Enterprise Singapore to review its programme to drive business excellence

Singapore

ENTERPRISE Singapore is undertaking a "comprehensive review" of the Business Excellence initiative to ensure its relevance, given that companies are faced with shifting challenges.

Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing, speaking at the ceremony to hand out this year's Business Excellence Awards, said the overhaul will address the emerging challenges faced by organisations, such as sustainability, rapid digitalisation and changing workforce demographics and needs.

The Business Excellence initiative, launched in Singapore in 1994, gives organisations a roadmap towards excellence and comprises both certification and awards.

The refreshed initiative "will provide organisations with a roadmap to achieve sustainable performance and become more resilient in meeting the challenges of tomorrow's economy", the minister said.

He did not say when the review might be completed.

Enterprise Singapore, then Spring Singapore, last reviewed the criteria for the Business Excellence awards in 2016 to put more focus on people development and innovation capabilities. This review of the Business Excellence initiative as a whole thus appears to be a larger undertaking.

At the presentation of this year's awards at Resorts World Sentosa on Tuesday, two organisations and three public-sector agencies were awarded top honours in business excellence.

Integrated resort operator Marina Bay Sands and high-end manufacturer ASM Technology Singapore won the Singapore Quality Award for the first time. Marina Bay Sands was recognised for introducing industry-first initiatives by harnessing technology, data analytics and artificial intelligence in its operations to enhance productivity and improve guest experiences, said Enterprise Singapore.

ASM Technology Singapore, which manufactures equipment and materials for semiconductor assembly and packaging, has improved processes and produced tangible results for its employees, customers, and partners.

The company is now creating solutions to meet its customers' future needs in automotive and 5G applications.

Another three award winners were government agencies - the Singapore Police Force (SPF), the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

SPF and SPS received the Singapore Quality Award with Special Commendation, which recognises past winners of the Singapore Quality Award who have shown improvements and demonstrated leadership.

SPF last won this in 2007 and SPS, in 2012.

Public housing agency HDB and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) are the first two organisations to win this award a second time, while the National Library Board (NLB) is the first organisation to have won in all five categories of the Business Excellence Awards.

MPA, set up in 1996 to develop the Republic as a global hub port and international maritime centre, won the Innovation Excellence Award this year. This award recognises organisations with "outstanding innovation capabilities". The public-sector agency was lauded for driving innovation, such as with the MPA Living Lab, a co-creation platform on which solutions such as the next-generation vessel traffic-management system and e-navigation will be developed.

Against the backdrop of a weakening global economic environment, Mr Chan urged organisations to strengthen their fundamentals and to build new strengths.

Meanwhile, the government, with support from trade groups and chambers of commerce, is monitoring the economic situation and will step up support when needed, he said.

Over the past 25 years, more than 100 Business Excellence awards have been given out to organisations.