COVER FEATURE
Digital Malaysia in 2018
By Dato’ Ng Wan Peng, Chief Operating Officer, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation( MDEC)
COVER FEATURE
This time last year, I pointed out that Malaysia and the rest of the world are rapidly making its way to the Fourth Industrial Revolution( now known as IR4.0). Rapidly evolving technologies – such as artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things( IoT), autonomous vehicles, 3D printing, nanotechnology, and quantum computing- together with emerging new models and approaches are starting to help us unlock even more value and benefits from the digital revolution.
Leading industry players in Malaysia have started their digital adoption and transformation journey, but are yet to fully leverage digital technologies across the full breadth of their business, according to recent analysis by Accenture using its Digital Performance Index( DPI).
As an example, an Accenture analysis in Malaysia, examines 28 leading companies across more than eight industries. It found that although companies are aware of the importance of incorporating digital into business strategies, there seems to be a gap between planning and taking action. Up to 44 % of companies have digital strategies in place, but only 7 % have announced dedicated budgets to implement these strategies.
The research also revealed that most digital transformation initiatives are focused on customerfacing activities rather than internal operations and management structures. More than half( 52 %) have launched new digital products and up to 44 % have digitalised current products. However, only 11 % use digital in their manufacturing processes or to manage the supply network.
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