Only One Quarter of Southeast Asian Firms Ready for Digital Leadership

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Nearly one-quarter of Southeast Asian businesses are Digital Leaders, a new study by SAP SE and Oxford Economics, the“ Leaders 2020 study” shows. This is higher than the global average of 16%; this new class of high-performing companies is reporting stronger profit growth, higher employee engagement, and cultures that are more inclusive.

These high-functioning organizations have executives who communicate a company-wide digital strategy, keep management and worker skills up to date, and streamline organizational structure.

Analysis of Southeast Asian firms in the Leaders 2020 study also affirms the business benefits of diversity, showing a correlation between those who are leading in digital transformation and those who have a heightened understanding of the importance of diversity. Digital Leaders around the world and Southeast Asian respondents are both more likely to recognize diversity’s positive impact on culture (66%and 62%, respectively), but only Digital Leaders are more likely to see the benefits in financial performance (37% vs. 25%).

Companies have become more diverse in Southeast Asia than in other regions over the past three years. Three-quarters of Southeast Asian respondents saw diversity improvements in the general workforce of their organization, and 42% saw an increase in board and senior leadership, compared with 67% and 34% globally. However, less than 40% in Southeast Asia state that their company has effective diversity programs in place, signaling more could be done, especially at the senior executive and corporate board levels.

The Leaders 2020 study also found that only 61% of Southeast Asian executives (vs. 55% globally) are making data-driven decisions, a key factor that makes a Digital Leader. It is of little wonder that only 62% of Southeast Asian executives (vs. 59% globally) feel that employees are equipped with the skills necessary to keep up with digital technology.

“A diverse workforce encourages bold, innovative ideas to flourish and in turn, presents insights which are only made possible through that diversity. It is of little coincidence that these two capabilities – leveraging data for decisions and maintaining a diverse workforce – both occur for high-performing organizations,” said Scott Russell, president and managing director, SAP Southeast Asia.

The Leaders 2020 research findings for Southeast Asia revealed at SuccessConnect 2016, the premier conference held by SAP SuccessFactors for HR and C-suite executives in Singapore, shows that it pays to be a Digital Leader:

Byline: Don’t Neglect Security in M&A Due Diligence

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Look at any M&A due diligence checklist and you’ll see the same things: financials, customer information, sales, real estate, intellectual property, contracts—and the list goes on. One thing you may not see is information security, and that can be a crucial mistake.

Like any other critical component of running a business, security needs to be right at the top of the list for M&A due diligence. When combining two companies, they often have different and sometimes even incompatible systems and data. That can create opportunities for hackers. If a company is in the news for a merger or acquisition, it’s a fair bet that hackers and data thieves are going to try their hand at breaching its security. A good business decision can turn bad very quickly if security is an afterthought.

A CFO’s job is to realize the optimal business case, mitigate the risk, and protect the company’s assets, both tangible and intangible. In addition to data, some of a company’s most critical assets are its reputation and the loyalty of customers. An acquisition can make customers of both companies apprehensive. If that’s followed up by a massive breach of sensitive customer data, the companies’ customers will flee in droves.

To avoid that worst-case scenario, here are some things to keep in mind during the M&A process.

Energy Department Prepares Contingency Measures for Storm Nina

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi directed the energy family and its partner agencies to prepare and closely monitor the entry of Tropical Storm (TS) Nina in ensuring minimal impact to energy facilities for the people to enjoy continuous energy supply during the holidays.

According to the weather bureau PAGASA, TS Nina is expected to make landfall over the Bicol Region, particularly in Samar, between 24 and 25 December 2016.

Sec. Cusi said, “I asked the energy family, specifically the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and the National Electrification Administration (NEA), to prepare necessary pre-cautionary measures, especially for the speedy restoration and recovery if the storm will affect the power facilities.”

“Even during holidays, the Task-Force Kapatid will be readied for easy mobilization of assets,” Secretary Cusi added.

In particular, the Secretary also alerted the concerned electric cooperatives specifically those within the projected track of the storm of their contingency measures and to closely coordinate with concerned government agencies and local government units.

As to petroleum products, Sec. Cusi asked the oil companies to ensure prescribed inventory of fuels, especially to those communities that depend on gasoline and diesel for their daily activities, to protect oil consumers from hampered services.

On the other hand, Sec. Cusi reminds the public to immediately report to the nearest authority/ies any incidents affecting the power supply facilities and to exercise emergency and safety measures as follows:

· Charge flashlights and mobile phones
· Be informed on the latest news updates
· Switch-off circuit breaker and other electrical systems to avoid electrocution, among other electrical mishap.
· After the typhoon, check first before using the electrical systems to avoid short circuits.

“We should not downplay the possible impacts of Tropical Storm Nina. We have to consistently prepare and ensure that the generation, transmission, distribution and oil facilities are all operational before, during and even after the storm. The DOE is committed to work for the Filipinos to enjoy the holidays despite the coming of the typhoon,” Secretary Cusi concluded.