Comment posted in my blog.
Dear Mr Tan,
I have been involved in implementing IT Projects in the private sector since I started working 20 years ago. I am an Accountant by profession. I have gone thru implementing many kinds of IT systems. I find implementing the simple ones have the best chances of success.
IT systems have come a long way since then. Modern IT systems is able to cater to a lot of requirements. What is critical to the success of implementing IT systems is there must be a Project Manager handling the implementation full time. He must have enough experience implementing IT Projects and he must have approval to hire resources.
The Directors and the employees have an unrealistic expectation in implementing IT systems. They want the system to be able to do everything without lifting a finger because its a million dollar system. This is in turn compounded by the IT Consultants promising almost everything can be done without managing customers expectation. The IT Consultants charge their fees by project. So they will allocate a number of man hours to the project. If the project runs into difficulties, the IT Consultants will charge additional fees.
Another critical factor to the success of the project is the employees themselves. The question is are they willing to change their working habits and spent time to learn new skills to adapt to the system while also doing their job?
Thirdly, IT systems should be implemented by phases SLOWLY. This is so that the person working on the system has time to adapt to it. Implementing every thing at once brings the risk of multi-million dollar failure.
This is because there is huge resistance to change on the part of employees.
The consultancy firms will be happy that the hospitals want to implement all at once bec it will bring them huge revenues. They of course hope that their clients will succeed in implementing the system as it will bring them recognition.
No one wants to hire and pay mature workers who have hands on experience adequately and who can get the job done well. Instead CEO's nowadays say pay the consultants WELL. IT Consultants are skilled in "Consulting and IT work". Not in actually implementing the system.
What is actually needed is a person in the Co. who understands IT, its strength and limitations, who understands the company employees and culture, what they can or cannot do and assist them and have adequate experience in implementing IT projects and have hands on experience utilising IT.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Customer Service at Call Centers
I will be using my videocam to record my experience in calling the call center of big organisations, such as the government agencies, banks, telcos, insurance companies and airlines. Each video will be for up to 5 minutes. I will upload the video showing my personal experience - which hopefully will be good, but could show the negative aspects.
I hope that these videos will be educational and will encourage the big organisations to make changes to their call centers to improve the customer experience.
Please share the call centers that you wish me to try, giving me the name and the telephone number.
Tan Kin Lian
I hope that these videos will be educational and will encourage the big organisations to make changes to their call centers to improve the customer experience.
Please share the call centers that you wish me to try, giving me the name and the telephone number.
Tan Kin Lian
Investing in land abroad
Read this letter.
My comment
When several people lodge complaints with the authority that they have been misled into purchasing these investments through misrepresentations of the facts, the authority should investigate if there were intent to to defraud the public. The authority should also report the results of the investigation, even if no conclusive evidence could be found about the alleged misrepresentations. This would at least warn the public about the dangers of investing in these products.
This type of actions were taken in Malaysia and the UK leading to the closing down of the companies involved in the fraudulent activities and the prosecution of the perpetuators in court.
My comment
When several people lodge complaints with the authority that they have been misled into purchasing these investments through misrepresentations of the facts, the authority should investigate if there were intent to to defraud the public. The authority should also report the results of the investigation, even if no conclusive evidence could be found about the alleged misrepresentations. This would at least warn the public about the dangers of investing in these products.
This type of actions were taken in Malaysia and the UK leading to the closing down of the companies involved in the fraudulent activities and the prosecution of the perpetuators in court.
Taxi surcharges
Read this letter about taxi surcharges, which is getting out of hand.
My comment
It is better to raise the taxi fare and to remove all surcharges, such as the peak hour and location surcharges. All taxis plying the road should charge a standard taxi fare while premium taxi services (which charge a different fare, should be called by telephone or other means.
My comment
It is better to raise the taxi fare and to remove all surcharges, such as the peak hour and location surcharges. All taxis plying the road should charge a standard taxi fare while premium taxi services (which charge a different fare, should be called by telephone or other means.
Excessive charge to repair a damage
Comment posted in my survey.
My car ran into the parking barrier. Upon inspection only the arm was damaged. We both agreed to it and took photos respectively. The car park management later sent me a letter asking for 1,571 SGD payment to repair the barrier arm. The break down was like this:
• Labour to attend to ACCIDENT Case by the contractor $ 150.00
• 3M Magnetic Barrier Arm only $ 650.00
• Barrier arm Aluminium Bracket $ 80.00
• Delivery and installation charges $ 250.00
• Admin Charges 30% $ 339.00
7% GST $ 102.83
Total: $ 1,571.83
I disputed all the charges levied, especially the 30% admin charge that made no sense at all. I replied them saying i would take responsibility for the accident. But only on reasonable grounds. That barrier arm is simple to install (held on by 4 nuts and bolts), and the market price for it is only around 300 SGD (unbranded).
I advised them to file a claim with the Singapore Courts, and we will appear in court, state our cases and let the judge decide. That was March. I am still waiting to hear from them.
My comment
It is a sad episode when the company wanted to make a profit from an unfortunate event. It would be a nice gesture for them to charge only the direct cost and not seek to recover the labour and admin charges.
My car ran into the parking barrier. Upon inspection only the arm was damaged. We both agreed to it and took photos respectively. The car park management later sent me a letter asking for 1,571 SGD payment to repair the barrier arm. The break down was like this:
• Labour to attend to ACCIDENT Case by the contractor $ 150.00
• 3M Magnetic Barrier Arm only $ 650.00
• Barrier arm Aluminium Bracket $ 80.00
• Delivery and installation charges $ 250.00
• Admin Charges 30% $ 339.00
7% GST $ 102.83
Total: $ 1,571.83
I disputed all the charges levied, especially the 30% admin charge that made no sense at all. I replied them saying i would take responsibility for the accident. But only on reasonable grounds. That barrier arm is simple to install (held on by 4 nuts and bolts), and the market price for it is only around 300 SGD (unbranded).
I advised them to file a claim with the Singapore Courts, and we will appear in court, state our cases and let the judge decide. That was March. I am still waiting to hear from them.
My comment
It is a sad episode when the company wanted to make a profit from an unfortunate event. It would be a nice gesture for them to charge only the direct cost and not seek to recover the labour and admin charges.
Dr. Goh Keng Swee's immense contribution to Singapore
Many people are aware about the immense contribution that Dr. Goh Keng Swee had made to improve the life of millions of people in Singapore. He was the architect of our economy strategy that transformed Singapore from a developing country to a thriving developed economy. His strategy to attract the multinatinal companies into Singapore laid the foundation for our economic growth. The same strategy is now emulated by many other countries that desired to grow their economy.
There is another aspect of his contribution tht may not be well known. Dr. Goh was the keynote speaker at the historic seminar on the modernisation of the labour movement in 1969. He laid out a convincing case for the labour movement to set up coooperatives to take care of the needs of Singapore, in life insurance, savings and other economic ventures.
This strategy led to the formation of NTUC Income in 1970. Dr. Goh was the chairman of the board of trustees of NTUC Income for nearly 10 years and provided the guidance and advice for NTUC Income to establish a foothold in a challenging market environment. Without his guidance, it may not be possible for NTUC Income to be what it is today.
Later, the labour movement set up a consumer cooperative (i.e. NTUC Fairprice) and a taxi cooperative (which has since been privatised). The lives of many people are improved by the the contribution of the insurance, supermarket and other coopertives.
I heard stories about the frugal habits of Dr. Goh. He does not believe in wasting money unnecessarily. In his last speech in Parliament in 1984, according to the Straits Times report (quoting Prime Minister Lee), Dr. Goh said about the importance of "public service". I hope that Dr. Goh's message about "public service" can be rekindled.
Tan Kin Lian
Read this report in the Straits Times.
There is another aspect of his contribution tht may not be well known. Dr. Goh was the keynote speaker at the historic seminar on the modernisation of the labour movement in 1969. He laid out a convincing case for the labour movement to set up coooperatives to take care of the needs of Singapore, in life insurance, savings and other economic ventures.
This strategy led to the formation of NTUC Income in 1970. Dr. Goh was the chairman of the board of trustees of NTUC Income for nearly 10 years and provided the guidance and advice for NTUC Income to establish a foothold in a challenging market environment. Without his guidance, it may not be possible for NTUC Income to be what it is today.
Later, the labour movement set up a consumer cooperative (i.e. NTUC Fairprice) and a taxi cooperative (which has since been privatised). The lives of many people are improved by the the contribution of the insurance, supermarket and other coopertives.
I heard stories about the frugal habits of Dr. Goh. He does not believe in wasting money unnecessarily. In his last speech in Parliament in 1984, according to the Straits Times report (quoting Prime Minister Lee), Dr. Goh said about the importance of "public service". I hope that Dr. Goh's message about "public service" can be rekindled.
Tan Kin Lian
Read this report in the Straits Times.
Case study - think out of the box
Case Study.
My friend told me this case. Mr. X is a retiree widower (i.e his wife has passed away). He applied for a 2 room HDB flat with his daughter to form a family unit.
The daughter now wants to get married and apply for a larger flat. Mr. X wishes to live independently. The HDB wants to take back the flat as Mr. X is not able to form a family unit.
They asked him to sell his flat (which cost him $30,000 after grant) and apply for a studio apartment costing $80,000. Mr. X does not have the money to top up. He appealed many times to HDB to remain in his flat, but was declined. Mr. X is still fighting for permission to keep his flat.
What would you do to help Mr. X ,without changing the HDB rules on the family unit? Give your answer here. A prize will be given for an innovative answer.
My friend told me this case. Mr. X is a retiree widower (i.e his wife has passed away). He applied for a 2 room HDB flat with his daughter to form a family unit.
The daughter now wants to get married and apply for a larger flat. Mr. X wishes to live independently. The HDB wants to take back the flat as Mr. X is not able to form a family unit.
They asked him to sell his flat (which cost him $30,000 after grant) and apply for a studio apartment costing $80,000. Mr. X does not have the money to top up. He appealed many times to HDB to remain in his flat, but was declined. Mr. X is still fighting for permission to keep his flat.
What would you do to help Mr. X ,without changing the HDB rules on the family unit? Give your answer here. A prize will be given for an innovative answer.
Expensive computerisation projects
A knowledgeable insider told me that a few hospitals in Singapore each spent tens of million dollars to computerised their operations, after engaging big name consultancy firms. They abandoned their projects due to difficulty in implementation and wrote off their investments. It was very wasteful, and probably explains why hospital bills are expensive.
He said that this type of practice of paying a lot of money to consultants for computerisation projects happen in many government agencies as well.
I am not able to verify this information. I hope to get get confirmation from people who work in these places and are able to share their information.
Tan Kin Lian
He said that this type of practice of paying a lot of money to consultants for computerisation projects happen in many government agencies as well.
I am not able to verify this information. I hope to get get confirmation from people who work in these places and are able to share their information.
Tan Kin Lian
Workload of teachers
Read this letter.
My comment
The workload of teachers can be reduced by employing more non-teachers for the support duties. There are many unemployed people who would love to have the opportunity for these support duties. I hope that the government will be willing to spend some money to create the employment and reduce the workload of teachers.
My comment
The workload of teachers can be reduced by employing more non-teachers for the support duties. There are many unemployed people who would love to have the opportunity for these support duties. I hope that the government will be willing to spend some money to create the employment and reduce the workload of teachers.
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