springnews
Human Resource
Management
Do you have what it takes to
attract, retain and develop
the talents that makes your
organisation effective?
Answering Customer
Demands
CambRidge Institute grew by
knowing and understanding
its customers at home and
abroad
The Daughter of Invention
Zimplistic Pranoti’s father
encouraged her to take the
household appliances apart
Vol 1 No 7 / @ 2009
enabling enterprise
Contents
www.spring.gov.sg/springnews
News Clips 1
Feature Story
Are you a Dowager or a
Progressive Entrepreneur?
4
SME Showcase
Cambridge Institute
8
Zimplistic Pte Ltd
9
EDITORIAL TEAM
Jennifer Yap ([email protected])
Estelle Koh ([email protected])
DESIGN & LAYOUT
Kevin Loo
PHOTOGRAPHY
Ooi Cheong
Administration
Tan Meng Kiang
PUBLISHING CONSULTANT
Proof Perfect Pte Ltd
ISSN 1793-8767
Please email your comments/feedback to:
[email protected]
Programmes
10
News Clips
1
Ministerial Dialogue with ASPRI
To encourage more exchanges between the government
and industry, SPRING arranged a series of ministerial dialogue
sessions for key industry associations. Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Minister
for Trade and Industry, met with the Association of Process
Industry (ASPRI) on 20 May 2009 to discuss the industry’s outlook
and plans amid the economic downturn.
ASPRI updated on its LEAD projects, in particular the success of
the inaugural ProcessCEM Asia 2008, a bi-yearly industry
exhibition and conference which was held at Suntec Convention
Centre from 22-24 October 2008. The event attracted over 100
exhibitors from 14 countries with $15 million in sales orders
recorded. Moving forward, in anticipation of the immense
opportunities in this area, ASPRI will be rallying its regional
counterparts together to form an ASEAN Process Industry
Association to give the region’s industry a global head-start.
Minister Lim encouraged ASPRI to work closely with relevant
government agencies to upgrade the capabilities of its member
companies and industry.
ProcessCEM Asia 2008
Sheng Siong’s Groundbreaking Ceremony
Sheng Siong announced plans to invest $65 million in its new
customised distribution centre at the ground-breaking ceremony
on 1 June 2009. The new distribution centre will help support the
steady growth of their supermarket outlets and increase efficiency
of their supply chain processes. Located at Mandai Link, the
2.32 hectare site will also house Sheng Siong’s headquarters,
including its back office functions.
The event was graced by Minister of State for Trade & Industry
and Manpower, Mr Lee Yi Shyan, who commended Sheng Siong’s
efforts in developing their capabilities and increasing market
presence both locally and regionally during these challenging
times. He also encouraged other SMEs to tap on government
assistance programmes to strengthen their capabilities in
preparation for the economic recovery.
(From left) Mr Tan Ling San, Executive Director; Mr Lim Hock Eng,
Chairman; Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State for Trade & Industry and
Manpower; Mr Lim Hock Chee, Managing Director and
Mr Lim Hock Leng, Deputy Managing Director.
TECS Awards Ceremony
Another 21 technology start-ups have won $8 million grant
support to bring ideas to market. These winners were selected
from 220 submissions, bringing the total number of Technology
Enterprise Commercialisation Scheme (TECS) awardees to-date
to 38. They were evaluated on the commercial potential, scientific
and technical strengths, cost-effectiveness and impact of their
projects.
Speaking at the TECS award ceremony at the Swissotel Merchant
Court on 4 June 2009, SPRING’s Chairman, Mr Philip Yeo, urged
entrepreneurs with innovative ideas to see this downturn as an
opportunity to get ahead of the competition and be in a good
position during the next upturn. He also announced that SPRING
would be accepting TECS applications all year round to be more
responsive to the needs of local entrepreneurs and start-ups.
Mr Philip Yeo giving the address at the TECS awards ceremony.
2
News Clips
Visit to CerealTech
Mr Philip Yeo, Chairman of SPRING, visited CerealTech Pte Ltd
on 9 June 2009. Established in 1995, CerealTech’s core business
is in the research and development of enzyme-based microingredient systems and the application of such technology in the food
manufacturing industry. CerealTech provides integrated solutions
for food manufacturing operations, particularly for the grain-based
industry. This includes micro-ingredient systems, process optimisation
and support, technical and production solutions, product R&D, and
training.
Mr Philip Yeo tasting the bread made using CerealTech’s NatRise
system, which uses natural yeasts from air.
One of the key companies providing such service in the region, the
majority of its micro-ingredient systems and integrated services are
exported to 18 countries, with its top three export destinations being
Asia Pacific, Middle East and Europe. Mr Foo Ko Kin, Managing
Director of CerealTech shared the company’s expansion plans with
SPRING. They see good market potential in emerging markets such
as Afghanistan, Iran and Russia with the increase in the affluence and
spending power in these countries. He also exchanged views with
Mr Yeo on how SPRING and other government agencies can assist
in their development plans.
New Fashion Incubator for Young Designers
Aspiring designers can now tap on the Fashion Incubator project,
launched on 9 June 2009, as a retail platform and learn the business
ropes of the fashion industry. A joint effort by Japanese retailer Parco
and Textile and Fashion Federation Singapore (TaFf), and supported
by SPRING, this 18-month project aims to groom 50 home-grown
designers over a period of three years. Parco has set aside 6,000 sq
ft at its 85,000 sq ft new store at Millenia Walk to house these new
talents.
Every year, the project will showcase 25 emerging designers, who will
be offered a one-year lease at the Fashion Incubator. These designers
will undergo a mentorship programme where they will be paired
with a principal mentor who will oversee the product development,
and a business mentor who will assist in the business development.
PARCO@Millenia is expected to open in March 2010 and is currently
selecting its first batch of designers.
36th ACE BlueSky Exchange – The Startup Story
ACE, in support of the spirit of youth entrepreneurship, brought together
several young entrepreneurs to share their start-up experience at
the 36th ACE Bluesky Exchange, titled ‘The Startup Story’. Youth
entrepreneurs of today ride on the trends of technology and adopt
unique and innovative business models to bring their products and
services to the masses. Through their sharing, ACE hopes to inspire
more students and youths to follow in their footsteps.
Business veterans like Elim Chew of 77th Street, and young
entrepreneurs like Alvin Yap of TheMobileGamer, Elfaine Tan
of Fr3B Pte Ltd and Nicholas Chan of Azione Capital, gave insights
into the challenges faced by start-ups. Government agencies also took
the opportunity to promote the assistance schemes available for these
youth entrepreneurs. Held on 19 June 2009 at the SMU, the event
attracted about 300 participants.
News Clips
3
LEAD Circle Best Practices Sharing Session
IE and SPRING jointly hosted the inaugural LEAD Circle
Best Practices Sharing Session on the 18 June 2009.
The event received a hearty response, with over 80
participants from 24 Business Federations, Chambers of
Commerce and Industry Associations. IE and SPRING
provided an update on how LEAD Associations have
been pro-active in helping members during this difficult
economic period. They also highlighted the schemes
available to help LEAD Associations upgrade themselves
such as the Secretariat Training Programme and the
Business Advisors Programme.
The highlight of the day was a Blue Ocean Strategy
presentation by Mr Carl Thong and Mr David McDonald of
Macsimize Consultants. They exhorted participants to think
beyond the existing business environment in coming up with
innovative ways to grow businesses. They cited how our
local furniture industry and the Singapore Furniture Industry
Council had explored ‘Blue Oceans’ by banding together
to seek growth overseas, rather than in the crowded local
retail space, and by building on key niche capabilities such
as environmentally-friendly furniture.
CCI for Hospitality
The Customer-Centric Initiative (CCI) for Hospitality is the
latest addition to the CCI programme. Now into its fifth year,
the CCI for Hospitality umbrella includes hotels, serviced
apartments, attractions, tour and travel services, MICE
and events. Launched on 22 June 2009, the initiative
attracted on board about 51 companies, representing 37%
of the accommodation providers in Singapore.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and NTUC
Secretary-General, Mr Lim Swee Say, commended
these companies for having the foresight to want to train,
encourage and empower their staff to put customer
satisfaction first. The Singapore Hotel Association
(SHA), in partnership with SPRING, also announced
the first Industry Mystery Audit Programme for hotels in
Singapore. Through the programme, SHA members will
be able to gauge their overall service competitiveness,
benchmark against local and international companies, and
identify any gaps in their service provision and training
through the findings.
Launch of CCI for Hospitality
SAC Forum cum Assessor Enclave
The Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC) held the SAC
Forum cum Assessor Enclave on 29 June 2009 at the
Chevrons to raise the competence of SAC’s volunteers. The
annual event aims to foster closer working relationships,
especially between the assessors and conformity assessment
bodies (CABs), through networking and experience sharing.
The theme was “Ensuring Competence through Accreditation”.
At the event, about 33 assessor awards were given out to
thank the volunteers for their contributions that have led to
the success of the SAC accreditation programmes.
Ms Chang Kwei Fern, Director of Accreditation, SPRING,
shared SAC’s five years’ road map and urged all volunteers to
continue upgrading their competency to raise the bar
of accredited conformity assessment bodies. She also
expressed the need to develop more conformity assessment
bodies to support the growth and needs of the key industries
anchoring in Singapore. The event attracted about 150
participants. Currently, there are more than 200 CABs
and about 200 active volunteers involved in the SAC
accreditation programmes.
4
Feature Story
Are You a Dowager or a Progressive Entrepreneur?
More than staff bonding events, newsletters and hiring new staff, human resource management
is about how you strengthen your ability to attract, retain and develop the talent that makes your
organisation effective.
While there are vast differences in
the business priorities of an emerging
enterprise trying to make its mark on
the local scene and a growing enterprise that has already penetrated overseas markets, all are SMEs that the
government is encouraging through its
HR Capability Package to put in place
a structured HR framework to enhance
their ability to attract and retain valuable
staff.
Taking a broad look at how SMEs manage their staff, they fall roughly into
two categories: the Dowager and the
Progressive Entrepreneur. The dowager business is usually a long-running
business that has started out as a single store. The business may have expanded, however, its archaic style of
management hasn’t changed over the
years. Old ideals and perceptions govern how they manage their workforce.
Salaries tend to be below market rate,
promotions are based on “gut feel” or
family connections rather than by performance, and in some cases, no employment contract exists at all.
The progressive entrepreneur business
on the other hand is a modern start-up
led by owners who want to grow their
business and have their people grow
with them. They know the importance
of developing a culture consistent
with their values and set out clear key
performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor growth. However, their success has
got ahead of them, and the company
has grown beyond their HR management capabilities. In many cases, the
boss himself still tries to control each
minute aspect of the business and is
reluctant to hand over control to his staff.
To move beyond this stage, a degree
of control needs to be relinquished and
trust given to the employees. HR needs
to be developed as a significant function
within the company and a competent HR
manager hired to oversee the changes
needed to help the business grow. The
progressive entrepreneur is also starting
to recognise the need to employ competent staff, pay competitive salaries and
provide training so that they have the
right people in the right positions.
With employees ranking high up among
business costs, both types of companies would do well to take a closer look
at enhancing their HR management capabilities.
Developing the HR potential
Since it is well recognised that organizational performance can be enhanced
through the strategic management of
human resources, and that companies
that can attract the best talent generally
win, why is HR still not a top priority in
many SMEs today?
Feature Story
5
“While the intentions are in place to
strengthen their HR practices, many
SMEs frequently lack the know-how
needed to put the right systems in
place, one that has the various components of recruitment, pay, benefits,
training, performance management
and career planning working together
as a cohesive system, rather than in
silos or as ad-hoc features,” explains Ms
Miranda Lee, Partner, Ernst & Young
Solutions LLP.
This is where the HR Capability Package comes in useful. Developed jointly
by SPRING Singapore and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency
together with Ernst & Young, the package provides the framework and guidelines to help SMEs identify their HR
gaps and implement good HR practices and processes to attract, develop
and retain staff. This easy-to-use DIY
package provides tips and pointers to
address specific HR issues, delving
into details such as developing a base
pay structure, setting up an employee
referral programme, and moderating
performance ratings. For SMEs new to
HR functions, there are handy tools and
templates that will help in implementing
critical HR functions.
Becoming the choice of the
new generation
“Economics is not the only hurdle smaller SMEs face when attempting to enhance their HR capabilities. For these
enterprises, attracting and retaining the
right staff is a challenge, not only because their HR capabilities are weak,
but because their brand is, too!” says
Ms Lee.
To add salt to the wound, the majority of
job seekers today are the Gen Y crowd
– a demographic that is more demanding than the existing Gen X employees.
Gen Ys tend to be more vocal in their
demands for rapid career progression,
and don’t think twice about giving up a
secure job to pursue “greener pastures”.
They are selective about the companies
to work for, often turning the tables on
the interviewers by grilling them about
the career paths available and at what
speed they could expect to move ahead.
SMEs with no clear HR policies in place
would simply not have a hold on these
driven and demanding self-starters.
“The Career Management module of
the HR Capability Package will in this
instance be a much needed tool for
HR Capability Package helps Suki Sushi to provide clear and fair guidelines to its employees.
SME bosses to help them develop appropriate career development paths for
their staff. Implemented together with
the other modules in the package, it
will hence enhance the SMEs’ ability
to attract and retain valuable staff with
progressive HR policies, build stronger
employer branding and becoming the
choice employers of the new generation,” adds Ms Lee.
No longer raw to HR
management
Suki Sushi, for one, has certainly seen
results. Before implementing the HR
systems from the Package, many of
the company’s HR policies were implemented on an ad-hoc basis. There was
no Employee Handbook to outline the
basic employment policies and HR matters, neither was there a proper system
for documentation, hence staff promotion and appraisals were based on the
number of years in service and bosses’
“gut feel”. Recruitment interviews were
conducted in a haphazard manner, with
the various outlets clueless about how
to assess candidates for suitability.
When staff resigned, there were also no
exit interviews to find out why they were
leaving.
The situation is quite different today,
notes Mr Roger Soh, Group HR/Operations Manager. “After embracing the HR
Capability Package, job descriptions
and responsibilities were put in place,
and Performance Appraisal Forms
were created to ensure that employees
are appraised based on their competencies, performance and contribution to
the company.” Every employee is now
given an Employee Handbook to ensure
that there is a common understanding
of company policies and regulations.
We have also gained many insights
from exit interviews, which enabled us
to address unfavourable issues and to
retain our staff.”
Mr Soh finds that having well-structured
HR policies enables the company to
provide clear and fair guidelines for all
its employees. “Having updated HR
policies in place means that all employees are aware of what kind of qualities
and behaviour we value in the company, which in turn enhances productivity and efficiency in working towards
our business visions and objectives,”
says Mr Soh. “The company has also
gained a positive image and reputation,
which will help us as we recruit new
talent.”
Achieving clarity from sound
HR practices
Yet another company, Atlas Sound &
Vision, has benefited from improvements resulted from the clarity in structuring payment and work policies, and
being better able to identify and assess
training needs.
“We conducted our first company-wide
performance evaluation based on the
model provided in the HR Capability
Package. The feedback we received
from staff brought up a number of important issues that had not previously been
the focus of the company,” explains
Sherwin Tien Siregar, Senior Manager,
Business Development.
One of the issues they realised was that
as the company had grown in employ-
6
Feature Story
ment size, a substantial inequity in pay
for the same position had developed
over time. The Compensation & Benefits
module in the HR Capability Package
allowed Atlas Vision & Sound to look
more critically at its hiring, compensation and benefits policies to ensure that
these strategies were competitive with
the market, and had the in-built flexibility
to complement the company’s growth
cycles. “Had we continued with our earlier practices, this would have gone under the radar and it may have cost the
company valuable staff,” adds Sherwin.
Another area that has improved is in
managing employee training. Atlas has
always recognised the need to invest
in training, spending some 2-3% of its
payroll on it annually. With the Learning
& Development module in the HR Capability Package, the company has been
able to better identify specific and relevant training needs for staff based on
their areas of responsibilities and career
goals. This benefits the company, as
clearer identification of training needs
has enabled them to make their investment dollars count for more, and also
the employees, who are better equipped
to make an impact in their work.
Atlas has now hired a HR Manager to
better manage the company’s human
resources. This is in line with the company’s belief that having a sound HR system is critical in supporting the various
business functions in the company. Atlas envisions developing an empowered
workforce which drives extraordinary results, and at the same deriving greater
job satisfaction and personal fulfilment.
“It is my belief that employees make the
company. If you want your company to
be great, you need employees that can
perform at their best,” says Sherwin.
“Our personal experience is that only
engaged and motivated employees are
able to consistently deliver results.”
SMEs: Future talent magnets?
According to Ms Lee, many companies
are simply looking to survive the present
economic downturn crisis. “The priority
for them is cash flow – raising capital and
managing collections as clients start to
push for extended credit terms up to 90
days or more. When such companies are
battling for every penny, HR concerns
tend to take a back seat,” she adds.
However, companies should actually take advantage of the downtime
HR Capability
Package has helped
Atlas to better
identify training
needs.
during the economic slowdown to position themselves for the boom ahead.
The HR Capability Package is a good
way to start, as a sound HR framework
will stand them in good stead at any
stage of their growth. As more SMEs
make the effort to put in place solid HR
structures to develop, recognise and
reward their people, there may come
a day when the playing field will be
levelled and job seekers no longer see
the size of the company as the most
important consideration – what they
will see are the opportunities within
SMEs that can develop them to their full
potential.
How the HR Capability
Package can help
The HR Capability Package is an easyto-use DIY package that companies
can apply on their own to identify and
address gaps in their HR capabilities,
then take active steps to implement
sound practices and processes that
remove the guesswork from HR
decisions.
The HR Capability Package is designed to help SMEs improve and strengthen HR
management capabilities by addressing HR gaps and promoting good HR practices in the
following six areas:
➊ Manpower Planning: Assessing current workforce capabilities, demographics and determining future workforce requirements.
➋ Recruitment and Selection: Soliciting applicants and assessing their suitability to fill recently-vacated or newly-created positions.
➌ Compensation and Benefits: Designing and managing market-competitive compensation and benefits strategies and programmes.
➍ Performance Management: Maintaining or improving employee job performance through objective-setting, appraisal, coaching and feedback.
➎ Learning and Development: Planning for and conducting activities that develop employee capabilities, knowledge and know-how to meet business, organisational and individual needs.
➏ Career Management: Establishing policies and processes which enable employees to set career objectives and determine appropriate educational and developmental programmes to further develop their skills to achieve short-term or long-term career objectives.
For each of these areas the package covers:
–Framework and key guidelines on how to execute the HR activities and functions
–Tips and pointers on how to manage specific HR matters
–Tools and templates which companies can use immediately, or with some customisation, to meet company needs.
The HR Capability Package is available for free online download from the website of the
Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) (www.snef.org.sg). SNEF also conducts
training workshops to help SMEs use the package. To register for the training course,
please email to: [email protected].
Feature Story
SPRING-SNEF
FREE HR
ADVISORY &
INFORMATION
SERVICE
for SMEs
7
The Singapore National Employers Federation, in
collaboration with Spring Singapore has launched a new
Human Resource Advisory and Information Service for
Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs).
This Service is targeted at Singapore-based SMEs with an
employment size of up to 200 employees.
The services provided are as follows:
a. FREE HR Advisory Service via phone: Enquiries on HR matters can be made via calls to the smehr@snef hotline:
6221 2334. This service is available Mondays to Fridays (9.00am to 5.30pm)
b. FREE HR Advisory service via email: All email enquiries can be sent to: [email protected]
c. If necessary, HR Consultants can arrange for a face to-face meeting to discuss the HR matter in more details.
d. To help SMEs meet their HR capability needs, SPRING Singapore and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) have jointly developed a HR Capability Package to improve and strengthen SMEs’ human resource management capabilities by addressing HR gaps and promoting good HR practices.
If you have any queries and/or clarifications, please call
Mr Kee Chia Choon, Director, smehr@snef, at Tel: 6324 0437 or email: [email protected] or
Mr Stephen Wong, Executive (HRM Projects), at Tel: 6324 1481 or email: [email protected]
8
SME Showcase
Cambridge Institute
A home-grown educational
establishment that grew by
knowing and understanding
its customers at home and
abroad.
Answering
Customer
Demands
When founder of the successful, homegrown Cambridge Institute, Mr Edwin
Chan, set up the business in 1997, starting a school was the last thing on his mind.
Taking advantage of the recession at the
time, Mr Chan started a sole distributorship, selling self-study language material.
However, a customer satisfaction survey
six months later revealed that some of his
customers found it difficult to learn without the support of classroom learning, so
Cambridge Institute was born.
“Customer satisfaction is the most important ingredient of successful business,” explains Mr Chan. “I set up our
first classroom to help the six students
who responded to the survey requesting
classroom teaching as support. It was
never my intention to build a school, I just
wanted to see my customers satisfied!”
Expanding at home and abroad
Today Cambridge Institute offers 26 different languages in five convenient locations across the island: 23 classrooms out
of Peninsula Plaza near City Hall, three
in Jurong, three in Simei, four in Adelphi,
and a recently leased four-storey building
on Race Course Road to further expand
its local course offerings. The business
has also expanded overseas and currently operates in China, Vietnam and
Indonesia, with plans now in motion to
set up in Melbourne, Australia.
“SPRING and IE have been instrumental
in helping us expand overseas. As they
carry the brand name of Singapore, it
is easier for us to connect with the right
parties overseas by having them facilitate the necessary introductions,” says
Mr Chan. “For example, with introductions recently made by SPRING, we were
able to immediately establish the right
partnerships to move into Australia.”
Creating a win/win environment
for all
Negotiating in each country requires different skill sets and specialised knowledge of the local language. “We realised
early on that we needed to really understand the language and culture of the
countries we wanted to expand into in
order to make the business a success,”
explains Mr Chan. “To overcome these
barriers, we hire locals and offer these
individuals training in Singapore. Our
people are our most important assets.
When everyone is happy, and motivated
towards the same business goals, success is on the cards.” This is the win/win
situation which Mr Chan seeks to achieve
in all his business arrangements.
By understanding the culture and environment in each country, Mr Chan was
able to adopt the appropriate and different
business models to facilitate growth. While
Cambridge Institute set up its own school
in Batam, Indonesia, it works in collaboration with partner education institutions in
the other countries. In China, Vietnam and
Australia, it offers language support for
students studying at its partner universities and also operates the same arrangement in boarding schools in Vietnam.
A natural progression
Asked the secret to the continued success of Cambridge Institute, Mr Chan
explains that it is all down to identifying
opportunities and meeting demand. “Expanding our range of courses became an
obvious next move.” Cambridge Institute
today conducts not just language courses, but has expanded to offer a variety
of other programmes including business
management, journalism, entrepreneurship, and – with its most recent building acquisition on Race Course Road –
music and dance.
Quality assured
But excelling takes more than just meeting demand. Mr Chan is committed to
offering quality, not just in terms of the
depth of courses on offer, but in how it
services its customers. Having the right
systems in place to deliver this quality
was an important step in the growth of
the company. “We needed to know where
we stood in terms of quality if we were
going to achieve our vision of being a
leading school in Asia,” Mr Chan affirms.
So Cambridge Institute applied for and
obtained ISO 9001:2001 in 2004. The
move immediately boosted the institute’s
credibility and resulted in an increase in
enrolment.
It was awarded CaseTrust status in
2005 and registered with China’s MOE
in 2007. Receiving Singapore Quality
Class (SQC) in 2007 also made business
in China easier for Cambridge Institute
because it meant being able to offer its
China students an easier pathway to an
education abroad. As an SQC-certified
institute, its China students go through
a quicker application process and don’t
require a banker’s guarantee.
Giving advice to business owners looking
to expand overseas, Mr Chan offers up
two important pieces of advice: “Firstly,
go all out to satisfy your customers. No
matter which country you go into, if you
don’t address your customers’ needs,
you won’t succeed. Secondly, make sure
you understand the language and culture
of the country. Hire local people and seek
the support of government institutions to
give you the right introductions.”
SME Showcase
9
The Daughter of Invention
Her father encouraged her to take the household appliances apart
Zimplistic Pte Ltd
Next time you are about to tell your
children “Don’t touch”, think of Pranoti
Nagarkar Israni and you’ll probably hold
your tongue. This entrepreneurial inventor’s natural-born curiosity was nurtured
and encouraged by her parents. “He
never stopped me from removing the
casing from the TV and other household appliances so I could find out how
they worked!” she laughs. While some of
the appliances may not have gone back
together as planned, it all worked out
right in the end, as Pranoti prepares to
launch her next new invention Rotimatic,
an automatic chappati maker.
Saving the “endangered”
chappati
This NUS graduate was inspired to her
latest invention in part to save the “endangered” chappati and in part to allow
her mother and millions like her to be
able to join the family table instead of
slaving over the stove making one individual chappati after another.
“The trouble is that chappatis have to
be eaten hot off the stove, so the cook
is usually the last to sit down to the table
after everyone else has finished. And
now in India, as more women work, they
no longer have the time to make chappatis. This traditional staple of the Indian
diet is slowly being replaced by rice and
ready-made bread forms,” Pranoti explains.
It is obvious that the Rotimatic will satisfy a demand, not just in India, but in
kitchen’s across the world as the art of
chappati-making can be simplified to
a “enter a number and wait” process.
Pranoti’s dream is that kitchens worldwide will have the Rotimatic positioned
beside the rice cooker and the toaster.
However, the path to invention has not
gone smooth for this never-say-die inventor and entrepreneur.
Working towards her dream
Upon graduation from the School of Mechanical Engineering at NUS, Pranoti
joined Innovasia and worked on Philips
projects for two years. The experience
proved highly valuable. “I got to witness
the entire product cycle, and this gave
me the confidence to branch out on my
own and invent my own products,” she
explains.
She quit her job in June 2008 and
registered her own company. It was important to have a proof of concept to
be able to raise more money. With her
savings of $20,000 and an office space
given to her by NUS Entrepreneurship
Centre, she built her own mini workshop.
In two months, the proof of concept was
ready and NUS recommended her for the
YES! Grant. Within 6 months, she was
awarded the YES! Grant, which enabled
her to hire a full-time electronics staff.
Today, she is working on making this
version more robust, smaller in scale
and compliant to the required safety
regulations.
Winning the hearts of
investors
Winning the Startup@Singapore
competition in the Open category has
gone some way to moving the product
closer to market. The resulting publicity
in the Sunday Times won Pranoti interest from several investors, and negotiations are currently in progress. With
plans to launch Rotimatic commercially
in 2011, Zimplistic is at present in talks
with a MNC to secure a licensee deal.
“Our immediate concern is protection of
our copyright. Although we have registered our patents, which are pending, we
have to tread carefully. Part of the grant
funding is going towards the costs of
patent filing and legal advice to protect
our interests.” So why is Zimplistic not
going it alone? As Pranoti explains: “As
a start-up company, it is more advantageous for us to work with a larger company than to compete with them. We
can use their distribution channels, license the product
to them and collect
the royalties.”
Pranoti places part
of the success of
Rotimatic on the
infrastructure set
up in Singapore for
young
inventors
such as herself. “It
provides support,”
she explains from
her present office and workshop
located at NUS
Entrepreneur Incu-
Pranoti places part of the
success of Rotimatic on
the infrastructure set up in
Singapore for young inventors
such as herself. It provides
all the support she needs
to develop and launch our
products. It’s just a question of
knowing where to go and what
is available.
bator. “Here we have all the support we
need to develop and launch our products.
It’s just a question of knowing where to
go and what is available.”
Backed by such support, Pranoti is
spurred to continue her inventions. “We
have many more ideas in the pipeline,”
she enthuses. Of course
this is as much as she
is prepared to reveal
at the moment to
keep her ideas protected. We’ll just
have to wait and
see.
10
Programme
Singapore Quality Class
About the Certification
Singapore Quality Class (SQC) is the
certification for organisations which
have achieved the Business Excellence Standard. In other words, it is a
national recognition for organisations
with management systems and processes in place to achieve all-round
business excellence. SQC is one of
the four certifications under the Business Excellence Framework.
Who can Apply
Businesses of all types and sizes can
apply to SQC. It is particularly relevant
to businesses who want to take a wellrounded and holistic approach to business excellence.
Application Criteria
Your company must adopt and strive to
meet the Business Excellence Standard. When you are confident that your
company has achieved it, you may submit the application form to SPRING.
SPRING will assign certified assessors
to evaluate your systems and processes based on the Business Excellence
Assessment for Continuous Improvement (BEACON) self-assessment
tool.
If your company score at least 400
out of 1,000 points in the assessment,
you will be awarded the SQC. If your
company scores 700 or more points,
you will be shortlisted of the Singapore
Quality Award (SQA).
Benefit of SQC
Your company can use the SQC logo
on all your collaterals. The logo is a
mark of excellence that shows your
business excels in all the key areas of
your business.
Continual Assessment
To ensure that your management and
systems are working well continuously,
SPRING will conduct a mid-term review
1½ years after you have been awarded
the SQC. Three years after your certification, you will need to renew your
certification.
Young Entrepreneurs Scheme for Startups (YES! Startups)
About the Programme
YES! Startups was launched on 18
November 2008 with the objective of
nurturing and encouraging youths to
be enterprising and innovative through
‘hands-on’ entrepreneurship learning.
This scheme will provide funding support for youths to set up their innovative startup.
Who can Apply
YES! Startups is available to applicants
who meet the following eligibility criteria:
 Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident, below 26 years old on the date of application (before 26th Birthday)
 Parental consent must be sought for those below 18 years old
 First-time entrepreneur
 Incorporation of a private limited company (upon approval) with its business activities wholly or mainly based in Singapore.
Evaluation Criteria
Business proposal will be evaluated
based on the following criteria :
 Innovativeness of the Business Idea
How different/novel the idea is against what is already available in the market?
 Feasibility of the business model
Is the business model viable and potentially sustainable?
 Potential market opportunity
Will the market demand and buy such an item?
Applicants are encouraged to approach
their schools and alma mater for advice
on setting up a business. At the same
time, applications supported by the
schools in at least one of the following
three areas can benefit from a ‘green
lane’ approval:
a. At least half of the money raised by youths to qualify for co-matching to come from the institutions of higher learning (IHLs),
b. Start-ups make use of Intellectual Property (IP) owned by IHLs, or
c. IHLs incubate and mentor new starts-ups for at least 12 months.
Financial Assistance
SPRING Singapore will match S$4 for
every S$1 that you raise through selffunding, schools or third-party sources,
the grant is capped at S$50,000. For
example, if you apply for a S$40,000
grant, you must match this with a
S$10,000 investment.
The grant can be used for business development expenses such as:
– Manpower and operating expenses
– Purchase of equipment, software, materials and consumables materials
– Acquisition of intellectual property (IP) rights
– Professional services
Marketing/promotion activities
The Singapore Human
Capital Summit 2009 is
a premier conference on
managing and developing
human capital, organised
for Asia, in Asia.
12
Programme
Customer-Centric Initiative (CCI)
by SPRING and NTUC, with representatives from WDA, STB and the
Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), this multi-agency effort is
supported by the respective industry
associations.
About the Programme
The CCI, launched in 2005, is a national effort to encourage companies to be
committed to service excellence and
to take the lead to raise service standards in their industry and transform
Singapore’s service quality. Chaired
Objectives

To transform service level of companies in key service sectors and improve
service ranking

To create impactful and visible outcomes to local consumers and tourists

To promote widespread outcomes
and motivate others

To develop specific measurable
indicators to assess impact of movement
Who Can Apply
Companies in the Hospitality, Retail, Food and Beverage, Healthcare,
Transport and Tourism sectors.
Assistance Package
A total assistance package has been
specially developed to assist companies in their service quality transformation. It covers:

The Service Excellence framework
that provides companies with a total approach to service excellence - Service
Leadership, Service Agility, Customer
Experience and Customer Delight.

Funding assistance of up to 50% for
companies to develop service strategies and service blueprints, set service
standards, reinforce service systems,
conduct service audits and certify to
Singapore Service Class
The Workforce Skills Qualifications
framework (WSQ) that provides companies with a system to train their staff
on service competencies
Technology Enterprise Commercialisation Scheme
About the Programme
The Technology Enterprise Commercialisation Scheme (TECS) provides
vital resources to help convert breakthrough R&D concepts and proprietary
IP into promising businesses. By addressing early-stage funding gaps,
TECS aims to help technology enterprises and entrepreneurs in Singapore
to grow past their embryonic phase,
secure third party funding and achieve
growing revenues.
Who can Apply
Technology entrepreneurs and SMEs
can all apply. They should meet the following criteria:
 Physically present in Singapore
 Registered/incorporated for less
than 5 years at the time of the award

Has at least one in-house
technology engineer or scientist

Individual Principal Investigators, as well as research scientists and engineers from public sector research organisations are also considered for funding under the Proof-of-Concept
phase
How does TECS Work
TECS is a competitive grant in which
proposals are ranked based on the
evaluation of a team of reviewers,
and the best proposals are funded.
It covers both Proof-of-Concept and
Proof-of-Value proposals. The areas
of focus are:

Electronics, Photonics & Device Technologies

Chemicals, Materials Science, Nano Technology

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) (excluding Interactive Digital Media)

Biomedical Sciences (excluding Drug Discovery)
Evaluation Criteria
1.Strength of the scientific or technical Idea
2.Ability to successfully carry out the project
3.Commercialisation potential
4.Economic benefits to Singapore
How to Apply
Proposals can be submitted through the
TECS website http://www.spring.gov.
sg/tecsportal. Qualifying submissions
will be batched for reviews on a regular
basis (about once every 2 months).
Ensure Business Continuity
Stay Prepared.
Tips for businesses to strengthen their resilience
In a crisis, the ability to deliver and function will be key to business
survival. The right measures can help to minimise the risks and costs
by ensuring the safety of employees and the continuity of business in
the event of a real crisis.
The Flu Pandemic Business Continuity Guide, developed by SPRING
Singapore, cites practical measures that businesses can adopt to
keep the flu outbreak at bay. It will be a stepping stone towards the
certification to SS540, the Singapore standard for business continuity
management (BCM). SS540 also allows businesses to assess, plan
and strengthen the resilience of its value chain of suppliers.
How Aik Moh Paints readies itself to
operate during the flu outbreak
Aik Moh Paints and Chemicals has well-structured procedures such
as temperature monitoring of staff and visitors, quarantine order for
staff who travelled to affected countries and isolation of staff with
flu-like symptoms. It has planned redundancy facilities with two
chemical plants, fully equipped with facilities and resources to ensure
continuation of operations if one is forced to shut down.
To better handle unforeseen circumstance and ensure business
continuity, Aik Moh has established a special BCM team in each
plant. They are trained and equipped with medical knowledge
and are able to take appropriate emergency steps in cases of
flu pandemic or other crisis. Aik Moh is currently working closely with
its business partners on a potential consortium project on SS540
certification.
“Our company strongly recognises the criticality of having a
Flu Pandemic Contingency Plan and the need to build on it to a
complete BCM,” said Executive Manager, Roy Tan (below). “Recently,
we have received several customers’ requests to have BCM. It is
important for us to be BCM-ready to ensure business resilience
and give confidence to our customers.”
For more information,
please contact the
Singapore Business Federation.
Tel: 6827 6867 or
email: [email protected]
URL: www.sbf.org.sg
SPRING Singapore
2 Bukit Merah Central Singapore 159835
main tel: +65 6278 6666 fax: +65 6278 5414
www.spring.gov.sg
www.business.gov.sg