Pikom outlines its focus for year ahead
- Chairman Woon Tai Hai ambitions to tighten the deliver while deciding on fate of Digital Lifestyle Expo
- Building Pikom’s thought management status every other precedence
PIKOM, the national ICT affiliation of Malaysia, currently re-elected Woon Tai Hai (p.c) to a second time period as chairman. Two years is the most term that Pikom lets in for this position, mainly due to the fact that is a volunteer put up but one which comes with a variety of visibility and heavy duties.
It is a post that has constantly been filled via seasoned entrepreneurs or successful professional executives, each businesses being busy people in their very own proper.
Woon, as an instance, has to stability his Pikom duties together with his duty to KPMG in which he's government director and head of KPMG's Business Performance Services exercise.
The remaining thing wanted is for someone to occupy the post for selfish reasons. Hence Pikom has settled on two years as the appropriate time spent in the submit.
That has a tendency to mild a fire underneath those maintaining it as years isn't always a long time, and that is how Woon sees it too. He recognizes that the most a boss can do is to install location some desirable foundations and implement a number of them – and wish the next chairman shares the identical philosophy and takes the execution of the ideas of the beyond chairman to the following degree.
But one element with a view to usually be a top-of-thoughts trouble for any Pikom chairman might be on the health of Pikom’s PC Fair. And, these days, this cash cow, which has almost singlehandedly contributed to Pikom’s robust economic health, is in hassle.
Business has been bad the past two three years and this has culminated in talks of a breakaway institution, with some PC shops not glad with how Pikom has been unable to do greater to assist them.
Hence, Woon talks about how Pikom is urging its retail contributors to recognize the macro traits which are going on and reply with the aid of moving up the price chain. “They have to work on product blend, on nice, on carrier and pricing, constantly a key part of the overall fee however now not the maximum essential nowadays,” he says.
In truth, associated with the PC Fair and spotting that it's miles not the important thing occasion purchasers watch for, Pikom has over the last few years launched its Digital Lifestyle Expo (DLE) – a broader exhibition-cum-fair that promotes and educates consumers on the possibilities of the virtual way of life exchange this is upon us.
The DLE were given off to a promising start in 2010 but has for the reason that not been able to construct on its momentum, and this is an issue Woon is looking to cope with.
“At the final two council conferences, I have been urging the Pikom council to relook the motives for launching DLE and to not keep running the truthful within the identical manner because you'll maintain getting the equal results,” he says.
He has laid 3 alternatives at the table. To definitely drop the DLE; do a total revamp; or now not do something at all.
“We should decide by early next year if we need to carry on and the way high-quality to do that. Remember, this is not supposed to be a PC Fair wherein the point of interest in strictly on income.”
Woon describes subsequent 12 months as a “do or die” year for the DLE with a decision probable to be made quickly on its fate.
But Pikom is extra than approximately its PC Fair. As Woon says, “All of the committee contributors share the equal passion to pressure the IT industry ahead and a part of that is to make sure Pikom itself is a stronger and nicely-run enterprise.”
One of the important thing things Woon has carried out is to launch a Governance and Oversight Committee comprising an independent group not involved inside the daily operations of Pikom, to reinforce its preferred running approaches (SOPs) and to oversee the implementation of the various applications run by way of the affiliation.
“We cannot afford any nonsense or be looked as if it would be doing whatever that is not right and professional,” he says.
With 2012 also marking the quit of Pikom’s “5 by means of five” plan which began in 2008, Woon has made it a strategic priority to relook that plan and some of its motion gadgets.
He has no hobby in reinventing, the wheel however desires to take the plan to new heights while relooking a few factors. He recognizes that during light of the dynamic environment of the ICT enterprise and changing demographic population, the next 5-year plan must absolutely take those into considerations.
“Whilst it isn't exactly crystal ball watching, a deep dive in inspecting and predicting the developments and selecting the ‘right horses’ is absolutely vital,” he says.
Coming from a consulting and expert exercise history, Woon is also pushing for a more potent studies functionality inside Pikom and is promoting the advent of a know-how portal.
“For instance, when I skip over the baton to the following chairman, I do no longer want it to be just a baton but to skip over a comprehensive report of all of the sports carried out during the last 24 months and with an evaluation of how they went. This includes all the speeches I made,” he says.
To Woon, who incidently writes his personal speeches, that is an vital characteristic of the know-how portal as it permits the following chairman to get a sturdy information of the issues and to get off to a walking begin without spending an excessive amount of time reflecting on what went proper or incorrect over the past two years.
Beyond this, Woon wants to see Pikom recognized as a idea leader within the enterprise and is planning to release a month-to-month newsletter as a start. “We want to transport past being just associated with our PC Fair.”
That can be more tough than he envisions as he relates his enjoy even as in Genting Highlands for an Elton John display lately. “When I requested humans at random what they idea of after they pay attention that I am with Pikom, every body stated ‘PC Fair’.”
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