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In a briefing with US officials, Energy Secretary, Alfonso G. Cusi, confirmed his plans to travel to the United States to set the Nuclear Power MoU in motion. Moreover, he elaborated on how American companies can contribute to the initiative. Specifically, Cusi laid down various areas where they can funnel their capital primarily into the renewable energy (RE) sector and help jumpstart the revival of the country’s nuclear ambitions.
Understandably, the move towards nuclear energy is a move towards a better planet. Energy from nuclear reactors has been viewed as a better alternative to traditional fossil-fuel energy sources. Simply put, nuclear energy is a carbon-free, zero-emission clean energy source that produces more electricity on far less land than traditional means. While small module reactors are not the most well-known of nuclear power plants, they are every bit as effective as America’s Palo Verde Generating Station (PVGS), the premier power producer.
Technically, nuclear reactors are defined by how much power they churn. SMRs as nuclear fission reactors typically put out an electrical output of fewer than 300 MWe. Alternatively, their output can come in the form of thermal energy, less than 1000 MWth. It’s clear SMRs are dwarfed by conventional nuclear power in terms of output. Palo Verde’s Generating Station has a generating capacity of 3,810,000 kW or about 3,937 MW. That’s over 32 million megawatt-hours annually. That kind of output is more than enough to power the needs of over 4 million people. PVGS has been a key asset to the American Southwest.
But power output is just one of the many considerations in choosing a particular nuclear reactor. And though relatively nascent, small module reactors offers distinct advantages over traditional nuclear power. Top of the list is these small reactors don’t cost as much. Plus, they are easier to build.
SMRs can be manufactured at a plant and moved to their target site when done. As they reduce the need for on-site construction, they increase containment efficiency. A key feature is they can be operated with less human intervention — using passive safety features.
In short, small as SMRs are, they offer a far safer option compared to more robust, traditional nuclear power reactors. It’s no accident that in a world increasingly moving towards clean energy, the adoption of these small-version nuclear reactors has increased. More and more countries and businesses have opted for SMRs for the conveniences they offer.
This is exactly what Cusi has been wanting to accomplish in light of the pandemic and the vulnerabilities that the spread of the virus has made obvious. The energy secretary clarified, “From the start of the Duterte administration, I have actively advocated for the inclusion of nuclear for our country’s energy mix. And as the years went by, with the pandemic further revealing the vulnerability of our energy sources, it became more urgent for us to integrate nuclear into our energy mix as it would be highly beneficial for our country.”
Indeed, this is welcome news in today’s challenging times. In light of the upcoming presidential elections this May 9, it shows that technology is giving the country of over 100.8 million Filipinos a headstart towards a better future.
And the private sector knows this. To truly move forward as a country, there has to be better cooperation between the incoming government and the business sector for the good of society as a whole with a clear national guideline in technology policies in place. In view of the imminent change in the country’s leadership, this is what fintech leaders of the country wanted to be assured of in their recent forum with current government executives, as reported on OpenGov Asia.
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Kemajuan teknologi dan sains telah membawa efektivitas dan efisiensi industri kesehatan sehingga bisa menjangkau lebih banyak orang di pelosok wilayah. Kemudahan akses pada layanan perawatan kesehatan ini diharapkan bisa meningkatkan kualitas hidup dan umur warga.
Telemedicine menjadi salah satu perkembangan terbaru di industri ini yang populer imbas pandemi COVID-19. Saat itu, telemedicine berhasil membantu pasien untuk berkonsultasi dengan dokter, melakukan diagnosis, dan pengobatan dari jarak jauh.
Perkembangan kecerdasan buatan (AI) ikut berkontribusi memodernisasi layanan kesehatan. AI berpotensi membantu dokter untuk membuat diagnosis yang lebih cepat dan akurat, memprediksi hasil kesehatan, dan melakukan asistensi rencana perawatan. Layanan berbasis AI seperti chatbots dan asisten virtual, juga bisa dimanfaatkan untuk menjembatani komunikasi layanan kesehatan dengan pasien.
Pengobatan yang efektif, teknik diagnostik yang lebih akurat, dan sistem pemberian obat yang lebih baik diarahkan untuk memperbaiki sistem perawatan, pengobatan, dan prognosis pasien. Selain itu, kemajuan teknologi juga diharapkan bisa mengurangi biaya perawatan kesehatan lantaran operasional yang makin efisien.
Menggali potensi dari celah di teknologi kesehatan
Lawrence Ho Khek-Yu, Konsultan Senior & Profesor National University Hospital, Singapura sepakat kalau COVID-19 memang membantu mempopulerkan telemedicine. Meski demikian, ia merasa layanan ini masih sulit untuk menggantikan layanan konsultasi tatap muka. Menurutnya, telemedicine saat ini memiliki peran penting dalam hal konsultasi, namun masih memiliki sejumlah kelemahan dibanding diagnosis tatap muka.
“Jika Anda menggunakan konsultasi video, Anda hanya dapat melihat tapi Anda tidak dapat memeriksa. Tentu saja pemeriksaan adalah hal yang penting. Semestinya kita bisa memiliki kemampuan yang sama serupa dengan pertemuan tatap muka. Menurut saya, alat pengujian untuk melakukan diagnosa masih kurang pada layanan telemedicine,” jelas Lawrence dalam wawancara dengan CEO & Pemimpin Redaksi OpenGov Asia, Mohit Sagar.
Kedua, layanan telemedicine masih harus mematangkan ekosistem pendukung, salah satunya terkait dengan pengantaran obat. Di Singapura, layanan pengantaran obat bisa dikirim dalam satu minggu. Hal ini tentu akan menghambat proses pengobatan ketimbang langsung datang dan diberi obat ketika melakukan kunjungan tatap muka.
Meski demikian, Lawrence menyebut layanan telemedicine masih dilakukan di masa setelah COVID-19 untuk pasien yang kondisinya sudah cukup stabil di rumah. Sementara sebagian besar pasien sudah kembali melakukan kunjungan tatap muka seperti biasa.
Selain itu, penjelasan yang bisa dilakukan lewat telemedicine menurut Lawrence masih terbatas. Ia merasa kesulitan jika harus melakukan penjelasan dengan tambahan gambar yang dengan mudah dilakukan dalam pertemuan tatap muka secara langsung.
Selain itu, ia pun menaruh perhatian pada kesulitan akses teknologi yang dialami oleh pasien lanjut usia. Telemedicine sulit untuk membaca dan menyampaikan aspek nonverbal dan emosional dari interaksi langsung.
Ia menekankan industri medis perlu mengembangkan dan meningkatkan metode untuk mendiagnosis dan merawat pasien. Ia berharap telemedicine bisa mendukung diagnosis dengan memanfaatkan sejumlah panca indera untuk memeriksa gejala. Dalam pertemuan tatap muka, dokter bisa langsung mengukur detak jantung dengan stetoskop, merasakan dengan sentuhan jari, pendengaran, atau diagnosis sensoris lain untuk mendapat data dari pasien. Kesamaan proses diagnosis seperti inilah yang perlu dikembangkan untuk layanan telemedicine ke depan.
Untuk memperbaiki layanan perawatan medis jarak jauh, semua kekurangan itu perlu ditambal. Tambahan sensor, metaverse dan kecerdasan buatan (AI) dapat dimungkinkan untuk melakukan hal ini dan membantu menganalisa data pasien yang lebih akurat dan komprehensif. Ia optimis kemajuan teknologi bisa mengatasi semua kelemahan itu karena saat ini kita sedang berevolusi untuk meningkatkan layanan telemedicine secara bertahap.
Sebagai seorang investor, menurut Lawrence, inovasi itu menjadi pendorong inovasi yang cukup besar. Namun, agar bisa lebih berdampak, menurutnya baik inovator, akademisi, dan startup mesti benar-benar menyentuh permasalahan di akar rumput. Selama ini, penelitian-penelitian yang dilakukan para edukator kurang peka dengan kebutuhan masyarakat. Mereka melupakan mengapa mereka ada di institusi akademis yang semestinya menelurkan solusi bagi masyarakat. Begitupula dengan para investor. Mereka pun mesti memiliki visi untuk melayani dan menyelesaikan masalah di masyarakat terlebih dulu sebelum menajamkan sasaran ke ceruk pasar yang lebih sempit.
LKYGBPC untuk majukan entrepreneurship
Bagi Lawrence, inovasi berangkat dari inisiatif untuk menyelesaikan masalah dan mengeksekusi ide solusi itu dengan kedisiplinan. Disiplin dalam memperbaiki produk, mengelola konsumen, membangun tim dan organisasi, serta mengelola keuangan. Lawrence menganggap kompetisi bisnis internasional seperti LKYGBPC bisa memberikan kesempatan bagi para pebisnis muda untuk melakukan ekspansi pasar ke negara lain.
Prof Lawrence menjadi investor di tiga startup. Pertama adalah Master and Slave Transluminal Endoscopic Robot (MASTER). MASTER kini telah diintegrasikan menjadi Endomaster, startup MedTech yang paling banyak mendapat kucuran dana di Asia pada 2017. Ia pun mendanai startup di bidang fotonik dan bioteknologi yang mengembangkan peringatan dini dibidang kesehatan.
Berdasarkan pengalaman memiliki tiga startup teknologi kesehatan, Lawrance menyarankan agar startup perlu fleksibel dan membuka diri. Mereka mesti bersedia menerima masukan dari konsumen, tim, dan mereka yang lebih ahli. “Saya merasa bahwa beberapa inovator sangat protektif terhadap produk mereka sendiri, mereka pikir ini adalah bayi mereka.”
Sebab, dari berbagai masukan itu, founder dan tim bisa memetakan dengan cepat berbagai tantangan yang mungkin mereka hadapi di sepanjang jalan. Setelah itu, mereka mesti menemukan orang yang tepat untuk memecahkan tantangan tersebut.
Mereka pun harus berjuang untuk mewujudkan apa yang mereka janjikan dari konsep yang diajukan. Menurut Lawrence, beberapa orang lebih jago menuliskan ide mereka di kertas dan Power Point ketimbang terjun langsung ke lapangan.
“Para pejuang kertas dan Power Point sangat sulit untuk berhasil. Anda harus benar-benar melakukannya hingga berdarah-darah, hingga Anda menguasai dan memenangkan pertempuran,” tegasnya.
Tantangan berikutnya untuk startup kesehatan adalah soal regulasi. Startup perlu menemukan ahli untuk membantu merancang uji klinis agar lolos berbagai uji klinis dan regulasi.
Tantangan yang terakhir adalah masalah komersialisasi produk. Bagaimana menghasilkan pendapatan dari produk yang akan dijual.
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There has been extensive usage of AI technology in the service of helping humanity. In the health sector, AI has been used to identify new illnesses and epidemics that have become a concern when they appear in different parts of the world. Therefore, it was decided to develop the necessary tools to assist the country in dealing with any future pandemic in Indonesia at the suggestion of Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).
Given Indonesia’s limited infrastructure and medical workforce, a well-thought-out plan was crucial for overcoming such an emergency. As a result, the healthcare infrastructure in Indonesia, including hospitals, physicians, health workers, and the government, could be ready for any future pandemic.
Outbreaks can be identified using AI by extracting morphometric information from microscopy images. Anto Satriyo Nugroho, Director of BRIN’s Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Cybersecurity (PR KAKS), said that AI can greatly aid Indonesian healthcare workers in hot spots, for instance, malaria epidemics. The algorithm could determine whether a person has caught malaria based on whether their blood sample tested positive for the parasite outbreak.
“Artificial intelligence applications can also detect epidemics with high precision. With AI, we can get an accurate forecast 77.14% of the time, with a sensitivity of 84.37% and an F1 accuracy of 80.60%,” he revealed.
To promote such initiatives, the National Research, and Innovation Agency (BRIN) hosted a webinar with the topic “Utilising AI in Health”. A panel discussion with a resource person, the Director of the BRIN Institute’s Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Cybersecurity (PR KAKS), followed the webinar activity. Prof. Indi Dharmayanti, Head of the BRIN Health Research Organisation, and Alexander Svinin, Russian Trade Attache for Indonesia, shared some opening comments during this webinar.
Experts in artificial intelligence technology include Anto Satriyo Nugroho, Director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence at Innopolis University Russia Ramil Kuleev, and researcher from the Astutiati Nurhasanah National Agency for Research on Vaccines and Drugs Research Centre, Ruslan Lukin.
Meanwhile, Russian Trade Attaché Alexander Svinin has voiced his approval of the work being done in Indonesia in artificial intelligence, “When it comes to the use of AI in medicine, we will be extremely receptive to new ideas and findings. This will open the door for cooperation among many groups.”
Professor and Head of the Russian University of Innopolis’s Institute of AI According to Ramil Kuleev, artificial intelligence has been used in various spheres of Russian society, most notably the medical field, where it has been used to diagnose illnesses based on radiological examinations.
Indonesian organisations like the Metaverse Research & Experience Centre (MREC) and the Indonesia Metaverse Collaboration supports the metaverse effort alongside AI development. Denny Setiawan, Director of resource management for the Ministry of Communication and Information’s Directorate General of Resources and Equipment of Post and Information Technology, said this would be a crucial step in hastening the country’s digital transition.
The mission of the Metaverse Research and Education Consortium (MREC), a public-private partnership, is to foster these very activities inside the realm of the technological metaverse. The Metaverse Research and Experience Centre (MREC) may be in the middle of the action on the Telkom University Campus. The building will serve as a hub for metaverse technology-related R&D, engagement with industry, and capability development.
Academics, researchers, connectivity service providers, industry partnerships, and policymakers can all work together and build connections with the help of MREC’s resources. Launching MREC is a big deal for Indonesia’s digital economy since it shows the country is serious about capitalising on the rising international interest in metaverse technology.
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The government held a conference to review the first phase of the programme on the transition to Internet Protocol version 6 for state agencies (IPv6 for Gov) and discuss the implementation of the second phase of the plan.
The initial stage of the IPv6 for Gov initiative carried out between 2021 and 2022, centred around state agencies. During this period, approximately fifty per cent of the involved ministries, agencies, and localities planned transitional strategies to shift towards IPv6 for their portals. All of them are expected to roll out the plans in the second phase in 2022-2025.
In Vietnam, the IPv6 transition in networks, services, applications, and software will ensure there are Internet resources capacity and security requirements to support digital transformation and the development of e-government and smart city services. IPv6 is expected to meet Vietnam’s demand to offer new and quality services such as the Internet of Things (IoT), 4G-LTE, and 5G networks, contributing to digital transformation and digital government building.
To guarantee the effective execution of the program, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has collaborated closely with pertinent ministries, sectors, and localities. According to statistics from the Vietnam Internet Network Information Centre (VNNIC), as of December 2022, Vietnam’s IPv6 usage reached 53%, ranking 10th globally with more than 65 million Internet subscribers using IPv6 services. According to an official, the IPv6 for Gov programme has exceeded its set goals in the first phase as 94% of ministries, sectors and localities have issued IPv6 transition plans.
So far, as many as 78% of stakeholders have successfully converted to IPv6 for their portals and public services. More than 1,300 staff and experts have been trained on IPv6, 2.6 times higher than the training target for five years.
This year, the country’s IPv6 usage rate is expected to reach 60-70%. In the second phase of 2023 – 2025, VNNIC set a goal to convert the national Internet network into IPv6. By 2025, it wants 100% of Internet subscribers to use the IPv6 service, and all IDC, cloud, and hosting businesses to provide services on IPv6 platforms.
Pham Duc Long, the Deputy Minister of Information and Communication, has urged stakeholders to hasten the transition to IPv6. VNNIC was tasked with boosting communication and training initiatives and providing support and oversight during the transition phase.
The country’s quality of Internet service has also improved following directives issued by MIC. Globally, Vietnam ranks 39th in terms of fixed Internet. As OpenGov Asia reported, the average broadband download speed in Vietnam in February was 89,73 Mpps, up 4.6% over January. Among the centrally run cities, Ho Chi Minh City had the highest fixed broadband download speed (96.55Mbps). The average fixed broadband upload speed of the whole country was 88.71 Mbps (up 4.7%).
The figures from both domestic and international sources indicated that there has been a significant improvement in Vietnam’s fixed Internet speed in February, a considerable achievement considering the several incidents surrounding the submarine fibre optic cables since late 2022. As a solution, MIC has directed telecom carriers to promptly apply measures to fix the problems to ensure smooth international Internet connection. Under the instructions of the Authority of Telecommunications (AOT), mobile network operators have negotiated to buy more mainland optical fibre capacity and share capacity with each other to overcome the crisis.
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The Thai government’s Office of Economic Promotion and Assistance (depa) is preparing to train a new generation of technologically savvy farmers. The team led by Apichatbut Rodyang, Director of the Central and Eastern Regions, met with Chanawat Sitthoon, Agriculture and Cooperatives of the Chanthaburi Province, to explore ways to increase farmers’ and enterprises’ use of digital technology.
During a meeting of the Chanthaburi Integrated Provincial Administration Committee, which consists of government agencies and business agencies, Apichatbutr brought up the need for a plan to boost the digital economy in Chanthaburi Province. Many efforts for local agricultural communities and independent company owners have been nurtured and supported by the depa and the New Age Fruit Trade Association (MAFTA), and he updated the progress.
Seksan Phanboonmee, head of the digital economy strategy depa in Chanthaburi Province, proposed developing smart agriculture to boost the digital economy. In this way, the province’s potential and needs are met by its preparedness to join the digital economy.
New agricultural products and services may be created with the help of digital innovation, which benefits the commercial and service sectors and the smart tourism industry. In subsequent phases, the initiative integrated commercial and service sectors with the technology-reliant “smart tourism” field.
The notion may be put into action through the cultivation of human resources, the promotion of digital technology, and the construction of digital infrastructure and facilities. The next phase is for Chanthaburi to establish a city data platform, enhance cyber security, and construct a smart city.
In his role as meeting chairman, Chanthaburi Province Governor Monsit Phaisanthanawat expressed gratitude to depa for its contribution to the growth of the digital economy in the province. A strategy to enhance the digital economy in Chanthaburi Province was accepted during the meeting and prepared to be bundled with the provincial development plan.
Using the umbrella term “Digital Infinity,” the Chanthaburi Provincial Chamber of Commerce is preparing to promote various initiatives. In May, they’ll display alongside the Chanthaburi Provincial Administrative Organisation showcase their findings at the provincial agricultural fair.
Concurrently, in Suphan Buri province, depa kicked out a workshop to train company owners on “wing SMEs to drive business with digital” as part of the initiative “Transform Fresh Market in the New Normal (Expansion). Small business owners, shopkeepers, vendors, farmers’ market sellers, street vendors, and proprietors of other similar establishments were targeted by the Digital Economy Promotion Agency, which thus initiated the initiative. Bringing in more money while cutting expenses is essential.
The workshop’s agenda includes the following:
- Training in digital marketing strategies.
- Access to financial resources.
- The pairing of businesses with suppliers of digital services.
By introducing these applications, we hope to inspire local company owners to use digital tools better.
Up to 70% of the total participants at such events can be expected to develop business matching quickly. The provinces of Thailand will continue to host events for the Transform Fresh Market in the New Normal Era (Expansion) initiative.
Separately, the Director of Central and Eastern Regions Apichatbut Rodyang met with the Eastern Province Group 1 Public-Private Joint Committee to discuss economic issues. (Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Rayong). Regarding smart city development, Apichatbutr lays the groundwork by offering digital infrastructure, city data gathering and administration (City Data Platform), and management procedures.
Depa encouraged the eastern provinces to work together on creating a “smart city” to improve the effectiveness of municipal administration. For up to 13 years, he said, the Office of the Board of Investment (BOI) will exclude a portion of the Smart City area in the Eastern Economic Corridor’s (EEC) earnings from taxes.
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To increase efficiency and productivity, leverage better insights for decision-making and provide seamless digital services for citizens, Singapore’s government is investing in digital technologies such as robotic process automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics.
The government is prioritising modernisation, transformation and digitalisation of its corporate shared services to improve service quality and efficiency and the overall customer experience. By reducing manual workloads and eliminating errors, these technologies will enable the development of new skills in its employees and create capacity for new priorities.
OpenGov Asia is pleased to recognise VITAL for its innovative and disruptive use of technology in the public sector through the optimisation of government processes and the pushing of new limits.
Providing common services in human resource, payroll, finance and procurement to over 100 public service agencies, VITAL, a department under the Ministry of Finance and the central agency for corporate shared services, has earned a stellar reputation over the years as an organisation that actively leverages digitalisation and automation at the enterprise level. Through the use of digital technology and robotic automation, the agency has successfully managed and transformed corporate service delivery for the Whole-of-Government (WoG).
VITAL has worked to expand and propagate its digital and automation capabilities internally and among Whole-of-Government (WoG) agencies. This is aimed at achieving economies of scale, enhancing efficiency, strengthening governance, and improving the quality of service.
All these endeavours have led VITAL to being awarded the prestigious OpenGov Asia’s Recognition of Excellence Award which will be conferred during the 8th Annual Singapore OpenGov Leadership Forum 2023.
VITAL’s Digitalisation Strategy for Enhanced Service Delivery
Alex Tang, Director (Service, Innovation, and Compliance), VITAL, Ministry of Finance in Singapore, said that VITAL’s Digitalisation Strategy led to the transition from manual, paper-based processes to digital services and operations. These services are provided to their service partners and public agencies that they have collaborated with over the years.
“To encourage greater adoption of these tools, we developed an in-house ‘Digital First’ microsite to share use cases, tips, and resources with VITAL officers and conducted frequent brown-bag sessions to generate greater awareness of digital tools,” Alex explains.
VITAL has dedicated significant efforts to upskilling its officers in automation. In addition to training 28 officers in Robotics Process Automation (RPA) developer software to automate complex tasks, they have trained and provided low-code RPA developer software training to over 140 officers. This approach enables a broader group of individuals to use automation to improve processes effectively.
As the Robotics and Automation lead in Whole-of-Government (WoG) for corporate services, VITAL has also developed a service-wide microsite called “Robotics and Automation Hub (R&A Hub)”. This platform provides WoG Agencies with access to RPA resources, common automation scripts and other offerings to promote the use of RPA.
As of February 2023, more than 2,300 different people had visited the hub’s site since it opened. As part of its citizen development initiatives, VITAL has taken the lead in WoG efforts in trialling low-code RPA tools.
Their automation journey included tabletop research, learning journeys, consultations, solution identification, proof of concept followed by a pilot, and gradual scaling up of implementation across multiple processes over the initial 2 to 3 years.
“In the early phase of our automation journey, we visited organisations to learn from them, consulted our advisory panel and industry experts and performed extensive research. Throughout our journey, we continually learned and adapted as we implemented RPA,” Alex recalls.
To reap the most benefits and ensure the long-term viability of the automation initiative, it was critical for process owners and developers to align their understanding to ensure robust process selection – focusing on those that were manual, tedious, repetitive and rule-driven to reduce abortive work and building scripts that do not meet business needs.
VITAL’s digitalisation is the result of an ecosystem that includes a central innovation team that is supported by Ops-Tech specialists and process experts in the Operations functions.
The VITAL Innovation Hub is made up of a group of specialists who conduct technology exploration and agile experimentation to source, test and scale up innovative solutions that improve VITAL’s efficiency and effectiveness. This team drives the digitalisation and automation agenda, collaborating with operations functions to identify appropriate processes for testing, scaling up and spreading automation adoption throughout the organisation.
Initially, the Innovation Hub led by Jessica Ong, Deputy Director (Innovation Hub) has played a critical role in the early stages of the project as the developer, working closely with process experts in operations to collect business requirements, develop scripts, and deploy them. However, as the RPA developer capability within Operations grew, the Ops-Tech specialists in the line functions took over this role.
At the same time, the Innovation Hub shifted to a governance and advisory role, responsible for reviewing and deploying scripts, upgrading applications, troubleshooting incidents, providing guidance, and building capabilities.
Alex summarises the top five crucial points for successfully integrating and streamlining digitalisation and automation projects as follows:
- Speak with industry early adopters to determine the benefits and drawbacks of a solution, determine if it meets the organisation’s needs, start small and validate efficacy before scaling up.
- Deploy solid policy-operations-technology integration. Collaborate with central teams to review policy and system requirements to use technology tools.
- To reap greater benefits across the entire government, processes must be standardised and consolidated through the use of shared services and common central systems.
- Verify software and solution compatibility with key internal and external systems and applications, as well as the hosting environment.
- Avoid automating inefficiencies. Before developing a script, examine the selected process and streamline it by eliminating unnecessary steps.
Alex and his team discovered that RPA is extremely sensitive to changes in system or application performance – the more applications and systems a script integrates, the more complex it becomes. Deploying patches can have an impact on performance, including success rate, and may require more script changes.
“We found it useful to plan early and assess the complexity of the integration scope during script development,” Alex explains.
Although automation is often touted as a means to increase efficiency, it can also cause anxiety and uptake-hesitancy among employees. To overcome stress and resistance, effective communication is necessary.
VITAL took a different approach and presented Robotic Process Automation (RPA) as an enabler, freeing its people from manual and tedious tasks. This allowed them to focus on more valuable work, professional growth, and innovation.
Developing the skills and capabilities to become an RPA developer can be challenging, especially when coding knowledge and experience are required. Fortunately, the shift towards democratising automation development through low-code or no-code tools has made it easier.
“Currently, we are upskilling more officers to be Citizen Developers who can tap on low-code RPA tools to automate simple, manual tasks,” Alex reveals.
Key Factors That Lead to Success
In addition to the innovation structure, Alex identifies two crucial factors for success: effective change management and a robust ecosystem that encourages bottom-up innovation.
“As a shared services outfit, we aggregate and process many transactions across WoG, which makes VITAL a fitting target for automation,” Alex states.
There are abundant automation opportunities in Operations functions, as these teams are often eager to ease their daily workload through tech solutions. To meet this immediate need, VITAL invites successful automation projects to apply for its annual innovation project awards, which recognise credible innovation efforts and successful use cases.
VITAL had also created a dashboard to track RPA script success rates and time savings – useful metrics that validate the efforts and serve as “fuel” for further automation adoption and growth.
The automation initiative is continuously monitoring the external environment for potential changes in the technology industry that could impact the solutions they use, the systems landscape and the corporate services space in WoG as part of future-proofing. This allows them to anticipate the impact of the automation programme and adjust their strategy accordingly.
“We are moving up the value chain in our automation journey by exploring the integration of RPA with the use of other intelligent tools,” Alex concludes.
He is confident that VITAL is vital to Whole-of-Government (WoG), as their efforts are intended to future-proof automation strategies across the public sector. Ultimately, they want to work more intelligently, smarter and safer to provide the best service experience they can.
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Sebagai Badan Pusat Layanan Publik di Singapura, VITAL memiliki sejumlah inisiatif digital yang mendapat sorotan dari OpenGov Asia. Berbagai inovasi yang dilakukan organisasi ini memberikan transformasi layanan pemerintah Singapura yang dapat memberi manfaat bagi warga.
Saat ini VITAL, memiliki pusat layanan yang mengakomodasi lebih dari 100 lembaga. VITAL secara aktif mendorong digitalisasi dan automasi di tingkat enterprise sejak didirikan pada 2006. Lembaga yang ada di bawah Kementerian Keuangan ini terus melakukan disrupsi digital untuk mendorong transformasi di berbagai layanan pemerintah Singapura.
Berbagai inisiatif digitisasi, digitalisasi, dan automasi dengan robot gencar dilakukan untuk mengubah standar layanan pemerintah. Saat ini, inisiatif digital dan automasi terus ditingkatkan agar bisa lebih ekonomis, efisien, memperkuat pemerintahan, dan menigkatkan kualitas layanan.
Seluruh upaya tersebut telah membawa VITAL memenangkan Recognition of Excellence Award OpenGov Asia yang akan diserahkan bersamaan dengan diadakannya acara tahunan ke-8 OpenGov Leadership Forum 2023 Singapura.
Strategi VITAL terapkan automasi
VITAL telah mentransformasi layanan pemerintah Singapura dari manual, berbasis kertas, menjadi layanan dan operasional berbasis digital. Bahkan, percepatan proses lewat automasi bot dan robot berhasil membuat VITAL meningkatkan efisiensi pemerintah hingga 66% dan menghemat 12 ribu jam dari total 191 ribu transaksi yang harus diproses.
Dalam wawancara khusus dengan Mohit Sagar, CEO dan Pemimpin Redaksi OpenGov Asia; Alex Tang, Direktur Layanan, Inovasi & Kepatuhan VITAL menjelaskan sejumlah kerumitan yang menjadi tantangan untuk melakukan automasi. Mulai dari manajemen perubahan ketika mengembangkan skrip, komunikasi dengan pengguna untuk mengurangi penolakan dan ketidakpastian, serta hal-hal yang berkaitan dengan kemampuan para developer dalam mengembangkan skrip untuk automasi.
Perencanaan dan manajemen perubahan diperlukan untuk mengurangi kerumitan yang terjadi ketika terjadi perubahan dalam sistem atau aplikasi. Semakin banyak aplikasi dan sistem yang diintegrasikan, akan meningkatkan kompleksitas proses automasi. Makin tinggi kompleksitas akan berpengaruh pada tingkat keberhasilan sistem otomatis yang sudah diterapkan. Pada sistem yang kompleks, perubahan skrip juga akan menambah tingkat kesulitan ketika melakukan tambalan sistem keamanan.
“Kami merasa perencanaan lebih awal berguna dalam menilai kompleksitas cakupan integrasi di tahap pengembangan,” ujarnya.
Selain itu, pengembang juga perlu mengintensifkan komunikasi dengan pengguna. Hal ini diperlukan untuk mengatasi ketidakpastian dan penolakan. Mereka mengubah persepsi automasi dari ‘ancaman’ menjadi ‘bantuan’.
Automatisasi sering disebut-sebut sebagai ancaman posisi kerja bagi manusia dan menimbulkan kecemasan bagi para pegawai. Tapi, VITAL mempromosikan automasi sebagai alat bantu untuk menghilangkan pekerjaan manual dan repetitif. Sehingga, pegawai lebih produktif, memberikan nilai tambah pada pekerjaan mereka, melakukan pengembangan profesional, dan inovasi.
Tantangan berikutnya terkait dengan kemampuan dan pengalaman pengembang menulis skrip untuk automasi. Untuk mengatasi masalah ini, VITAL memanfaatkan software automasi tanpa coding atau low coding. Pengembang ahli di pusat akan tetap menangani kebutuhan coding automasi yang rumit. Tapi di hilir, para pengguna bisa memanfaatkan software RPA kode rendah dan tanpa kode untuk melakukan automasi sederhana.
Alex lantas membeberkan lima langkah yang mereka lakukan untuk memastikan inisiatif automasi yang mereka jalankan agar dapat menjawab kebutuhan ratusan agensi yang terhubung dengan VITAL.
- Belajar dari orang lain
Pada tahap ini, VITAL mempelajari berbagai riset, mengambil pelajaran dari pengalaman sebelumnya, dan berkonsultasi dengan pakar dan analis industri sambil melakukan penelitian ekstensif. Untuk menentukan proses mana yang perlu automasi dan digitalisasi, Alex memberi tips agar melakukan penyelarasan pemahaman dengan pengguna. Hal ini bisa dilakukan ketika berdiskusi dengan calon pengguna di tahap awal. Proses digitalisasi bisa diutamakan pada proses yang masih manual dan repetitif.
“Bicaralah dengan para pengguna awal di industri untuk menentukan manfaat dan kekurangan solusi yang ditawarkan. Mereka bisa membantu untuk menilai apakah solusi itu sudah memenuhi kebutuhan organisasi,” jelasnya.
Penyelarasan dengan pengguna tersebut dapat menjadi konsep yang memandu VITAL untuk memulai segala ide dan inisiatif mulai dari yang kecil, seperti proof-of-concept. Dari titik ini, pengembang bisa mendapat validasi seberapa efektif inovasi yang ditawarkan. Sehingga, perbaikan lebih mudah dan lebih murah untuk dilakukan sebelum memperbesar skala solusi tersebut untuk pengguna yang lebih banyak.
“Kami lantas mengidentifikasi solusi, menguji coba bukti konsep dan melakukan penyesuaian dan peningkatan fitur selama 2 hingga 3 tahun ke depan,” tutur Alex.
- Integrasi kebijakan-operasi-teknologi
VITAL bekerja sama dengan tim pusat untuk meninjau kebijakan dan persyaratan sistem ketika mereka akan mengaktifkan penggunaan suatu alat teknologi.
- Standardisasi dan konsolidasi
Alex juga menyarankan agar memiliki layanan bersama dan terpusat untuk proses standardisasi dan konsolidasi yang menjadi rujukan dari seluruh organisasi kepemerintahan.
- Uji kompatibilitas
Perlu dilakukan uji kompatibilitas antara software dan solusi yang akan dipasang ke sistem utama dan lingkungan hosting, baik berupa aplikasi internal dan eksternal.
- Memilih proses yang diautomasi
“Terakhir, jangan mengotomatiskan inefisiensi. Tinjau proses yang dipilih, sederhanakan terlebih dahulu dengan menghilangkan langkah-langkah yang tidak perlu sebelum membuat skrip,” seru Alex.
Ke depan, untuk menghadapi kebutuhan dan tantangan yang terus berubah, Alex dan tim di VITAL terus mengamati berbagai perubahan yang terjadi. Baik perubahan di industri teknologi, lanskap sistem, dan ruang layanan korporat di WoG yang bisa berpengaruh pada solusi yang mereka gunakan. Pengawasan dilakukan agar mereka bisa mengantisipasi perubahan itu dan melakukan penyesuaian.
Mendorong tim yang inovatif
Untuk mendorong inovasi dan digitalisasi, VITAL menciptakan ekosistem tim inovasi pusat yang didukung oleh tim spesialis Ops-Tech dan pakar proses fungsi operasi.
Tim pusat inovasi melakukan eksplorasi teknologi dan eksperimen untuk mencari, menguji, dan meningkatkan solusi inovatif untuk menghasilkan efisiensi dan efektivitas di VITAL. Mereka bekerja sama dengan pakar proses fungsi operasi untuk mengidentifikasi proses yang sesuai dalam menguji dan meningkatkan serta menyebarkan adopsi otomasi di seluruh organisasi. Mereka juga mengumpulkan persyaratan bisnis, mengembangkan skrip, dan menerapkannya. Secara parallel, hal ini mengembangkan kemampuan pengembang Proses Automasi dengan Robot (PAR).
Sementara itu, tim spesialis Ops-Tech mengambil peran sebagai pengatur tata kelola dan penasihat untuk meninjau dan menerapkan skrip, memutakhirkan aplikasi, memecahkan masalah insiden, memberikan panduan, dan membangun keterampilan dalam berinovasi.
Selain membentuk struktur tim yang kuat, VITAL juga melakukan manajemen perubahan dan menciptakan ekosistem yang memberi stimuli untuk terus berinovasi. Hal ini dilakukan dengan mengundang proyek-proyek yang sudah berhasil ditangani oleh VITAL.
Mereka juga menggelar penghargaan proyek inovasi tahunan untuk terus menjaga kebanggaan tim atas hasil dan perubahan yang mereka lakukan. Hal ini diakui sukses dalam menjaga minat tim agar terus mencari hal yang bisa ditingkatkan secara bersama.
“Kami juga telah mengembangkan dasbor untuk memantau tingkat keberhasilan skrip PAR dan melihat penghematan waktu yang telah dilakukan. Metrik ini berguna untuk memvalidasi upaya kami dalam menyediakan ‘bahan bakar’ untuk adopsi dan memantau pertumbuhan lebih lanjut dalam penggunaan otomasi,” papar Alex.
Selain itu, untuk transfer informasi dan pengetahuan antar tim di VITAL dan luar VITAL, Alex berbicara sejumlah hal yang sudah mereka lakukan secara efektif.
- Microsite
VITAL kerap memanfaatkan microsite sebagai pusat informasi untuk semua inisiatif digital yang dilakukan.
- Digital First
Microsite ‘inhouse’ ini digunakan untuk berbagi contoh kasus, tips, dan sumber daya bagi sesama pegawai VITAL. Mereka juga kerap mengadakan pertemuan santai untuk membahas dan memperkenalkan solusi digital baru.
- Pusat Robotik dan Otomasi
Microsite ini digunakan untuk menyediakan segala informasi terkait dengan robotik dan skrip automasi.
Situs mini ini digunakan sebagai referensi internal untuk berbagai agensi yang terhubung dengan layanan korporasi pemerintah. Sejak diluncurkan, layanan ini sudah mendapat 16 ribu kunjungan oleh sekitar 2.300 pengunjung unik per Februari 2023.
- Pelatihan
VITAL telah melakukan pelatihan internal bagi 28 karyawan dan melatih lebih dari 140 petugas VITAL lain. Pelatihan yang diberikan adalah penggunaan Proses Automasi dengan Robot (PAR). PAR diperlukan untuk mengotomatiskan proses yang kompleks. Pelatihan difokuskan untuk meningkatkan kemampuan menggunakan software automasi low-code PAR. Saat ini, sudah ada 12 lembaga pemerintah Singapura yang telah mengikuti pelatihan ini.
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Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) is growing its network of partners and areas of collaboration to give Singapore’s defence and security a strategic technological edge against future threats. At the recent Singapore Defence and Technology Summit 2023, DSTA signed more than nine partnerships with military partners, commercial companies, and academic institutions.
Mervyn Tan, the DSTA’s Chief Executive stated that the changing nature of asymmetrical threats and the rise of new, disruptive technologies have made it even more important for DSTA to prepare the agency for these new paradigms and stay on the cutting edge of the latest technology trends.
He added that they brought together hundreds of top government leaders, innovators, and engineers from around the world at the Singapore Defence Technology Summit so they could share their thoughts and ideas.
Given the new threats and opportunities, the agency wanted to adopt a very different collaboration strategy. They are pushing beyond traditional areas such as platform design to share data and leveraging smart and digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Analytics, and Machine Learning (ML) with their defence sector partners to optimise efficiencies, improve system performance, and achieve sustainability.
To meet Singapore’s defence needs, DSTA will also look into ways to accelerate the adoption of suitable commercial dual-use innovations, such as collaborations with digital tech start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises. Also, the collaborations with top-tier academia will allow DSTA to delve deeper into research on emerging technologies.
More than nine partners from a wide range of fields came together to make the new partnerships. DSTA will work more closely with businesses to build data-driven analysis and diagnostic tools that will help it build its Fleet Management System.
DSTA will also work with a Swedish aerospace and defence company to make a Multi-Role Combat Vessel that is advanced, digitalised, and data driven. This will not only help DSTA engineers get better at designing surface ships, but it will also help them get better at analysing data.
The partnership between DSTA and a technology company will be expanded to include the co-development of new radar waveforms and the training of local radar experts so that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) can be better supported.
DSTA has also teamed up with other institutions and firms to use digital technologies to improve the full range of defence capabilities, from cyber security to making traditional weapon systems and platforms more available. To promote sustainability, DSTA will also work with one of the world’s largest publicly traded international oil and gas companies to get a fleet of ships run by the Republic of Singapore Navy to use Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil.
DSTA will work with an international high-technology group, operating in aviation and Carnegie Mellon University to develop its talent pool through internships, co-development of executive education programmes and courses, and the exchange of academic publications and research information. This is in addition to enhancing the technical capabilities of existing platforms.
DSTA also actively solicits innovative solutions from small and medium-sized businesses, start-ups, and even individuals through initiatives such as the International Data Engineering Prize Challenge, a global competition that called for an innovative data ingestion and curation solution for counter-terrorism intelligence analysis.
These partnerships put DSTA in a much stronger position to constantly innovate and be prepared to leverage the most cutting-edge technologies to enhance Singapore’s future-proofing capabilities.
