets.”
Mr Tan Eu Jack is one such employee who has been benefited from P&G’s training efforts. He began his career in P&G as a System Analyst in 2007. P&G supported him to undergo training in web and mobile technologies, e-Commerce, cloud computing and the Internet-of-Things (IoT). He is now a Senior IT Manager and e-Business expert in P&G’s global SK-II team, and is responsible for developing digital tools to support the brand’s transformation into an omni-channel shopping experience.
See: MCI Unveils Strategies to Deepen Digital Capabilities of Singaporeans
With Singapore focusing on strengthening its core by focusing on enhancing its digital competencies, a key recommendation by the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) to build a future-ready workforce, the Government is extending all support to partner with the industry and P&G is a perfect example of this.
Partnerships between large and small enterprises are an important means to catalyse the adoption of digital technologies. An example is the partnership between P&G and Golden Wheel Industries (GWI), a local SME providing contract manufacturing and packaging services. With support from SPRING Singapore, GWI collaborated with the P&G Singapore Innovation Center to develop sample batches of P&G’s hair, skincare and consumer products.
Through this partnership, the GWI staff was trained in digital systems to improve the productivity of manufacturing processes, such as automating the recording of manufacturing data and results. The experience and skills, GWI gained in working with digital systems has enabled the company to enhance its services to clients.
As evident in high rankings according to various industry reports, the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Global Information Technology Study 2016 ranked Singapore as the country best placed to generate economic growth from info-communications and technology (ICT) investments.
P&G and Singapore have a longstanding and fruitful partnership. P&G first established its 100-man regional sales office in Singapore in 1987. Today, Singapore serves as P&G’s Asia-Pacific Headquarters with 2,000 employees across a range of functions, including brand management, marketing, supply chain management, consumer insights, design and manufacturing. Singapore is also one of P&G’s global hubs for innovation and talent development.
Feature image credit: singapore.pgcareers.com
Also read: Going Digital: 5 Ways to Help Singaporeans Get Future Ready
