intelligent
// FEATURE //
kKevin Piccione , President , Sealed Air Asia Pacific
In Asia Pacific , the way we do business has come a long way from the office-based work week that was the norm in 2019 . A year and a half on , we have witnessed some of the biggest conglomerates like Twitter , Facebook and most recently , Atlassian , opt for a 100 % remote working model .
With so many businesses moving in this direction , it seems flexible working is here to stay , regardless of business size or industry . In fact , recent research by Microsoft reveals that , across a range of industries in APAC , 73 % of workers want flexible and remote work options to continue .
Today ’ s technical capabilities have advanced at such a pace that remote working is no longer reserved for large scale enterprises with the expertise and resources available to make the switch . We are also seeing businesses , including SMEs , adapting their policies to support agile and mobile workforce operations .
I acknowledge that it ’ s not an easy journey for SMEs and challenges exist , such as the need to invest in technology , address data security threats , manage and coach employees amid reduced physical interactions , while prioritising employee health and safety . However , all businesses face similar considerations as they pivot away from the usual way of doing things and think out of the box to minimise business disruption while improving workforce agility .
The pandemic acted as a catalyst to think more broadly in using technology to improve existing operations . From online collaboration to remote monitoring and troubleshooting on the shop floor , smart and automated solutions can help to optimise business processes and enable employee safety through touchless processes . If Digital Transformation is not yet on the strategy roadmap , there is no time to waste in planning and starting on this journey .
On the people front , significant benefits can result from adopting a flexible way of work . This includes improved talent acquisition , engaged employees and better retention . Allowing people to work when and where they feel most productive , ultimately helps
“
TODAY ’ S TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES HAVE ADVANCED AT SUCH A PACE THAT REMOTE WORKING IS NO LONGER RESERVED FOR LARGE SCALE ENTERPRISES WITH THE EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO MAKE THE SWITCH .
Intelligent SME . tech 29
. tech