Commentary

When technology could stifle transformation

I met the CEO of a SME business in Singapore recently and he lamented that new technology pilot projects don't always seem to result in enhanced productivity or business returns. At the same time, a number of mature professionals I meet at U Future Leaders Series have expressed lack of hope for their own careers in the current phase of transformation since they feel it is all about cutting-edge technology, a space beyond many of their comfort zone.

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When technology could stifle transformation

Commentary

Should wealth managers recommend Bitcoin?

Of all the alternative investments out there, should Singaporean investors start badgering their wealth managers to start buying up Bitcoin?

Commentary

The greener future of Asia's aviation sector

Singapore just played host to yet another successful installation of the Singapore Airshow 2016 with some 50 deals inked, out of which 10 carried a total value of US$12.3 billion.

Commentary

At the crossroad of digital transformation and disruption

With the proliferation of devices and rapid improvement in infrastructure, Singapore, along with the rest of Asia, is at the crossroad of digital transformation and disruption. No other region is developing quite as quickly when it comes to the adoption of new technologies and innovation. This has brought a lot of attention to apps and technology that connect users, information, and devices.

Commentary

Work-life balance: Solution or curse?

The rhetoric on whether a work-life balance for Singaporeans is sustainable has been hotly debated. In some sectors, it has leveraged better staff retention, increased productivity, and enhanced career growth but at what cost? High stress levels, long working hours, decreased family time, and marital strife are some of the consequences highlighted by this paradigm shift in work-centric Singapore.

Commentary

Singapore needs a Bounce-Back Budget for 2016

"I believe in the notion of a trampoline." That metaphor was all it took for Singapore’s deputy prime minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam to encapsulate Singapore’s approach toward fostering socio-economic resilience in her population. The robust exchange with BBC’s Stephen Sackur happened at last year’s St Gallen Symposium in Switzerland, which theme was fittingly dubbed "Proudly Small", as if conference organisers were tipping their hat toward how big of an influence this Little Red Dot has become.

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Foolish investor mistakes during market volatility

“If you want to have a better performance than the crowd, you must do things differently from the crowd.” - Warren Buffett

Commentary

The IRS vs Singapore

Last September, I wrote "After Switzerland, is Singapore next?". The fact is that anyone with even a cursory interest in the world of banking has noticed what has been happening in Switzerland for the better part of the last decade. The mighty US government has managed to get Switzerland to do what no one else could ever do. The US managed to get Switzerland to circumvent their own rules on banking secrecy to turn over client details to the US authorities.

Commentary

Dealing with ambiguity: The new talent currency for Singapore professionals?

Machine learning and artificial intelligence are all around us now, from computers which identify and sort our email spams, to ‘DeepFace’ of Facebook which identifies faces with 97.25% accuracy, to self-driving cars on Singapore roads.

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Bringing more visitors to Singapore

Singapore as a tourist destination is going through tough times.

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Big data's impact on Singapore's MediShieldLife & healthcare industry

Wearable devices are now a common affordable consumer gadget, with many brands engaged in intense competition for a piece of the growing market, with increasing pressures on the profit margins.

Commentary

Why Singapore's businesses must double-down on due diligence and corporate compliance

In a time of universal deceit, according to Orwell, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. In today's business environment, truthful business is no longer a revolutionary act, but is a necessary component of responsible and sustainable business practice.

Commentary

Ageing gracefully with assurance

Most Singaporeans can expect to live longer than their previous generations, thanks to continuing improvements of standards of living over the years. For example, the life expectancy for females was 70.1 years in 1963, and has increased to 84.6 years in 2013, and is expected to extend to 88.8 years in 2033.

Commentary

How not to fall flat on a publicity stunt

With the recent publicity stunt gone wrong by NTUC income's "retirement planning announcement" from a Singapore actress and also the past "bad taste" publicity stunts in Singapore such as the "Ulu Pandan Bear Scare" by Philips, the "Raffles Place Army Platoon" by the National Geographic Channel, or the "Vandalised Post Boxes" by SingPost, I bet many marketing managers in Singapore may be scratching their heads and thinking if publicity stunts are worth trying.

Commentary

Agility is key in the Year of the Monkey

Many Singapore-listed firms did not find the much needed festive cheer, as bourses reopened in the Year of the Fire Monkey. While many investors got burnt, panic was also seen on a broader scale, as billions of dollars (at least on paper) were wiped off the markets, from the SGX to NYSE. Experts say the increasing number of public companies scaling back their revenue growth forecasts, coupled with the downward pressure on valuations in the private market, points to graver concerns over the state of the global economy.

Commentary

Work-life balance the key to staff retention in Singapore

Employers will need to focus on retention this year as 37 percent of candidates in Singapore surveyed for the 2016 Hays Asia Salary Guide are currently looking for a new job. A further 48 percent are open to hearing about a fresh opportunity.

Commentary

Business competitiveness in the age of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and ASEAN Economic Community

What a difference 48 years makes. It was 1967 when Singapore was among the founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Its GDP was around US$1.2 billion then; by Q1 2016 it is forecast to grow to US$331 billion, an increase of around 275 times – adjusted for inflation, about eight times. And as we enter into 2016 – when the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) are about to become political and economic realities, a collective ASEAN’s growth narrative is only just beginning.

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