Embracing Change: How SingPost is Redefining Work in the Digital Age

This article is part of a series of interviews with SingPost senior leaders on the 'Future of Work' - an initiative within the Group designed to support its transformation into a technology-driven logistics enterprise. The 'Future of Work' initiative comprises a focus on employee upskilling through its Future of Work Academy, digital and automation Centres of Excellence (CoEs) and, through a partnership with Google, an Innovation Lab. This series captures the views and vision of business leaders driving change through the organisation.

Redefining Work in the Digital Age

Singapore Post (SingPost) is working on a cultural transformation program within the postal and logistics group. This initiative is jointly orchestrated by Group Chief Information Officer, Noel Singgih. A well-established CIO with a track record of successful digital transformations, Noel’s career has been marked by a consistent ability to leverage technology to drive business growth and operational efficiency.

"I've seen the evolution of technology over the decades," Noel reflects. "We've gone through very exciting periods, from analog phones to smartphones, from the age of floppy disks to data coming in terabytes. This journey has taught me that you always have to keep up with change, finding ways to leverage that to create competitive advantage."

Drawing inspiration from his personal life, Noel notes, "At home, I observe my 16-year old daughter using GenAI extensively for her schoolwork. She's encouraged to integrate this technology to enhance her productivity, alongside other digital tools that challenge her to think critically and explore new ideas rapidly. Access to vast information is now ubiquitous. The key to success lies in how effectively we leverage this information and embrace digital tools as catalysts for innovation."

A Continuous Evolution

Noel describes SingPost's digital transformation as a continuous evolution, starting with laying the foundation and harmonising data before implementing automation, AI, and analytics.

After joining SingPost in July 2022, Noel dedicated time to thoroughly assess the existing systems and processes. By the beginning of 2023, he had gained a comprehensive understanding of the task at hand.

"The scope of our challenges exceeded our initial expectations," Noel reflects. "We realised we needed to make up for lost ground before we could commence our planned initiatives. What we originally envisioned as a gradual evolution quickly became apparent that we had to lay the infrastructure to obtain relevant data points," he candidly acknowledges.

Data quality and technology emerged as significant hurdles in SingPost's digital transformation journey. Noel reflects, "To become a digital company, it is essential to effectively utilise data and establish a robust data architecture and strategy. Initially, we encountered challenges with data quality and technology. We had anticipated having high-quality data to generate insights, but this was not the case."

To overcome these challenges, Noel advocated for a methodical approach. "We started at the root - ensuring data integrity," he explains. "You can't innovate without the correct data structure." This step-by-step strategy underscored the critical importance of building a solid foundation for data management before pursuing more advanced digital initiatives.

"Breaking larger tasks into smaller ones was key to tackling them," Noel adds. The team faced various challenges, including a number of outdated applications, internet proxies and on-premises hardware. Overcoming these difficulties proved valuable. "The process was harder, but we emerged better from it. Digging deeper gave us more insight for future workstreams," Noel reflects.

The team's persistence paid off, as evidenced by their ability to implement sweeping changes. Last Christmas month alone, they executed over 350 changes in their IT environment—20 times more than their usual monthly average. They also embarked on implementing a brand new ERP system in just 9 months, a process that typically takes over two years. This came right after they implemented an Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) system in less than 6 months to improve their Financial Planning and Analysis capabilities and reduce reliance on spreadsheets.

"Once we delivered key milestones, confidence soared. Colleagues started believing in the transformation and our team's capabilities. It was hard work but rewarding to witness the organisation's transformation," Noel concludes.

Measuring Success in the Digital Age

As SingPost embarks on its transformative journey, Noel emphasises a balanced approach to measuring success, combining tangible financial outcomes with intangible human factors.

"We need to look at it from two perspectives," Noel explains. "Firstly, we focus on the return on investment, encompassing improved productivity, increased customer acquisition, reduced operational costs, and enhanced profit margins. This ensures our digital transformation efforts yield concrete business results."

Equally important, Noel stresses, is the impact on people. "The second part centres on employee engagement and customer satisfaction," he notes. Success here means empowered employees in a digital workplace and customers experiencing improved service quality. Noel envisions customers saying, "You really understand us, providing insights and advice to improve our overall supply chain quality."

Looking Ahead: A Future-Ready SingPost

As SingPost continues its transformative journey, the lessons learned and foundations built are not just milestones, but stepping stones towards a more agile and innovative future.

"Don't think of the Future of Work as a program with clear start and end dates," Noel advises. "It's a continuous journey about how we keep upskilling ourselves and thinking digitally. It's about capturing and making use of the data we have to generate insights that drive business excellence."

This vision encompasses upskilling the workforce and fostering a digital mindset, making data-driven decision-making and automation second nature. “We aim for every employee to adopt a technology first approach, applying it to their relevant fields, leveraging available tools to simplify and automate their tasks. This allows them to focus on higher-value roles and advance their careers within the company. Equally important is cultivating a cybersecurity culture, ensuring that safeguarding data becomes an intrinsic part of every employee's role," he added.

As SingPost stands at the cusp of this new digital era, Noel's vision is clear: a postal and logistics group that is not just keeping pace with change, but actively shaping the future of the industry. "We're not just adapting to the digital age," Noel concludes. "We're redefining what it means to be a postal and logistics business in the 21st century. Our journey is about creating a SingPost that is resilient, innovative, and ready to meet the evolving needs of our customers and employees in this rapidly changing digital landscape."