Right time to step towards a self-service society — Guan Chong and Allan Chia |
- Right time to step towards a self-service society — Guan Chong and Allan Chia
- Microsoft’s CEO may unveil Office for iPad on March 27, says source
- “Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies” puts WWE stars in prison
- Best in US food writing honoured
| Right time to step towards a self-service society — Guan Chong and Allan Chia Posted: 17 Mar 2014 05:57 PM PDT
Over the years, self-service technologies (SST) have transformed many industries in Singapore and worldwide, from automated teller machines (ATMs) in banking services to e-commerce in the travel industry. Advances in information technology have created numerous opportunities for SST to provide significant gains in efficiency and convenience. This has resulted in savings for businesses, which are passed on to consumers in the form of lower prices and better service. According to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation in the United States, the average estimated cost for an online transaction is only S$0.25, a fraction of the estimated cost of S$5.39 (RM13.94) for a transaction at a physical branch. SSTs come in many forms, including electronic kiosks, Internet services and mobile applications. Among the public in Singapore, receptivity towards SST initiatives varies greatly, depending on the type of service. For example, the e-Government Customer Perception Survey conducted by the Ministry of Finance and Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore last year indicated that 88 per cent who visited government websites chose to do their transactions electronically via online services in the past 12 months and 96 per cent were satisfied with the quality of government e-services. Improving productivity and service In the retail sector, as of the end of 2008, there were 92,600 self-checkout units deployed globally, where customers can pay for purchases without any direct input by a traditional cashier. The number is estimated to reach 430,000 units by the end of this year, according to a report by Retail Banking Research. However, the report also indicated that in 2008, there were 74,000 self-checkout terminals in North America and 15,000 in Western Europe. But only 3,000 were deployed in the Asia-Pacific region. In fact, NTUC FairPrice in Singapore started to invest in self-checkout counters only between 2011 and 2012. Despite this, local consumer receptivity seems rather encouraging. A survey conducted by FairPrice on about 600 customers found that 99.4 per cent of customers who used the self-checkout system were satisfied with it, while 83.5 per cent said it was an effective and fast alternative method to pay for items. SST has the potential to be a major force for growth in productivity and improvements in quality of life. As SST continues to become more acceptable, more convenient, and more efficient, companies will embrace it to operate more productively and to better serve their customers. This is particularly so in countries such as Japan and Singapore, which have low fertility rates and an ageing population. SST can also make service encounters more accessible for individuals with different language backgrounds, which is particularly important in Singapore. Kiosks and Internet-based applications can offer features such as multilingual interfaces to make services more user-friendly. For example, a ticketing office of a tourist attraction may use a multilingual kiosk to serve its local consumers and international tourists with different language backgrounds, thereby offering a more effective service than any single employee could possibly provide. Asian cultures place high value on interpersonal relationships in business. In Singapore, this focus on relationships is particularly prominent, as part of a fundamental element of Singapore's "kampung spirit". Even in the West, some research has found that technology cannot fully replace such relationships in high-level financial services such as investment consulting. At the very least, it is important for companies to understand what is the trade-off between interpersonal and SST service encounters. Consumers choose SST for a variety of reasons including faster service, convenience, accessibility and ease of use, rather than waiting in line or being limited to traditional working hours. Price can also be a factor, when there are savings with using the self-service option such as online shopping. The customer can control the service encounter and not feel rushed or pressured. For service encounters that require a high level of standardisation and accuracy, such as cashier or airline check-ins, it is advisable to provide SST options. Such customers tend to consider the functional aspects of the transaction and value the convenience that SST provides. However, for services that are more complex, assume higher perceived risk and require high customisation (or personalisation), especially for professional services such as legal services or financial investments, the current SST service models are still rather limited. Embracing self-service To move towards a self-service society, policymakers and government agencies must proactively create conducive conditions that encourage the adoption and use of SST. They should continue to support prosumer technologies adoption in business such as e-services and mobile payment systems. For example, they can incentivise the use of SST through subsidies or grants such as those under the Productivity and Innovation Credit scheme. Local institutions can set up research centres to look into IT-enabled self-service from both the design perspective as well as the user-experience perspective. Community leaders and businesses should educate consumers through campaigns and communicate the benefits of SST. Providing stronger safety nets for the local workforce that is adversely affected by technological change is also important. The Government can perhaps provide more support and workforce training, to help workers find alternative employment in a tight labour market. SST can offer a range of benefits to both businesses and consumers. Even though the use of SST is quite pervasive, it is still relatively new in Singapore. It needs to be embraced and promoted before it can become a norm, as Mr Shanmugaratnam has envisaged. This is the right time to take action. — Today * Dr Guan Chong is a marketing lecturer and Mr Allan Chia is the head of the marketing programme at SIM University. ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.  |
| Microsoft’s CEO may unveil Office for iPad on March 27, says source Posted: 17 Mar 2014 05:52 PM PDT
Nadella, who replaced long-time CEO Steve Ballmer earlier this year, will address the media and industry executives in San Francisco on March 27. Investors for years have urged Microsoft to adapt Office for mobile devices from Apple and Google Inc, rather than shackling it to Windows as PC sales decline. But the Redmond, Washington-based software giant has been reluctant to undermine its other lucrative franchise, its PC operating software. Microsoft gives up some US$2.5 billion (RM8.25 billion) a year in revenue by keeping Office off the iPad, which has now sold almost 200 million units, analysts estimate. Tech blog Re/code first reported news of Nadella's event. Microsoft said in an invitation to reporters that Nadella will discuss "news related to the intersection of cloud and mobile" but declined to comment on the specifics of the CEO's appearance. Microsoft has had iPad and iPhone versions of Office primed for several months now, sources told Reuters, but the company has dallied on their release due to internal divisions, among other things. Although Nadella is expected to discuss his thinking in depth next week, the company has already signalled that it will adopt a more liberal attitude toward putting its software on different platforms. Microsoft said earlier yesterday that it would make OneNote, its note-taking software, available on Mac, a move interpreted by observers as a shot against Evernote, the popular note-taking application that has both Mac and Android compatibility. Aside from Evernote, Microsoft also faces budding challenges from start-ups that have released mobile-friendly alternatives to Word, Excel and Powerpoint. — Reuters |
| “Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies” puts WWE stars in prison Posted: 17 Mar 2014 05:49 PM PDT
A collection of the WWE's big-ring names feature in the flick: Roddy Piper, Matt Hardy, Jim Duggan, Shane Douglas and Kurt Angle are lined up for the Troma Entertainment production. They find themselves in a spot of zombie-infested bother after rival wrestler, the RWA's Ashton Amherst, enlists dark forces to help exact his revenge upon Rowdy Roddy Piper. Cue plenty of blood, guts, and zombie-battering brawls. Too gross? With "Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn having come up through the Troma ranks, it's no longer so easy to write off the indie house's curated reputation for dubiously tasteful productions. According to the website's DVD store, "Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies" is listed for a March 28 debut, with a limited cinematic release to be announced. — AFP/Relaxnews |
| Best in US food writing honoured Posted: 17 Mar 2014 05:39 PM PDT
At the International Association of Culinary Professionals awards gala in Chicago over the weekend, John McReynolds' Stone Edge Farm Cookbook took the top honour for his cookery book that includes 100 recipes and 300 photographs capturing the Sonoma farm and winery of the same name. Recipes are inspired by the more than 100 varieties of organic fruit and vegetables harvested from the property's 6.5 hectares of farmland. In addition to recipes, the cookbook includes essays on gardening, winemaking and pairing of food and wine. Another big winner of the night was The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen, which won for best American cookbook. Brothers Matt and Ted Lee, described as the culinary ambassadors of Charleston, South Carolina, introduce readers to iconic and classic Charleston dishes such as She-Crab Soup, Hoppin' John, and Huguenot Torte in their latest title. The cookbook is also an ode to their hometown and includes interviews with local fishermen, chefs and farmers who help define the epicurean landscape in the food-rich city. Other big winners included chef Suzanne Goin, for her release The A.O.C. Cookbook — named after her sophomore restaurant opening in Los Angeles — where she shares recipes such as Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Parmesan and Lamb Meatballs with Spiced Tomato Sauce. Food & Wine Magazine was named Publication of the Year while Food52 and Saveur tied for Best Culinary Website. — AFP/Relaxnews |
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