SOBA webinar explores ways to encourage business continuity

KUALA LUMPUR: The very first Star Exceptional Business enterprise Awards (SOBA) 2022 LAB kicked off with the pertinent dilemma on how to establish company resilience by using new technological innovation, partnerships and helpful funds management.

Moderated by the Affiliated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Market of Malaysia (ACCCIM) modest and medium enterprises (SMEs) committee countrywide treasurer and chairman Koong Lin Loong with panel speakers like PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd chief economical officer Pang Kong Chek, RHB Financial institution Bhd and SME Engagement head Sim Ee Chiew and Credit history Warranty Corp Malaysia Bhd’s (CGC) Department Product sales Administration vice-president Sharifah Attashah Syed Ali.

Koong opened the dialogue with the observation that following two and a 50 percent yrs since Covid-19 the small business neighborhood gears up for a recovery, the changeover has been a rocky route, as the environment faces headwinds from the Ukraine-Russia War, inflationary pressure, provide chain disruptions and concerns with the labour current market.

He also mentioned that in accordance to ACCCIM’s study, organization communities are continue to experiencing income flow-similar problems this sort of as the decrease in the gain, soaring prices and additional and inquiries the part of funds circulation in making certain small business continuity.

Pang agreed that hard cash flow is important for the survival of companies.

He claimed that the regulate on money collections or income conversion for each receivables and inventory need to be stored inside of handle or be improved on.

He described that receivables are tied to credit management relies upon on a good credit score management plan to control or lower the risk of defaulting.

For inventories he explained an excellent degree of inventory preserving should really be monitored to be certain the organization operates at an optimum stage.

Sim pointed out that SMEs may perhaps also obtain it difficult to optimise their stock degree thanks to the volatility of uncooked substance price ranges and fluctuating forex.

He claimed banking companies offer a lot of facilities together with SMEs loans to allow them to inventory up and cater to their escalating business enterprise action write-up-restoration.

Sharifah stressed that it is important for firms – significant and little – to make certain they have a wholesome income circulation and that small business owners will need to get ready a funds movement statement and conduct frequent money movement analysis.

She famous that the most important issue that company house owners face is in tackling late payments and she prompt presenting lead payment bonuses or incentives.

She also introduced up bill funding, which can get some money flowing in by finding advances on unpaid invoices as nicely as dollars movement forecasting to help entrepreneurs make options in advance.

On digital transformation, Koong highlighted the requirement of electronic transformation for developing business resilience and additional importantly how to commence the journey.

Sim stated bank consumers now can perform transactions remotely, and even present business enterprise methods that boost procedure efficiency, lessen charges and build the capability for small business entrepreneurs to attain the concentrate to expand their corporations, these kinds of as the accounting software program or HR answer and also electronic point-of-income remedies.

He explained banking institutions are one particular-halt centres that offer a large selection of companies to customers.

Pang relevant that PKT Logistics had also adopted digitalisation and automation in some of its organization procedures, as very well as robotics.

Even so, he shared that digitalisation can start off with a smaller step, these types of as to utilising and taking care of expenditures using an accounting software or with other folks, which a computer software vendor can assist out.

He talked about that SME can tap into the SME Digitalisation Grant, which features a most of RM5,000 or the Smart Automation Grant, at a utmost of RM1mil.

Pang encouraged doing work with an IT expert who understands the demands and who can build, deploy and examination the set up in the functioning ecosystem.

In accordance to Sharifah, CGC retains advisory workshops while its companions to guidebook its clients on how to develop their business by way of digital transformation.

“SMEs need to have to switch from the classic business enterprise atmosphere to more hybrid organization designs now,” pressured Sharifah. “Equally important is the shift to accepting digital payments as perfectly as QR payments.”

She also introduced up the relevance of investing in cybersecurity as electronic transformation has also resulted in an enhance of scams and digital crimes.

Sim shared that banking companies also offer comparable methods that will help SMEs run their business operations far more competently and price tag-successfully.

“Banks have integrated a procedure that is ready to present customer answers relating to payment and collections, but also other varieties of aid, to aid shoppers operate extra competently,” he mentioned.

Koong then pointed out that when an organisation encounters digital transformation, there will be modifications that impact human cash and the need to re-skill or glance for external talent as their existing workforce.

Sharifah mentioned that modifications in the enterprise environment itself may possibly involve the talent to be upskilled.

That is to educate the personnel an state-of-the-art talent set that is applicable to the career or specific responsibilities.

She mentioned re-scaling prepares workforce for an fully new posture which is not connected to their latest position.

“SMEs ought to know what sector and the awareness their businesses will need to mature in order to invest in the proper up-scaling or re-scaling programme,” she claimed.

Pang pointed out that PKT has an training arm which gives courses on logistics.

A brief-expression class of 3 months is qualified at school leavers to trains them with the expertise required to perform in a logistics surroundings.

Accomplishing so allows the company to also redefine the great importance of a work position in buy to catch the attention of and keep the talent within just the organisation.

“It is the organisational culture that lets us shape personal positions internally so that we are able to employ and keep them.”

From the standpoint of banks, Sim mentioned it is essential not only to see SME firms expand but to ensure that they take pleasure in a continuous nicely-currently being further than banking.

“We brought in organization partners to assistance educate clients and their staff in the locations these kinds of as in operations administration, human source and accounting in purchase for them to do their work more competently,” he stated.

With regards to partnership, Sharifah explained that CGC engages with financial institutions to deliver funding to its shoppers as very well as interact with all financial institutions, peer-to-peer products and services and the ability-constructing company to deliver funding, substitute financing or recommend to the customers as a result of on line.

CGC also pairs the SME customers with a more substantial or intercontinental business enterprise player in get to leverage the achieve of the much larger entity to advertise their merchandise.

“Partnership presents excellent gain to SMEs by opening up new views, expertise and understanding, as effectively as price-saving in internet marketing.”

Individuals intrigued can look at the full movie on the StarBiz Facebook web page at https://fb.enjoy/ey0TgCJWqx/The following SOBA LAB webinar, titled “Future of function: Reinventing the electronic workspace” will be on Aug 18, at 3pm.

SOBA 2022 is organised by SMG with CGC, Digi, PKT Logistics Group and RHB Financial institution Bhd as principal sponsors, TalentCorp Malaysia as co-sponsor and Matrade as formal trade advertising associate.

Supported by Bursa Malaysia, it is audited by BDO with 988 and Suria as official media partners.

For far more info on SOBA 2022, contact SMG Gatherings at 017-231 1789 or pay a visit to www.soba.com.my.