By Zakir Ahmed
COVID-19 was a wake-up call to governments on the importance of enhanced implementation of digital technologies. While the lockdown accelerated digitalization, it is imperative for organizations to accelerate advanced technology in order to recover in the post-pandemic environment.
Since 2020, Malaysia has issued eight stimulus packages worth RM530 billion to mitigate the economic impact caused by the pandemic. This has demonstrated the government’s continuous commitment to offer Malaysians tremendous support in strengthening their recovery efforts.
One of the key priorities of the Twelfth Malaysia Plan (RMK-12) includes establishing a conducive ecosystem to develop small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and accelerating digitalization. Despite potentially tremendous benefits, SMEs lag in the digital transformation.
Organizations in the public and private sectors no longer have the luxury of time in joining the digital revolution. The journey toward digital transformation will be accelerated by automation, which will boost productivity and ensure the efficiency of services.
Digitalization and Automation
The pandemic has also forced many brick and mortar businesses to digitize. Malaysia’s manufacturing sector was especially hard-hit due to the unprecedented disruption. The state of the industrial revolution in Malaysia’s manufacturing sector is between Industry 2.0 and 3.0. To move towards the Industry 4.0 model, Malaysian industries must be adequately equipped to navigate through the rapidly evolving digital and technological realms.
Expansion of the Smart Automation Grant (SAG) will help organizations realize the full potential of digitalization. Moving into the recovery phase, organizations will experience greater rebound riding on new technology applications and innovation of Industry 4.0.
We look forward to an accelerated focus on automation and a strengthened digital foundation in the RMK-12 to propel companies beyond surviving but thriving in this post-COVID-19 economy.
Upskilling and reskilling Malaysians
While the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the “new normal” has given rise to the fear that machines will replace the workforce and further widen the skills gap, the World Economic Forum (WEF) expects that 97 million new jobs will be created by 2025 as a result of automation.
Support provided by government-led programmes will set the standards and help organizations accelerate their transformation from offline to online business models. Training incentives to upskill employees for the digital transition in preparation for driving the adoption of cloud technologies and digital tools will enable organizations to pivot quickly to new digital demands and scale to meet business needs.
Employing the right talent to complement automation is vital to economic recovery in the post-pandemic era. Malaysian organizations are turning to the government for support and a large-scale digital transformation will accelerate the nation’s digital economy and its role in enabling business continuity, recovery, and resilience.
Developing and nurturing talent is an imperative and essential building block for Malaysia to become a digital nation. With the focus on developing talent for the future, the government and organizations need to collaborate in future-proofing their employees if they want to stay competitive in the global marketplace.
Zakir Ahmed is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) at Kofax. This senior-level appointment reflects the exponential growth and market demand for intelligent automation solutions in APJ. Based in Singapore, Zakir is responsible for Kofax’s business growth success across the region and building strong partnerships with all of Kofax’s stakeholders. Passionate about customer success, Zakir joined Kofax with over two decades of global experience in management, customer acquisition, retention and sales leadership, complemented by a strong understanding of the APJ market.
