UOB (Thai) and The FinLab help Thai SMEs with digital makeover through
Thailand’s first Smart Business Transformation Programme
Diverse group of 15 SMEs selected for their ambition to transform and to grow their business with digital tools
UOB bank
UOB (Thai) and The FinLab help Thai SMEs with digital makeover through
Thailand’s first Smart Business Transformation Programme
Diverse group of 15 SMEs selected for their ambition to transform and to grow their business with digital tools
UOB (Thai) announced the 15 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) selected to participate in the nation’s first Smart Business Transformation Programme. This programme is run by The FinLab, in collaboration with the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) and the Office of SMEs Promotion (OSMEP).
The 15 SMEs, selected from close to 150 applicants in Bangkok, are from a diverse range of sectors such as food and beverage, retail, travel, logistics and manufacturing. They were chosen in recognition of their acute awareness of their business constraints and challenges, as well as for their openness to explore new ideas and to use digital tools for scaling new heights in their business.
Through the Smart Business Transformation Programme, UOB (Thai) and The FinLab aim to help these SMEs tap digital solutions to enhance their online marketing efforts and to streamline their business processes. This will enable them to reach more customers in Thailand and expand into new markets.
The SMEs will attend a series of workshops on various topics conducted by industry experts from May to June 2019 to gain the know-how and to learn about the digital tools they can use for their business. They will then be matched with The FinLab’s curated list of solution providers to pilot solutions that are relevant to their businesses. Each SME will receive THB 1,000,000 worth of value through the workshops, professional training, mentorship and publicity garnered from the programme.
Mr Tan Choon Hin, President and Chief Executive Officer, UOB (Thai) , said, “Our more than eight decades of experience in supporting SMEs gives us a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges that they are facing today and will possibly encounter in the future. We understand that many SMEs are concerned about the complexity of implementing digital solutions and their lack of the requisite capabilities. With digitalisation becoming a game changer in almost every business, we want to help them overcome the barriers and harness technology to drive business performance.
“The Smart Business Transformation Programme will equip the participating SMEs with the digital skills and tools they need to stay ahead in the digital economy. Through UOB Group’s established and integrated network, we will help SMEs grow further by connecting them to business opportunities in the region.”
Mr Felix Tan, Co-Head, The FinLab, said, “Having successfully run several innovation programmes, The FinLab is excited to bring our expertise and experience to help SMEs in Thailand innovate and go digital. SMEs form the heart of the Thai economy. As part of the Smart Business Transformation Programme’s extensive selection process, I had the opportunity to hear the stories and ambitions of many Thai business owners and was inspired by their determination to bring their businesses to greater heights. The FinLab is privileged to be a part of the business transformation journey for the 15 selected SMEs and is committed to helping them achieve the success they envision.”
One of the SMEs selected to participate in this programme is Warrix, the official kit sponsor for the Thailand National Football Team. Mr Wisan Wanasaksrisakul, Chief Executive Officer, Warrix said, “As a wholesaler and retailer of sports equipment, we aim to make Warrix a household name across Southeast Asia. We are keen to implement several technology solutions, including a loyalty programme, an inventory management system and a payment system, to drive our business efficiency and sales. The Smart Business Transformation Programme, in partnership with The FinLab, is a good way to catalyse our plans on this innovation journey.”
The programme started on 21 May 2019 and the 15 participating SMEs will complete the programme in August 2019.
Appendix
List and Details of the 15 SMEs
|
SME
|
Sector
|
Description
|
| Retail | Nappi Baby practices sustainable harvesting of bamboo to produce a full range of baby products made with bamboo fibre and currently sells them in six countries. The company aims to grow its brand and share the hypoallergenic and absorbent benefits of their products through better online marketing, and strengthen back-end capabilities as they are snowballing. | |
| Travel and Tourism | Founded in 2011, Always Vacation is a travel agency which plans trips for both corporations and individuals to worldwide destinations specialising in developing customised itineraries to suit every traveller’s taste and budget. It aims to improve the overall customer experience with the introduction of an online self-booking option and continued expansion of its trip offerings. | |
| Retail | Artty Groups designs and produces premium fashion accessories from high-quality exotic leather. It aspires to master digital marketing and automate both its sales processes and inventory management system to maximise organisational capabilities and revenue generation. | |
| Manufacturing | Easypack designs and manufactures customised, flexible, food-grade plastic packaging for all industries including the medical industry. The company aims to build stronger brand awareness and digital marketing, improve sales conversions, and expand its sales to other countries. | |
| Food and Beverage | Grand Food Processing manufactures fresh fruit juices from tropical fruits like mangosteen and mulberry. It currently serves 12 markets including the USA, Singapore and Russia. The management aims to tap on digital solutions to increase brand and product awareness on social media and other platforms, and also leverage on data analytics to grow their customer base. | |
| Industrial | Established in 2010, Halo Innovation is an industrial company specialising in PVC compound manufacturing for products such as wire cables and rubber hoses. They want to adopt improved warehouse and real-time inventory management systems, and also digitalize the management of raw material costs during the plastic compound formulation. | |
| Food & Beverage / Agriculture | Kingdom Organic Network is a distributor of organic food and brands their own end-consumer products. While working on extending the shelf life of the produce, Kingdom Organic Network also looks to develop a centralised system for its network of organic farmers to input and manage the different stages of their production schedules for better logistics planning. | |
| Automotive | As an automotive company which specifically manufactures accessories for 4x4 off-roaders, MCC Industrial supplies its products to Australia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The company plans to use technology to increase the efficiency of their business operations and preserve accumulated business knowledge over the years to ensure business sustainability. | |
| Retail | MSS Stylists is an online fashion clothing retailer with a focus on female consumers. While it currently uses various online platforms to reach its customers, it aims to consolidate and automate its sales and inventory management across these platforms to have better customer insights and to also create stronger brand recognition for its designs and products. | |
| Automotive | Established in 2005, NHA is a leading distributor of new Honda passenger sedans in the Nakhonratchasima district. It also offers car insurance, as well as rental and bodywork & paint services to their customers. NHA aims to digitalize its internal workflow to streamline insurance sales and claims and extend better customer service for its rental and bodywork & paint services. | |
| Retail | Organika House is a luxury spa and aromatherapy brand selling spa and skincare products and has its own restaurant. As its new flagship store in Baan Silom will soon open, Organika House aims to integrate their business systems for greater efficiency, gain better customer insights and use online channels to target their customers, especially the overseas ones, better. | |
| Logistics / Shipping | An international logistics service provider which offers freight forwarding services over sea and air, Orient Star plans to improve its workflow processes and overall business efficiency and also leverage real-time data to strengthen their logistics services. | |
| Manufacturing | Taweechoke Panich is a distributor of certified steel products coupled with customised processing services such as cutting to length, shearing and pressing. The company seeks to create greater transparency and efficiency throughout the whole value chain – from millers to distributors to retailers to buyers – through the use of technology so that every stakeholder benefits. | |
| Manufacturing | Ethos Group consists of 3 registered companies and 5 business units, of which distribution of polymers, chemicals and lubricants to industrial companies are key currently. Leveraging their knowledge in these areas and incorporating R&D into designing and creating new products that promote safety in urban environments is their new area of focus and growth. | |
| Retail | Warrix is an established wholesale and retail sportswear brand. It is also the official kit sponsor for the Thailand National Football Team. Warrix aims to transform the industry by building an online B2B2C platform for dealers to sell their products and bring about change management to these small retailers. |
4 June 2019
For More information, please contact
Strategic Communications and Customer Advocacy
United Overseas Bank (Thai) Pcl.
Nida Puwanich Tel. 0-2343-4963