Enterprise Profile

Kuok Group Singapore is a conglomerate with diverse interests in the maritime, real estate, and digital infrastructure sectors. Founded in 1953 by Malaysian tycoon Robert Kuok, its subsidiaries include Pacific Carriers Limited, PaxOcean Group, Pacc Offshore Services Holdings, Allgreen Properties, and K2 Data Centres.

Problem statement

As part of its digital transformation journey, the company with a headcount of about 2,000 saw the need to upskill and reskill its staff in key digital competencies such as data analytics and robotic process automation (RPA).

So in late 2022, it approached the Professional & Adult Continuing Education (PACE) Academy at Singapore Polytechnic (SP) to tailor company-wide training programmes. The first workshop was conducted in April 2023.

Explaining the company’s choice of partner, Mr Sky Tan, Senior Manager of Leadership Development at Kuok Group Singapore, said: “SP PACE Academy has a wide array of digital tools and workshops for us to choose from, and the trainers are all very experienced.”

_{Mr Sky Tan, Senior Manager of Leadership Development at Kuok Group Singapore, worked with SP PACE Academy to design courses for his colleagues.}

Impact achieved

SP PACE Academy first identified the skill gaps of staff with different profiles and then curated relevant courses in critical core skills and emerging areas such as generative artificial intelligence.

A total of 15 workshops were held last year on how to leverage tools such as Power BI and Excel for data analysis. About 10 more are planned for this year, including courses on RPA and data storytelling to help employees better present data and facilitate decision-making.

To date, more than 200 employees have attended at least one of the workshops. Kuok Group Singapore also picked about 12 to 15 employees for a project-based course called Skills & Technology Adoption Readiness (STAR) for RPA.

“These are employees who already have existing projects that they want to automate by utilising RPA,” Mr Tan explained.

So far, participants of the STAR for RPA series have embarked on 10 projects to improve efficiency and productivity in various work functions, such as automating some of the fleet management systems and finance processes.

One key benefit from the ongoing collaboration with SP PACE Academy, Mr Tan noted, is clearer insights into data management and its impact on business outcomes.

“In sending our people for these workshops, the key thing they learn is not just utilising the different tools, but also understanding how data is being managed and kept, and realising the need for consistency in terms of knowledge management.” he said. “Having a standardised form of well-kept data ensures that the analysis will be faster and consistent…If you can't provide a good enough analysis that is correct and consistent, it's difficult to make key decisions.”

_{Mr Sky Tan, seen here with his colleagues Patricia Ng (middle) and Kelicia Tang, appreciates the wide array of tools and workshops that SP PACE Academy offers.}

“In sending our people for these workshops, the key thing they learn is not just utilising the different tools, but also understanding how data is being managed and kept, and realising the need for consistency in terms of knowledge management.” Mr Tan.

SP PACE Academy’s perspective

Kuok Group Singapore’s diverse workforce and business operations has presented a unique challenge for trainers, said Ms Michelle Neo, Senior Manager of Business Development at SP PACE Academy.

First, as staff proficiency in digital skills varies widely, trainers have had to ensure that all participants can take away the necessary skill sets and knowledge.

Second, given the company’s wide span of business interests, “the other challenge was to contextualise the training such that employees from different sectors could appreciate and apply the learning back at their workplace”, added Ms Neo.

But witnessing the passion of the learners and hearing their success stories has been gratifying. For example, she recalled how one participant was able to slash the time required to generate a report from one hour to just 15 minutes after attending an RPA workshop.

Above all, she is heartened by Kuok Group Singapore’s proactive stand on staff development. “A supportive management is the foundation upon which successful employee training thrives,” she said. “How Kuok Group Singapore prioritises and invests in its employees’ development is exemplary in building a growth and continuous learning culture.”