Enterprise profile

KTC Group started in 1988 as an earth-moving subcontractor under Kok Tong Construction Pte Ltd. Today, it is a leading civil engineering and infrastructure entity in Singapore with capabilities spanning from transports, aviation, buildings, underground engineering, land preparation and earthworks, among others.

Problem statement

One in four major workplace injuries occurred in the construction sector in 2023. As a company operating in the Built-Environment, it is crucial for KTC Group to record and report near-miss incidents – incidents that could have resulted in personal injury or property damage. However, KTC Group’s near-miss incident reporting process was paperwork-heavy and inefficient, hindering its efforts to track and identify opportunities to improve overall safety standards.

Impact Achieved

Over four half-day sessions in 2023, Singapore Polytechnic (SP) worked with KTC Group to kickstart its digital transformation journey through the Data-Driven Digital Transformation (D3T) programme. This is a training programme offered by SP’s Data Science and Analytics Centre (DSAC) and funded by Workforce Singapore.

_{Data-Driven Digital Transformation (D3T) programme}

Through the D3T programme, DSAC consultants proposed developing a mobile app to support KTC in digitalising its near-miss incident reporting process.

This app allowed for the details of each near-miss incident to be compiled quickly and efficiently, with data from past incidents being made easily accessible. The creation of a comprehensive database through the mobile app also enabled better data analysis to prevent future incidents.

In addition, DSAC consultants identified skill gaps and proposed training courses to equip KTC Group employees with the skills to utilise data effectively for decision-making, and to build data solutions.

Through transitioning to a paperless system and supporting talent development, the D3T programme provided an end-to-end solution to complete KTC Group’s digital transformation, making its processes more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable in the long run.

“The D3T programme has been an eye-opener for us,” said Mr Liaw Chun Huan, Chief Financial Officer of KTC Group. “It not only helped us to have a better understanding of how we should digitalise and visualise our data, but also to chart implementable plans to analyse and leverage these data for better decision-making. The future of our business strategies has to be driven by data.”

_{Mr Liaw Chun Huan, Chief Financial Officer of KTC Group, says DSAC has helped his company leverage data for better decision-making.}

DSAC Perspective

Singapore Polytechnic launched the D3T programme to help companies embark on their transformation journey, said Dr Edna Chan, Centre Director of DSAC.

In today’s rapidly changing world, DSAC consultants recognise the potential for digitalisation to enhance the built environment sector, traditionally a labour-intensive industry.

Dr Chan added: “We assess companies’ digital readiness, identify pain points, and offer implementable solutions.”