Industry Digital Plan for precision engineering sector launched by Enterprise Singapore, IMDA

THE government has introduced a 3-stage digital roadmap for the precision engineering sector to help companies identify gaps and the digital solutions that apply at different stages of their growth.

Launched by Enterprise Singapore and the Infocomm Media Development Authority, the Industry Digital Plan (IDP) for the precision engineering (PE) sector was unveiled at the Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific 2021 trade show.

Speaking at the launch on Tuesday (Nov 23), Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan said the PE industry is key to Singapore's manufacturing sector, contributing about S$40 billion to gross domestic product (GDP), or about one-fifth.

The diverse industry - which provides components to a wide range of businesses in semiconductor, marine and offshore, and medical technology - also employs 100,000 workers, which is over 10 per cent of the workforce.

Noting that Covid-19 has led to supply chain challenges, Tan said: "The PE industry has grown and become resilient and is in fact thriving. Importantly, it is creating many good jobs for Singaporeans as companies move up the value chain."

Many companies in Singapore are already adopting digital technologies as they strive to maintain global competitiveness, but those newer to digitalisation may find the process daunting, he said.

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Stage 1 of the IDP is a "foundational level", and small and medium enterprises (SME) are introduced to basic solutions that can "kickstart their digital journey", said Tan.

This helps them to do higher-value work, build core digital capabilities and enhance operational productivity.

For example, tooling company Koei Tool Singapore adopted a design and computer-aided manufacturing software, enabling each programmer to produce up to 150 to 200 programmes per year, up from 40 to 50 previously.

The second stage highlights digital solutions that enable SMEs to connect digitally to optimise business value.

One example involves another tooling company Onn Wah Tech, which deployed an overall equipment effectiveness system, a digital dashboard that captures data about the production process, allowing the company to reduce the time spent on individual machine inspections by 3.6 hours a day.

In stage 3, companies will be recommended measures to help them automate their operations and move towards being a smart business.

For instance, plastic fabrication company Certact Engineering has purchased automated machines like robotic cells with conveyor systems to replace the current manual machine tending.

To help companies tailor their employee training programmes, Tan said there is a corresponding digital training roadmap under the IDP to ensure workers are able to adapt confidently.

"My main message today is therefore that digitalisation is and continues to be a way of life and the way that many businesses work. It's just how businesses are these days, and the good news is that it is not as intimidating as it may seem," Tan said.

"If we break the process into simple steps, 1-2-3 bite-sized chunks, and most importantly, journey alongside our company, then every company, including SMEs, can embrace and build these digital solutions into every single part of the business."